Combined effect of modified atmosphere packaging and addition of rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), ascorbic acid, red beet root (Beta vulgaris), and sodium lactate and their mixtures on the stability of fresh pork sausages

The effects of rosemary, in combination with ascorbic acid, red beet root, and sodium lactate, as well as their mixtures, on the inhibition of both lipid and pigment oxidation of fresh pork sausages packaged in a modified atmosphere were studied. Sausages (240) were packaged in a 80% O2 + 20% CO2 gas mixture and analyzed for CIE a, metmyoglobin, TBARS, psychrotrophic aerobes, and sensory discoloration and off-odor throughout 20 days of storage at 2 +/- 1 degrees C. The mixture of rosemary + ascorbic acid + sodium lactate + red beet root extract extended the shelf life of fresh pork sausages from 8 to 16 days. Results demonstrated that all of the components of the mixture contributed to obtaining the maximum delay in color and/or odor decay, due to a combined inhibitory action on both pigment and lipid oxidation, as well as on microbial growth.     

Fourier transform raman spectroscopy study of heat-induced gelation of plasma proteins as influenced by pH

Fourier transform (FT) Raman spectroscopy was used to elucidate heat-induced structural changes of albumin, globulins, serum, and plasma protein solutions (15% w/w) as affected by pH (4.5, 6.0, and 7.5). Reduction of alpha-helix and formation of beta-sheet, disulfide bond reactions, and exposure and buriedness of hydrophobic groups and amino acid residues were observed. All of these features contributed to the formation of strong, irreversible heat-induced gels. The application of a dimensionality reducing technique such as principal component analysis proved to be useful to determine the most influential qualities of protein samples, as well as the pH-dependent behavior of some of the attributes of both unheated and heated solutions. Analysis of Raman spectra in terms of differences demonstrated the interactions of albumin and globulins in co-occurrence and the significant role of fibrinogen on the gel's attributes.     

Deaths and years of life lost due to suboptimal breast-feeding among children in the developing world: a global ecological risk assessment

OBJECTIVE: We estimate attributable fractions, deaths and years of life lost among infants and children < or = 2 years of age due to suboptimal breast-feeding in developing countries. DESIGN: We compare actual practices to a minimum exposure pattern consisting of exclusive breast-feeding for infants < or = 6 months of age and continued breast-feeding for older infants and children < or = 2 years of age. For infants, we consider deaths due to diarrhoeal disease and lower respiratory tract infections, and deaths due to all causes are considered in the second year of life. Outcome measures are attributable fractions, deaths, years of life lost and offsetting deaths potentially caused by mother-to-child transmission of HIV through breast-feeding. SETTING: Developing countries. SUBJECTS: Infants and children < or = 2 years of age. RESULTS: Attributable fractions for deaths due to diarrhoeal disease and lower respiratory tract infections are 55% and 53%, respectively, for the first six months of infancy, 20% and 18% for the second six months, and are 20% for all-cause deaths in the second year of life. Globally, as many as 1.45 million lives (117 million years of life) are lost due to suboptimal breast-feeding in developing countries. Offsetting deaths caused by mother-to-child transmission of HIV through breast-feeding could be as high as 242,000 (18.8 million years of life lost) if relevant World Health Organization recommendations are not followed. CONCLUSIONS: The size of the gap between current practice and recommendations is striking when one considers breast-feeding involves no out-of-pocket costs, that there exists universal consensus on best practices, and that implementing current international recommendations could potentially save 1.45 million children's lives each year.     

The pharmacokinetic behaviour of marbofloxacin in Eurasian buzzards (Buteo buteo) after intraosseous administration

This study reports on the administration of a single dose of marbofloxacin (2 mg/kg) to five adult Eurasian buzzards (Buteo buteo) by the intraosseous (IO) route, which has been proposed as a rapid and efficient means for the parenteral delivery of antimicrobial drugs. The drug was rapidly absorbed. Peak marbofloxacin concentration (C(max)) in plasma and area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) of 1.92+/-0.78 microg/mL and 8.53+/-2.73 microg h/mL, respectively. The time marbofloxacin remained in the plasma after IO administration was relatively short (elimination half-life, t(1/2beta)=4.91+/-0.65 h; mean residence time (MRT)=5.38+/-0.57 h). Single dose marbofloxacin gave values for C(max)/minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 19.2 and an AUC/MIC value of 85.3h after IO administration. The IO route appears to be practical and effective for the rapid delivery of marbofloxacin to buzzards.     

Vitality variation and population structure of a riparian forest in the lower reaches of the Tarim River,NW China

Since 2000, the Chinese government has implemented emergency water diversion measures to restore the damaged riparian forest ecosystem with dominant tree species Euphrat poplar(Populus euphratica Oliv.)at the lower reaches of the Tarim River. In the present study, comparative analysis of variations in the vitality of P. euphratica trees were made using 2005 and 2010 data to illustrate the revitalization process of riparian forest. Poplar trees within 300 m of the riverbed were positively revitalized, while the vitality of trees farther than 300 m from the river decreased. Population structure was studied to demonstrate the development of poplar community. In the first belt, the class structure for the diameter at breast height(DBH) of P. euphratica fit a logistic model, and the 2nd, 3rd and 4th belt curve fittings were close to a Gaussian model; in other plots they were bimodal. Cluster analysis of the composition of the DBH class of poplar trees demonstrated that those within 16–36 cm DBH were the most abundant(58.49% of total) in study area, under 16 cm of DBH were second(31.36%), and trees 40 cm DBH were the least abundant(10.15%). More than 80% of the trees were young and medium-sized, which means that the poplar forest community in the vicinity of the lower Tarim River is at a stable developmental stage. The abundance of juvenile trees of P. euphratica in the first and second measuring belts was 12.13% in 2005 and increased to 25.52% in 2010, which means that the emergency water transfer had a positive impact on the generation of young P. euphratica trees in the vicinity of the river.     

Premature losses of leaf area in response to drought and insect herbivory through a leaf lifespan gradientOA

Implications of the differences in leaf life span are still subject to debate in the field of ecophysiology. Since leaf traits associated with these differences may be decisive for determining the distribution of tree species, this topic is particularly relevant in the context of climate change. This study analyzes the effects of the differences in leaf life span on premature losses of leaf area owing to insect herbivory and to abiotic stress. Loss of leaf area may be an important determinant of...     

Experimental approaches to select tree species for forest restoration: effects of light,water availability and interspecific competition in degraded areasOA

Knowing what native trees can recr uit on degraded areas allows selecting the best species to restore these sites. However, as this information is not often available, experimentation is required before large-scale planting. This study used ex situ experiments to make these decisions on recruitment. Competition with r-strategist plants, excessive solar radiation and water shortage commonly impair tree recruitment in open habitats. The experiments focused on the interactions among these factors a...     

Exploitation of Wild Flowers and the Sustainable Development of Flowers Industry in China

This article introduced the new methods on the research of the wild flowers and plants idioplasmic resources, elaborated the introduction and domestication and exploitation of wild flowers and plants idioplasmatic resources and the sustainable development of flowers and plants industry in China, and put forward some proposals on the existing question and the prospects for the development.     

茯苓松蔸丰产栽培技术

<正>茯苓为多孔菌科真菌茯苓的干燥菌核，多寄生在马尾松、湿地松、黄山松、黑松等松属植物上，具有去湿、利尿、安神等功效，古人称之为“四时神药”，是一种值得种植发展的中药材品种[1]。近年来，尤溪县充分利用丰富的松木资源(松林面积8.73万hm²)，开展茯苓松蔸高效栽培技术示范与推广，总结出茯苓松蔸栽培“八项”技术措施，为林农增收致富提供参考。     

Endangered lowland oak forest steppe remnants keep unique bird species richness in Central Hungary

The biodiversity of natural or semi-natural native,old oak woodlands have high conservation impor-tance,especially in landscapes of monocultural forest plan-tations and arable fields.With a wider variety of microhabi-tats and foraging sources,such old oak forests can provide essential habitat for native forest bird communities.We con-ducted a study using bird point counts to compare the forest bird communities of old pedunculate oak (Quercus robur)remnants with native and non-native plantations in central Hungary in a landscape of mostly arable fields,settlements,and monocultural plantations.Avian surveys were carried out in old oak forest remnants,middle-aged oak,white pop-lar (Populus alba),hybrid poplar (Populus × euramericana),black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia),and pine (Pinus spp.)plantations.Fieldwork has been carried out in nine study sites,where all six habitat types were represented (with a few exceptions),to determine total abundance,species rich-ness,Shannon-Wiener diversity,species evenness,domi-nant and indicator species,and guild abundances.We found that old oak forest remnants were the most diverse habitats among the studied forest types,while hybrid poplar and pine plantations exhibited the lowest avian biodiversity.The avian guilds most sensitive to the loss of old oak forest remnants were ground foragers,bark foragers,cavity-nest-ers,residents,and Mediterranean migratory birds.Native habitats were more diverse than non-native plantations.Our results suggest that it is important to conserve all remaining high biodiversity old oak stands and to avoid clear-cutting of monocultural plantations in favour of practices such as mixed-species plantations,longer rotation lengths,or reten-tion forestry.