Dairy Cattle Manure Effects on Soil Quality: Porosity,Earthworms, Aggregates and Soil Organic Carbon Fractions

In the European Union, the maintenance of soil quality is a key point in agricultural policy. The effect of additions of dairy cattle (Bos taurus) manure (DCM) during a period of 11 years were evaluated in a soil under irrigated maize (Zea mays L.) monoculture. DCM was applied at sowing, at wet‐weight rates of 30 or 60 Mg ha⁻¹yr⁻¹ (30DCM or 60DCM). These were compared with a mineral‐N treatment (300 kg N ha⁻¹, MNF), applied at six to eight emerged leaves and with a control (no N, no manure). Treatments were distributed in a randomized block design. Factors analysed were stability against wetting stress disaggregation, porosity, soil organic carbon (SOC) fractions and earthworm abundance, studied eight months after the last manure application. The application rate of 30DCM increased aggregate stability and the light SOC fraction, but not the pore volume, nor the earthworm abundance, compared with MNF. The DCM rates did not result in unbalanced agronomic advantages versus MNF, as high yields (12–16 Mg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹) were obtained. In Mediterranean environments, the use of DCM should be encouraged mainly because of its contribution to the light SOC fraction which protects dry macro‐aggregates from implosion (slaking) during the wetting process. Thus, in intensive agricultural systems, it protects soil from physical degradation. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition by Brazilian plants

The potential antihypertensive activity of Brazilian plants was evaluated in vitro by its ability to inhibit the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE). Forty-four plants belonging to 30 families were investigated. Plants were selected based on their popular use as antihypertensive and/or diuretics. The following plants presented significant ACE inhibition rates: Calophyllum brasiliense, Combretum fruticosum, Leea rubra, Phoenix roebelinii and Terminalia catappa.     

胰岛素样生长因子结合蛋白-1基因的研究进展

胰岛素样生长因子结合蛋白-1（IGFBP-1）是IGFBP～1家族的重要成员,它具有很多生物学功能。现介绍了IGFBP-1基因的定位、基因结构、生物学功能以及IGFBP-1的表达、多态及遗传效应研究,进而阐述了其在生物学研究中的重要意义及研究进展。     

Bacillus spp. Inhibit Edwardsiella tarda Quorum-Sensing and Fish Infection

The disruption of pathogen communication or quorum-sensing (QS) via quorum-quenching (QQ) molecules has been proposed as a promising strategy to fight bacterial infections. Bacillus spp. have recognizable biotechnology applications, namely as probiotic health-promoting agents or as a source of natural antimicrobial molecules, including QQ molecules. This study characterized the QQ potential of 200 Bacillus spp., isolated from the gut of different aquaculture fish species, to suppress fish pathogens QS. Approximately 12% of the tested Bacillus spp. fish isolates (FI). were able to interfere with synthetic QS molecules. Ten isolates were further selected as producers of extracellular QQ-molecules and their QQ capacity was evaluated against the QS of important aquaculture bacterial pathogens, namely Aeromonas spp., Vibrio spp., Photobacterium damselae, Edwardsiela tarda, and Shigella sonnei. The results revealed that A. veronii and E. tarda produce QS molecules that are detectable by the Chr. violaceum biosensor, and which were degraded when exposed to the extracellular extracts of three FI isolates. Moreover, the same isolates, identified as B. subtilis, B. vezelensis, and B. pumilus, significantly reduced the pathogenicity of E. tarda in zebrafish larvae, increasing its survival by 50%. Taken together, these results identified three Bacillus spp. capable of extracellularly quenching aquaculture pathogen communication, and thus become a promising source of bioactive molecules for use in the biocontrol of aquaculture bacterial diseases.     

Otolith chemistry indicates large-scale connectivity in Chilean jack mackerel (Trachurus murphyi), a highly mobile species in the Southern Pacific Ocean

Chemistry in material laid down prior to capture along the edges of otoliths of Chilean jack mackerel (Trachurus murphyi) showed strong spatial heterogeneity corresponding to hydrographic structure across putative population boundaries between (i) the western and eastern South Pacific Ocean, and (ii) Chile and Peru. Yet the chemistry of the otolith nucleus, in material laid down during early life, showed no evidence supporting the existence of these boundaries. Instead, jack mackerel from New Zealand had similar nucleus chemistry to most sampling areas off South America; and those off southern Peru showed similar nucleus chemistry to most sampling areas off Chile. Strong differences were found between southern and northern Peru, and cluster analysis indicated this was caused by a group of fish off northern Peru with chemistry found nowhere else. Most other fish grouped in two clusters, which showed properties suggesting correspondence with a major spawning zone in oceanic water off central Chile, and a smaller area in coastal water off northern Chile, characterized by similar sea surface temperature, lack of westward transport, and low kinetic energy. Rather than discrete populations separated by boundaries, these results suggest complex spatial structure defined by environmentally mediated survival and connectivity: fish caught off New Zealand may be of South American origin; the spawning zone off central Chile may supply fisheries around the South Pacific; and spawning off northern Chile may be an important source of fish caught locally and in Peru. However, northern Peru does not supply areas further south.     

蒸汽爆破预处理降解香蕉茎秆纤维素组分的研究

分析测试香蕉茎秆总固体含量(TS)和挥发性固体含量(VS)及香蕉茎秆固体剩余物中纤维素、半纤维素、木质素含量;采用蒸汽爆破法对香蕉茎秆进行预处理,探讨不同压力及维压时间下对香蕉茎秆中半纤维素、纤维素、木质素组分的降解程度,分析蒸汽爆破预处理优缺点。试验结果表明,经过蒸汽爆破预处理后,香蕉茎秆的组分被不同程度破坏,当压力为3.5 MPa,维压时间为4 min时,香蕉茎秆中半纤维素含量由预处理前13.33%降至4.36%,降解率高达67.29%,纤维素含量由48.33%降至39.15%,降解率为18.99%,木质素含量由14.62%降至6.52%,降解率为55.40%,总体含量由76.28%降至50.03%,降解率为34.41%。说明蒸汽爆破技术对香蕉茎秆固体剩余物的预处理效果比较显著,有一定的优越性。     

贮能式高压喷雾降温系统的研制

目前塑料大棚已越来越多的应用于种养行业,但大棚内部夏季温度过高的问题一直未能有效解决。喷雾降温法通过向空气中喷射细小水滴,水分子汽化吸热从而降低环境温度,是可用于不易密闭的柔性大棚的唯一降温方法。该项目组研制出了贮能式的高压喷雾降温系统,采用普通的洗车水泵作为高压水源,利用贮能管将部分动能贮存起来,在水泵停歇时通过释放压缩空气的能量维持喷雾,减少了使用成本及系统磨损,每天仅消耗1度电,已广泛用于养殖大棚的夏季降温。经过近期的不断完善,已将其用途扩展至消毒、除尘、加湿、动物免疫和夏日广场、会场、街市的降温加湿,展现出了广阔的应用前景。     

外源物质缓解盐胁迫下植物幼苗生长的研究进展

为探讨植物抗盐机理,研究和加强选育耐盐植物新品种,从盐胁迫对植物种子萌发和幼苗生长的影响入手,综述了盐毒害对种子萌发的作用机制、外源物质对盐胁迫下幼苗生长的缓解作用、外源物质对植物盐胁迫下各生理指标的研究等进展情况。     

Factors affecting the formation of alkylpyrazines during roasting treatment in natural and alkalinized cocoa powder

The cocoa roasting process at different temperatures (at 125 and 135 degrees C for 3 min, plus 44 and 52 min, respectively, heating-up times) was evaluated by measuring the initial and final free amino acids distribution, flavor index, formol number, browning measurement, and alkylpyrazines content in 15 cocoa bean samples of different origins. These samples were also analyzed in manufactured cocoa powder. The effect of alkalinization of cocoa was studied. Results indicated that the final concentration and ratio of tetramethylpyrazine/trimethylpyrazine (TMP/TrMP) increased rapidly at higher roasting temperatures. The samples roasted with alkalies (pH between 7.20 and 7.92), such as sodium carbonate, or potassium plus air injected in the roaster during thermal treatment, exhibited a greater degree of brown color formation, but the amount of alkylpyrazines generated was adversely affected. The analysis of alpha-free amino acids at the end of the roasting process demonstrated the importance of the thermal treatment conditions and the pH values on nibs (cocoa bean cotyledons), liquor, or cocoa. Higher pH values led to a lower concentration of aroma and a higher presence of brown compounds.