ACCURACY AND PRECISION OF DUAL-ENERGY X-RAY ABSORPTIOMETRY FOR EX VIVO DETERMINATION OF MINERAL CONTENT IN TURKEY POULT BONES

The right humerus was removed from 30 20-week-old male turkey poults for humerus strength analysis using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry and humerus-breaking strength. Specimens were cleaned and dried before scanning. To determine the most precise and accurate protocol of bone densitometry analysis for avian long bones, we scanned each specimen using five different techniques, all aimed to simulate soft-tissue thickness. Correlation coefficients and linear regression equations between 1) bone mineral content and humerus ash, and 2) bone mineral density and humerus-breaking strength were estimated with each technique and compared. The coefficient of variation values for precision ranged from 0.40% to 1.69% for bone mineral content and from 0% to 4.19% for bone mineral density. The accuracy was determined by comparing the bone mineral content of each humerus with the corresponding ash weight; the correlation coefficients between the two parameters were highly significant (range 0.949-0.963; P < or = 0.01). Significant correlations were also observed between humerus-breaking strength and bone density measurements (range 0.762-0.785; P < or = 0.01). Linear regression coefficients relating both parameters considered were also highly significant. We concluded that dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry is an accurate and precise method with which to determine ex vivo bone mineral content and strength in turkey bones. Further investigations are requested for field applications of this method to study factors affecting bone physiology and strength.     

Fruit Branding: Exploring Factors Affecting Adoption of the New Pear Cultivar ‘Angelys’ in Italian Large Retail

‘Angelys’ is a new brand of pear cultivar, produced and marketed under the trademark license model called “Club variety.” The main aim of this article was to evaluate factors triggering a potential interest in Italian large-scale retail regarding the marketing of ‘Angelys’ and how large-scale retailers would exploit it to enhance their market potential. An explorative analysis approach was applied via in-depth, semi-structured qualitative interviews with major Italian large-scale retail fruit purchase managers. The results show that although sensory properties, handling features, and Italian origin are highly appreciated by professional customers, the need to sell at a premium price might limit the interest of retailers for this new variety. Finally, implications and recommendations for academics and operators are discussed.     

Cultivar influence on virgin olive (Olea europea L.) oil flavor based on aromatic compounds and sensorial profile

Sensory quality is an important property of virgin olive oil and is affected by different volatile and phenolic compounds. Their levels may be influenced by many factors, and one of the most important is the cultivar. Volatiles and phenols were correlated to sensory notes in virgin olive oils from 18 local cultivars in northern Italy assessed for 4 years in the same orchard.     

Impacts of changing climate and land use on vegetation dynamics in a Mediterranean ecosystem: insights from paleoecology and dynamic modeling

Forests near the Mediterranean coast have been shaped by millennia of human disturbance. Consequently, ecological studies relying on modern observations or historical records may have difficulty assessing natural vegetation dynamics under current and future climate. We combined a sedimentary pollen record from Lago di Massacciucoli, Tuscany, Italy with simulations from the LandClim dynamic vegetation model to determine what vegetation preceded intense human disturbance, how past changes in vegetation relate to fire and browsing, and the potential of an extinct vegetation type under present climate. We simulated vegetation dynamics near Lago di Massaciucoli for the last 7,000 years using a local chironomid-inferred temperature reconstruction with combinations of three fire regimes (small infrequent, large infrequent, small frequent) and three browsing intensities (no browsing, light browsing, and moderate browsing), and compared model output to pollen data. Simulations with low disturbance support pollen-inferred evidence for a mixed forest dominated by Quercus ilex (a Mediterranean species) and Abies alba (a montane species). Whereas pollen data record the collapse of A. alba after 6000 cal yr bp, simulated populations expanded with declining summer temperatures during the late Holocene. Simulations with increased fire and browsing are consistent with evidence for expansion by deciduous species after A. alba collapsed. According to our combined paleo-environmental and modeling evidence, mixed Q. ilex and A. alba forests remain possible with current climate and limited disturbance, and provide a viable management objective for ecosystems near the Mediterranean coast and in regions that are expected to experience a mediterranean-type climate in the future.     

Increasing levels of supplementation for crossbred steers on pasture during the dry period of the year

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of increasing concentrate supplementation levels on the intake, nutrient digestibility, and performance of crossbred steers during the dry period of the year. The experiment was developed on Princesa do Mateiro farm, in the municipality of Ribeirão do Largo, located in the southwest region of Bahia State, Brazil. Forty uncastrated male crossbred (½ Holstein-Zebu) steers with an average body weight (BW) of 232.55?±?24.97 kg were distributed into four treatments in a completely randomized design with ten replicates. The animals were managed in an experimental area formed by Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu, in an intermittent grazing system. Treatments consisted of the following supplementation levels: 0.2% BW, with 60% crude protein (CP); 0.3% BW, with 40% CP; 0.4% BW, with 30% CP; and 0.5% BW, with 24% CP. The intakes of forage dry matter in kg/day and %BW and neutral detergent fiber corrected for ash and protein (NDFap) in %BW decreased linearly, whereas the intake of non-fibrous carbohydrates corrected for ash and protein in kg/day and average daily gain increased linearly. Therefore, the use of supplementation at 0.5% BW (24% crude protein) to provide gains of up to 0.500 kg/day is recommended for grazing steers during the post-weaning period in the dry season of the year.     

Potential for increasing the zinc content in common bean using genetic improvement

A large proportion of the world’s population is at risk of developing symptoms of zinc deficiency due to its low levels in food. The objective of this research was to estimate the heritability in early hybrid generations for the zinc content character in seeds of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), to investigate possible maternal effects on zinc contents and to evaluate the potential for genetic improvement. Reciprocal F₁, and F₂ generations as well as backcross (RCP₁ and RCP₂) populations were produced by crosses of three cultivars. The seed zinc content was measured by the nitric-perchloric digestion method and using the atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The range of variation in zinc content among tested progenies was from 21.76 mg kg⁻¹ dry matter to 53.48 mg kg⁻¹ dry matter, and no significant maternal effect was discovered. Narrow sense heritability was of an intermediate 57.5% to high 77.84% value and transgressive segregation was observed. These results suggest that breeding for increased zinc content in the seeds of common bean can be quite successful; an increase of 37.3% was obtained using just the three parents tested in this study.