Ion levels in the gastrointestinal tract content and plasma of four teleosts with different feeding habits

The levels of various ions (Na⁺, Cl⁻, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, K⁺) in the fluid phase of the gastrointestinal contents and of the plasma were determined in four teleosts with different feeding habits: traira (Hoplias malabaricus), hassar (Hoplosternum littorale), silver catfish (Rhamdia quelen), and grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella). The results showed that most ionic levels in the fluid phase of the gastrointestinal tract seem to be affected by feeding habit and that these levels can be different from those found in the plasma. In practical terms, these results suggest that ionic levels of the gastrointestinal contents should be considered when preparing solutions for studies of intestinal absorption in fishes.     

Occurrence of Pesticides in Water, Sediments, and Fish Tissues in a Lake Surrounded by Agricultural Lands: Concerning Risks to Humans and Ecological Receptors

Lake Vela (Littoral Centre of Portugal) is considered a natural habitat with community interest and consequently was included in the Natura 2000 Network. However, this freshwater ecosystem has been potentially exposed to diffuse pollution generated by agricultural and livestock activities, which seriously compromise its ecological balance. As part of the Ecological Risk Assessment (ERA) proposed for Lake Vela, this study aimed to evaluate the occurrence of pesticides in different compartments: surface water, groundwater, sediments, and fish tissues. Moreover, to assess potential concerning effects on ecosystem and human health, the measured concentrations of pesticides were compared with regulatory and toxicological benchmarks. The results confirmed the presence of high concentrations of pesticides, including organochloride pesticides banned decades ago, in surface water, groundwater, and sediment. The measured concentrations of pesticides, compared with toxicological benchmarks, indicated that harmful effects are likely for aquatic species due to the presence of alachlor, aldrin, and dieldrin. Additionally, the concentrations of pesticides detected in groundwater were also above the recommended safety levels for drinking water, which constitutes a concern for the local population’s health. Results also showed an accumulation of alachlor in predator and benthic fish species which could represent a risk to human consumers and particularly to the regular fish predators (e.g., otters and birds). This study, as the first exposure characterization performed on the Lake Vela system, constitutes valuable and useful information for the ERA process. Although this preliminary assessment of risks should be continued and confirmed through a weight-of-evidence approach, it had already unraveled how concerning are the problems in this ecosystem and the urgency of implementing restoration measures to guaranty its sustainability. Furthermore, this study reinforces the importance of evaluating similar freshwater ecosystems that are also highly threatened by diffuse pollution.     

FRACTAL DIMENSION AND DAYLIGHT INVESTIGATION

In this paper,we analyse the alylight with chaos method, and calculate the day-light illuminance fractal dimension in many kinds of sky, it proves the optical air is a chaos, and shows us the new way to study the sky Iuminance distributions.     

Inheritance of angular leaf spot resistance in common bean line BAT 332 and identification of RAPD markers linked to the resistance gene

The existence of genetic variability for angular leaf spot (ALS) resistance in the common bean germplasm allows the development of breeding lines resistant to this disease. The BAT 332 line is an important resistance source to common bean ALS. In this work we determined the inheritance pattern and identified RAPD markers linked to a resistance gene present in BAT 332. Populations F₁, F₂,BCs and BCr derived from crosses between BAT 332 and cultivar Rudá were used. Rudá is a commercial cultivar with carioca type grains and susceptible to ALS. The resistance of BAT 332 to race 61.41 of the pathogen was confirmed. Segregation analysis of the plants indicated that a single dominant gene confers resistance. For identification of RAPD markers linked to the resistance gene, bulk segregant analysis (BSA) was used. Two RAPD markers,OPAA07₉₅₀ and OPAO12₉₅₀, linked in coupling phase at 5.10 and 5.83 cM of this gene, respectively, were identified. These molecular markers are important for common bean breeders and geneticists as source of genetic information and for marker assisted selection in breeding programs. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Chemical composition and glycemic index of Brazilian pine (Araucaria angustifolia) seeds

The seeds of Parana pine (Araucaria brasiliensis syn. Araucaria angustifolia), named pinh?o, are consumed after cooking and posterior dehulling, or they are used to prepare a flour employed in regional dishes. Native people that live in the South of Brazil usually consume baked pinh?o. As a result of cooking, the white seeds become brown on the surface due to the migration of some tinted compounds present in the seed coat. In this work, the proximate composition, minerals, flavonoids, and glycemic index (GI) of cooked and raw pinh?o seeds were compared. No differences in moisture, lipids, soluble fiber, and total starch after boiling were found. However, the soluble sugars and P, Cu, and Mg contents decreased, probably as a consequence of leaching in the cooking water. Also, the boiling process modified the profile of the phenolic compounds in the seeds. No flavonols were detected in raw pinh?o seeds. The internal seed coat had a quercetin content five times higher than that of the external seed coat; also, quercetin migrated into the seed during cooking. The internal seed coat had a high content of total phenolics, and seeds cooked in normal conditions (with the seed coat) showed a total phenolics content five times higher than that of seeds cooked without the seed coat. Cooking was then extremely favorable to pinh?o seeds bioactive compounds content. The carbohydrate availability was evaluated in a short-term assay in humans by the GI. The GI of pinh?o seeds cooked with the coat (67%) was similar to that of the seeds cooked without a coat (62%) and lower than bread, showing that cooking does not interfere with starch availability. The low glycemic response can be partly due to its high content of resistant starch (9% of the total starch).     

Effect of coupling media on velocity and attenuation of ultrasonic waves in Brazilian wood

Coupling media are necessary to ensure that transducers bond to wood specimens to minimize coupling losses and improve the accuracy of ultrasonic measurements. There are several types of coupling media available, and the optimal choice is not known. In this work, we analyzed the results of ultrasonic wave attenuation for 0.1-MHz longitudinal and transverse transducers with six different materials as coupling media in nine species of Brazilian wood with densities in the range 700–1170 kg/m³. Tests were performed using constant pressure on the transducer and with wave propagation in the longitudinal direction. For transverse transducers, the polarization was in the radial and tangential directions. The results were analyzed statistically and showed that, for attenuation in both longitudinal and transverse waves, the material used for coupling had significant effects, whereas the wood species had no effect. For longitudinal waves, the statistical evaluation showed that the coupling material performance was strongly dependent on the species of wood, but it was not possible to observe any tendency of behavior associated with specific anatomical properties.     

Contribution of individual polyphenolics to total antioxidant capacity of plums

To study the effect of polyphenolics on antioxidant capacities of plums, the amounts of total phenolics, total flavonoids and individual phenolic compounds, and vitamin C equivalent antioxidant capacity (VCEAC) of eleven plum cultivars was determined. There was a good linear relationship between the amount of total phenolics and total antioxidant capacity (r2 = 0.9887). The amount of total flavonoids and total antioxidant capacity also showed a good correlation (r2 = 0.9653). Although the summation of individual antioxidant capacity was lower than the total antioxidant capacity of plum samples, there was a positive correlation (r2 = 0.9299) of total antioxidant capacity of plum samples with the sum of the VCEACs calculated from individual phenolics. Chlorogenic acids and glycosides of cyanidin, peonidin, and quercetin were major phenolics among eleven plum cultivars. The antioxidant capacity of chlorogenic acids and anthocyanins showed higher correlation (r2) of 0.7751 and 0.6616 to total VCEAC, respectively, than that of quercetin glycosides (r2 = 0.0279). Chlorogenic acids were a major source of antioxidant activity in plums, and the consumption of one serving (100 g) of plums can provide antioxidants equivalent to 144.4-889.6 mg of vitamin C.