Database Publishing and Increasing Access to Food Science Information

ABSTRACT

This paper reviews current developments that facilitate increased access to food science information, with examples from the Web, from search engine producers, and from disseminators and producers of specialised abstracting and indexing (A&I) databases. The diversity of developments is reviewed in the context of blogs, wikis, Facebook, YouTube, Connotea, and examples of increasing Web access with Google Scholar and Windows Live Search Academic are provided. Examples of A&I search platform developments which are discussed include CSA Illustrata, EBSCOhost visual search, and ISI Web of Knowledge. A simple case study is included which indicates user preferences for search engines, databases, and search interface features for accessing food science information. It is concluded that information providers are successfully using a number of development strategies designed to help the food science information community with its needs.     

A comparison of laboratory and field reactions of a range of potato cultivars to infection withSynchytrium endobioticum (Schilb.) Perc.

Summary A comparison of reactions of potato cultivars toS. endobioticum indicated that the degree of susceptibility observed in laboratory tests correlated well with the reaction of cultivars in field tests. Some cultivars found to be less resistant (Resistance Grade 2) in laboratory tests produced winter spores in the field test, and 10% of those derived from cv. Ausonia germinated in distilled water. Compost from the field plot was estimated to contain 14–18 apparently viable spores/g. and this resulted in 100% infection of the highly susceptible cv. Arran Chief. The implications of these findings for descheduling sites previously scheduled due to wart infestation are discussed.     

Occurrence of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bursaphelenchus mucronatus</Emphasis> (Nematoda; Aphelenchoididae) in France and association with <Emphasis Type="Italic">Monochamus galloprovincialis</Emphasis> (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae)

As a consequence of the recent introduction of the pine wood nematode Bursaphelenchus xylophilus in Portugal, nematodes of the genus Bursaphelenchus were looked for in various French pine forests, in trees attacked by Monochamus galloprovincialis, the vector insect of B. xylophilus, and in the insects themselves. Trap trees were felled in 12 localities distributed all over the country. Nematodes were extracted from transversal stem discs; insects emerging from the trap trees were studied. B. hellenicus, B. leoni, B. mucronatus and B. sexdentati were isolated, but not B. xylophilus. The presence of B. mucronatus and the absence of B. xylophilus were confirmed by molecular markers. B. mucronatus was isolated from several regions with an average prevalence of 19%. The infestation of M. galloprovincialis by B. mucronatus reached 26.7%. The wide distribution of B. mucronatus in France could have an effect on the extension of B. xylophilus in a case of an introduction.     

Strains of Escherichia coli associated with urogenital disease in dogs and cats

Selected strains of Escherichia coli associated with urogenital disease in dogs and cats were evaluated for 3 virulence factors associated with human uropathogenic strains. Urogenital strains of E coli from dogs and cats had high prevalence of alpha hemolysin and were clustered in 5 to 10 somatic serogroups, attributes also shared by human uropathogenic strains. However, the canine and feline urogenital strains failed to have increased prevalence of mannose-resistant hemagglutination, as has been reported for human uropathogenic strains.     

Haemoglobinuria and hypophosphataemia in postparturient dairy cows without dietary deficiency of phosphorus

Postparturient haemoglobinuria occurred in 11 Holstein-Friesian cows in 8 dairy herds in East Gippsland, Victoria. The affected cows had a wide range of ages, body condition and production level. Seven of 9 cows sampled were hypophosphataemic, 4 of 8 cows examined had Heinz bodies present in erythrocytes and strong ketonuria was present in 6 of 10 urine samples tested. Herdmates having similar calving dates had mostly normal serum phosphorus levels and none had Heinz bodies. There was no evidence for dietary phosphorus (P) deficiency, hypocuprosis or excessive P drain from high production being predisposing factors. There were no cruciferous plants in the diet. Haemolysis persisted in 4 cows despite treatment to raise serum P levels. An hyposthesis is proposed for the sporadic nature and clinical manifestations of the disease. This is based on mechanisms of hypophosphataemia occurring in man and mechanisms of Heinz body formation and haemolysis in other circumstances. We suggest that hypophosphataemia occurs following recovery from preparturient keto-acidosis caused by undernutrition in late pregnancy and then becoming nutritionally replete in the early postparturient period. Circulating oxidants may cause erythrocyte damage which may be predisposed to by hypophosphataemia.     

Effect of spatial image support in detecting long-term vegetation change from satellite time-series

Context

Arid rangelands have been severely degraded over the past century. Multi-temporal remote sensing techniques are ideally suited to detect significant changes in ecosystem state; however, considerable uncertainty exists regarding the effects of changing image resolution on their ability to detect ecologically meaningful change from satellite time-series.

Objectives

(1) Assess the effects of image resolution in detecting landscape spatial heterogeneity. (2) Compare and evaluate the efficacy of coarse (MODIS) and moderate (Landsat) resolution satellite time-series for detecting ecosystem change.

Methods

Using long-term (~12 year) vegetation monitoring data from grassland and shrubland sites in southern New Mexico, USA, we evaluated the effects of changing image support using MODIS (250-m) and Landsat (30-m) time-series in modeling and detecting significant changes in vegetation using time-series decomposition techniques.

Results

Within our study ecosystem, landscape-scale (>20-m) spatial heterogeneity was low, resulting in a similar ability to detect vegetation changes across both satellite sensors and levels of spatial image support. While both Landsat and MODIS imagery were effective in modeling temporal dynamics in vegetation structure and composition, MODIS was more strongly correlated to biomass due to its cleaner (i.e., fewer artifacts/data gaps) 16-day temporal signal.

Conclusions

The optimization of spatial/temporal scale is critical in ensuring adequate detection of change. While the results presented in this study are likely specific to arid shrub-grassland ecosystems, the approach presented here is generally applicable. Future analysis is needed in other ecosystems to assess how scaling relationships will change under different vegetation communities that range in their degree of landscape heterogeneity.

     

Divergent landscape effects on genetic differentiation in two populations of the European pine marten (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Martes martes</Emphasis>)

Context

Quantifying gene flow in natural populations is a key topic in both evolutionary and conservation biology. Understanding the extent to which the landscape matrix facilitates or impedes gene flow is becoming a high priority in a context of worldwide habitat loss and fragmentation.

Objectives

Unexpectedly, a lower genetic diversity and a higher genetic structure have been previously observed in the less fragmented and the most forested habitat across four pine marten (Martes martes) populations in France. Our aim was to quantify the effect of landscape on the spatial distribution of genetic diversity in two populations in contrasting habitats.

Methods

We conducted an individual-based landscape genetics analysis in a highly fragmented rural plain (Bresse, n = 126) and in a highly forested (50 %) mountainous area (Ariège, n = 88) in France. We tested for isolation-by-resistance using least-cost distances and used a causal modeling approach on 16,384 landscape and 104 elevation resistance scenarios.

Results

Landscape structure influenced the genetic differentiation in Bresse, with vegetation providing more genetic connectivity over the study area than open areas, while roads and human buildings showed unexpected low resistance to gene flow. In Ariège, genetic differentiation was mainly associated with changes in elevation, with an optimal elevation for gene flow of around 1700 m, likely associated with changes in vegetation structure.

Conclusions

The pine marten seems to be able to cope with human-dominated landscapes and with fragmented forest landscapes, whereas elevation is the major driver of genetic differentiation in our mountainous landscape. Additionally, we highlight the importance of spatial replication in landscape genetics for deriving reliable conservation and management measures over the species distribution.