Application of NMR spectroscopy and LC-NMR/MS to the identification of carbohydrates in beer

The application of LC-NMR/MS for the direct identification of carbohydrates in beer has been studied. Carbohydrates are major beer components, and their structural characterization by NMR alone is seriously hindered by strong spectroscopic overlap. Direct analysis of beer by LC-NMR/MS enables the rapid (1-2 h) identification of dextrins with degree of polymerization (DP) of up to nine monomers, with degassing being the only sample treatment required. Although the presence of alpha(1-->6) branching points is easily indicated by NMR for each subfraction separated by LC, difficulties arise for the unambiguous assignment of linear or branched forms of high DP dextrins. The two beer samples investigated in this work were found to have significantly different oligosaccharide compositions, reflecting the different production conditions employed. The use of hyphenated NMR for the rapid characterization of the carbohydrate composition of beers may be the basis of a useful tool for the quality control of beer.     

Laccases of Pleurotus sapidus: characterization and cloning

Peanut shells, a major waste stream of food processing, served as a renewable substrate for inducing the production of laccases by basidiomycetes. Of 46 surface cultures examined, 29 showed laccase activity under the experimental conditions. The edible fungus Pleurotus sapidus was selected as the most active producer, immobilized on the shells, and cultivated in the fed-batch mode. A continuous rise in laccase activity was found, indicating the inducibility of laccase secretion by the peanut shells and the reusability of the mycelium. Two laccase isoenzymes were purified by decoupled 2-D electrophoresis, and amino acid sequence information was obtained by electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry. cDNAs of the corresponding gene and another laccase were cloned and sequenced using a PCR-based screening of a synthesized P. sapidus cDNA library. Data bank searches against public databases returned laccases of P. ostreatus and P. sajor-caju as the best hits. The potential use of laccases by the food industry is discussed.     

Effect of the conversion of grassland to spring wheat field on the CO2 emission characteristics in Inner Mongolia, China

Chinese grasslands have undergone great changes in land use in recent decades. Approximately 18.2% of the present arable land in China originated from the cultivation of grassland, but its impact on the carbon cycle has not been fully understood. This study was conducted in situ for 3 years to assess the comprehensive effects of cultivation of temperate steppe on soil organic carbon (SOC) and soil respiration rates as well as ecosystem respiration. As compared with those in the Stipa baicalensis steppe, the SOC concentrations at depths of 0–10 and 10–20 cm in the spring wheat field were found to have decreased by 38.3 and 17.4% respectively from 29.5 and 21.9 g kg⁻¹ to 18.2 and 18.1 g kg⁻¹ after a cultivation period of 30 years. Accordingly, the total amounts of soil respiration through the growing season (from April to September) in 2002, 2003 and 2004 were 265.2, 282.2 and 237.4 g C m⁻² respectively in the spring wheat field, which were slightly lower than the values of 342.2, 412.0 and 312.1 g C m⁻² in the S. baicalensis steppe, while ecosystem respiration of 690.9, 991.2 and 569.6 g C m⁻² respectively in the spring wheat field were markedly higher than those of 447.0, 470.9 and 429.7 g C m⁻² in the steppe plot. Similar seasonal variations of ecosystem respiration and soil respiration existed in both sample sites. Respiration rates were higher and greater differences existed in both ecosystem respiration and soil respiration during the exuberant growth stage of plants (from mid-June to mid-August). However, in the slower-growth period of the growing season (before late May and after late August), the CO₂ effluxes of the two sample sites were similar and remained at a relatively low level. The results also showed that ecosystem respiration and soil respiration were under similar environmental controls in both sample sites. Soil water content at a depth of 0–10 cm and soil temperatures at 5 and 10 cm were the main factors affecting the variations in ecosystem respiration and soil respiration rates in droughty years of 2002 and 2004 and in the rainy 2003, respectively. This study suggests that the conversion of the grassland to the spring wheat field has increased the carbon loss of the whole ecosystem due to the change of vegetation cover type and significantly reduced the carbon storage of surface soil. In addition, the tillage of grassland had different effects on ecosystem respiration and soil respiration. The effects were also dissimilar in different growth stages, which should be fully considered when assessing and predicting the effects of cultivation on the net CO₂ balance of grassland ecosystems.     

Unesco’s international sedimentation initiative Background and current status

Journal of Soils and Sediments -     

Uptake of zinc by Brassica napus as affected by sulphur supply

Industrial crops provide a possibility for utilization of heavy metal polluted soils. Knowledge of the factors which affect metal uptake by crops is therefore essential in order to develop concepts for the management of such soils. In pot experiments the uptake of Zn by oilseed rape increased considerably with the Zn supply. The increase of Zn uptake was counteracted partly by S. This protective effect of S was, however, not related to Zn retention in the roots.     

Soil Acidification and Solute Budgets for Forested Lysimeters in Nordrhein-Westfalen

Solute budgets and nitrogen use were quantified in two 400 m² forested lysimeters in St. Arnold, Nordrhein-Westfalen. The lysimeters are covered by a mixture of oak-beech and Weymouth pine, respectively. The average bulk deposition between May 1985 and May 1987 of NH, SO and NO₃ was 1.1, 1.7, and 0.4 kmol_c ha^?1 yr^?1 in the deciduous stand and 2.1, 2.1, and 0.8 kmol_c ha^?1 yr^?1 in the coniferous stand. The input of N is almost completely retained in the deciduous stand. In the coniferous stand about 30% of this N-input is leached as NO₃. Due to N-transformations, total proton turnover is 4.4 kmol_c ha^?1 yr^?1 in the coniferous stand and only 2.5 kmol_c ha^?1 yr^?1 in the deciduous stand. Ca-mobilization is the major acid buffering process in both lysimeters. Only the deciduous stand was limed in 1980 (90 kmol_c/ha). Mobilization of Al is only relevant down to a soil depth of 30 cm. Below a 30 cm depth, Al is immobilized. The amounts of exchangeable and silicate-bound Ca in the soil underlying the coniferous stand are very small, but no evidence was found for explanation of the observed high Ca-mobilization by artificial Ca-sources.     

Characterization of phytoavailable zinc in compost-peat substrates — Comparison of methods

Compost of separately collected green yard and organic household wastes may contain high amounts of Zn. Hence, substrates basing on compost can result in Zn phytotoxicity. The aim of the investigations was to identify a suitable reagent to characterize phytoavailable Zn in compost-peat substrates. Petunia hybrids were cultivated in compost-peat substrates with increasing Zn amounts (basic load, 400, 800, 1600 mg kg^?1 d.m. aqua regia soluble). Extractable Zn was determined by extraction of fresh and dried substrates with H₂O, 1 M NH₄NO₃, 0.1 M CaCl₂, 1 M NH₄OAc, and CaCl₂-DTPA (0.01 M + 0.002 M). The Zn content of plants increased significantly with increasing Zn application and decreasing pH. The result of CaCl₂ and NH₄OAc extraction reflected the influence of pH on Zn phytoavailability quite well and the correlation with the plant Zn content was very good. Extraction with H₂O and NH₄NO₃ did not give acceptable results. Extraction with CaCl₂-DTPA was inconsistent for all trials and thus not suitable. The percentage of CaCl₂-extractable Zn in relation to the aqua regia soluble content at the same pH varied over the trials. Thus, the phytoavailable content of the substrates is influenced by additional factors, besides Zn supply and pH. The result of CaCl₂ extraction of dried substrates resulted in the best reflection of Zn phytoavailability and was used for all further investigations, including determination of critical values of phytotoxic Zn. Plant yield was not influenced by the Zn treatments. However, Zn induced chlorosis of petunias occurred at a plant Zn content > 160 mg kg^?1 d.m. and a phytoavailable Zn content in the substrate > 6 mg l^?1 in CaCl₂ extract and > 2.6 mg l^?1 in NH₄OAc extract, respectively.     

Some notes on the collection of land-races of cultivated plants indigenous to the territory of the Federal Republic of Germany

Summary The occurrence of old land-races indigenous to the territory of the Federal Republic of Germany under special consideration of their availability is being described. Some typical features of the findings are explained.

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Einige Bemerkungen zur Sammlung von für das Gebiet der Bundesrepublik Deutschland indigenen Landsorten von Kulturpflanzen

Zusammenfassung Das Vorkommen alter Landsorten, die für das Gebiet der Bundesrepublik Deutschland indigen sind, wird unter besonderer Berücksichtigung ihrer Verfügbarkeit beschrieben. Einige charakteristische Besonderheiten der Nachweise werden erläutert.

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High genetic introgression in alpine brown trout (Salmo trutta L.) populations from Hardangervidda, Norway

Abstract –  We studied the effect of stocking brown trout in three alpine lakes (Skavatn, Midtre Grøndalsvatn and Nordmannslågen) of the Hardangervidda mountain plateau by comparing microsatellite data from historical (1933 and 1967) and contemporary (2003) population samples. Historical and contemporary samples from a control lake (Krokavatn) and a contemporary sample from Gjuvsjå (suspected donor lake) were included as well. A total of 331 brown trout were genotyped with 11 microsatellites. Very low level of genetic diversity is observed in the historical samples from Nordmannslågen and Midtre Grøndalsvatn but not in the contemporary samples. In Skavatn historical and contemporary samples show similar genetic diversity as in the other contemporary samples. Admixture analyses with the structure program indicate high levels of introgression by nonnative brown trout in all three lakes. The stocking source for two lakes (i.e. from Gjuvsjå) is partially verifiable via our analyses. The high introgression in these lakes is discussed and the management issues are briefly addressed.