Comet 81P/Wild 2 under a microscope

The Stardust spacecraft collected thousands of particles from comet 81P/Wild 2 and returned them to Earth for laboratory study. The preliminary examination of these samples shows that the nonvolatile portion of the comet is an unequilibrated assortment of materials that have both presolar and solar system origin. The comet contains an abundance of silicate grains that are much larger than predictions of interstellar grain models, and many of these are high-temperature minerals that appear to have formed in the inner regions of the solar nebula. Their presence in a comet proves that the formation of the solar system included mixing on the grandest scales.     

Influence of combined hydro-thermal treatments on selected properties of Turkey oak (Quercus cerris L.) wood

A combined effect of steaming and heat treatment was imposed on green Turkey oak wood, both for sapwood and heartwood. Steaming was carried out in an autoclave at 100–120–130°C whereas heating was carried out in an oven for 2?h at 120–180°C. Equilibrium moisture content at dry, intermediate and moist state both in desorption and adsorption, swelling, cup, twist, color change, and spectral reflectance measures were registered. Swelling and water absorption decreased due to the hydro-thermal treatment. During adsorption, heartwood showed a higher hygroscopic inertia compared to sapwood and this difference increased with temperature. Cup increased with temperature in the steaming process. Twist seemed to be affected more by quality of original trunks than treatments. The wood color was more sensitive at a steaming temperature of 130°C combined with heat treatment at 180°C. Transitional treatments assured more reliable results on homogenization of hue between sapwood and heartwood.     

连续五年生物垃圾堆肥施用后地中海蔬菜种植系统中土壤有机碳的变化

Biowaste compost can influence soil organic matter accumulation directly or indirectly. A 5-year experiment was conducted to assess the influence of biowaste compost on the process of soil aggregation and soil organic carbon(SOC) accumulation in a Mediterranean vegetable cropping system. The study involved four treatments: biowaste compost(COM), mineral NPK fertilizers(MIN), biowaste compost with half-dose N fertilizer(COMN), and unfertilized control(CK). The SOC stocks were increased in COM, COMN, and MIN by 20.2, 14.9, and 2.4 Mg ha~(-1)over CK, respectively. The SOC concentration was significantly related to mean weight diameter of aggregates(MWD)(P 0.05, R~2= 0.798 4) when CK was excluded from regression analysis. Compared to CK, COM and COMN increased the SOC amount in macroaggregates( 250 μm) by 2.7 and 0.6 g kg~(-1)soil, respectively, while MIN showed a loss of 0.4g kg~(-1)soil. The SOC amount in free microaggregates(53–250 μm) increased by 0.9, 1.6, and 1.0 g kg~(-1)soil for COM, COMN, and MIN, respectively, while those in the free silt plus clay aggregates( 53 μm) did not vary significantly. However, when separating SOC in particle-size fractions, we found that more stable organic carbon associated with mineral fraction 53 μm(MOM-C) increased significantly by 3.4, 2.2, and 0.7 g kg~(-1)soil for COM, COMN, and MIN, respectively, over CK, while SOC amount in fine particulate organic matter(POM) fraction(53–250 μm) increased only by 0.3 g kg~(-1)soil for both COM and COMN, with no difference in coarse POM 250 μm. Therefore, we consider that biowaste compost could be effective in improving soil structure and long-term C sequestration as more stable MOM-C.     

Neuropharmacology of the essential oil of bergamot

Bergamot (Citrus bergamia, Risso) is a fruit most knowledgeable for its essential oil (BEO) used in aromatherapy to minimize symptoms of stress-induced anxiety and mild mood disorders and cancer pain though the rational basis for such applications awaits to be discovered. The behavioural and EEG spectrum power effects of BEO correlate well with its exocytotic and carrier-mediated release of discrete amino acids endowed with neurotransmitter function in the mammalian hippocampus supporting the deduction that BEO is able to interfere with normal and pathological synaptic plasticity. The observed neuroprotection in the course of experimental brain ischemia and pain does support this view. In conclusion, the data yielded so far contribute to our understanding of the mode of action of this phytocomplex on nerve tissue under normal and pathological experimental conditions and provide a rational basis for the practical use of BEO in complementary medicine. The opening of a wide venue for future research and translation into clinical settings is also envisaged.     

Roasting and aroma formation: effect of initial moisture content and steam treatment

Initial moisture of green coffee may vary as a function of green coffee processing and storage conditions. The impact of initial moisture and steam treatment on roasting behavior and aroma formation was investigated. Steam treated coffees as well as coffees with initial moisture content of 5.10, 10.04, and 14.70 g water per 100 g wb were roasted. Light and dark roasting trials were carried out using a fluidizing-bed roaster with a batch size of 100 g of green beans. Differences in roast coffee attributes, that is, color, density, and organic roast loss, and odorant concentrations were more marked in light roasted than in dark roasted coffees. The results of roasting steam treated coffee suggest that this step affects roasting behavior primarily by extracting some aroma precursor compounds.     

Estimating bergamot juice adulteration of lemon juice by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis of flavanone glycosides

The chemical composition of 30 samples of juices obtained from bergamot (Citrus bergamia Risso and Poit.) fruits is reported and compared to the genuineness parameters adopted by Association of the Industry of Juice and Nectars (AIJN) for lemon juice. It was found that the compositional differences between the two juices are distinguishable, although with difficulty. However, these differences are not strong enough to detect the fraudulent addition of bergamot juice to lemon juice. Instead, we found the high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis of the flavanones naringin, neohesperidin, and neoeriocitrin, which are present in bergamot juice and practically absent in the lemon juice, is a convenient way to detect and quantify the fraudulent addition of bergamot juice. The method has been validated by calculating the detection and quantification limits according to Eurachem procedures. Employing neoeriocitrin (detection limit = 0.7 mg/L) and naringin (detection limit = 1 mg/L) as markers, it is possible to detect the addition of bergamot juice to lemon juice at the 1% level. When using neohesperidin as a marker (detection limit = 1 mg/L), the minimal percentage of detectable addition of bergamot juice was about 2%. Finally, it is reported that the pattern of flavonoid content of the bergamot juice is similar to those of chinotto (Citrus myrtifolia Raf) and bitter orange (Citrus aurantium L.) juices and that it is possible to distinguish the three kinds of juices by HPLC analysis.     

In vitro bioavailability of phenolic compounds from five cultivars of frozen sweet cherries (Prunus avium L.)

The bioavailability of phenolic compounds from five cultivars of frozen sweet cherries was assessed by a digestion process involving pepsin-HCl digestion (to simulate gastric digestion) and pancreatin digestion with bile salts (to simulate small intestine conditions) and dialyzed to assess serum- and colon-available fractions. After pepsin digestion, the % recovery of total phenolics, relative to the original starting material, increased, whereas the % anthocyanins did not change. Following pancreatic digestion and dialysis, the total phenolics in the IN (serum-available) fraction was about 26-30% and the OUT (colon-available) fraction was about 77-101%. The anthocyanin content in the IN fraction was 15-21%, and in the OUT fraction, it was 52-67%. Skeena, Lapins, and Sweetheart cultivars contained higher levels of total phenolics and anthocyanins, which resulted in higher concentrations of these compounds in the IN and OUT fractions. The potential bioavailability of phenolic compounds was also assessed in Bing and Lapins cultivars at three ripening stages. Immature cherries had higher % total phenolics in the IN fraction than mature or overmature cherries. However, immature cherries had the lowest concentrations of these compounds, making the actual bioavailable amounts of these compounds lower than for mature and overmature fruit. High-performance liquid chromatography analysis of Lapins cherries at three maturity stages confirmed the results obtained using spectrophotometric methods for total phenolics and anthocyanins.     

Effect of lime-induced leaf chlorosis on ochratoxin A, trans-resveratrol, and epsilon-viniferin production in grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) berries infected by Aspergillus carbonarius

Berries of Vitis vinifera L. cv. Merlot, grown on a neutral or calcareous soil, were infected, at phenological phases of veraison and ripening, by a conidial suspension of Aspergillus carbonarius to control ochratoxin A production and trans-resveratrol- and epsilon-viniferin-induced synthesis as affected by the soil lime content. Chlorosis occurrence was evaluated by a visual rating scale at veraison, and the leaves from vines growing on the calcareous soil showed the typical yellowing, whereas those grown on the neutral soil were dark green. Berry mineral element yield was recorded at veraison and ripening. Infection symptoms on berries were more severe at ripening in bunches collected from vines grown in calcareous soil. Ochratoxin A concentration increased at phenological phase of veraison in berries harvested from vines cultivated in calcareous soil. A. carbonarius enhanced trans-resveratrol and epsilon-viniferin production in infected berries more than in the control samples. Moreover, at veraison their concentration in the berries collected from vines grown in calcareous soil was greater than that recorded from berries collected from vines grown in the neutral soil. The lowest symptom severity was observed on berries containing the highest copper concentration.