Characterization of European wine glycerol: stable carbon isotope approach

Glycerol of about 170 European wines was analyzed using gas chromatography-combustion-isotope ratio mass spectrometry technique. (13)C/(12)C isotopic ratio measurements were performed to characterize glycerol's delta(13)C values of genuine wine samples from European Union wine-producing countries. Glycerol was also successfully dosed using an internal reference, 1,5-pentanediol.     

Anti-inflammatory properties of clovamide and Theobroma cacao phenolic extracts in human monocytes: evaluation of respiratory burst, cytokine release, NF-κB activation, and PPARγ modulation

There is a great interest in the potential health benefits of biologically active phenolic compounds in cocoa (Theobroma cacao) and dark chocolate. We investigated the anti-inflammatory potential of clovamide (a N-phenylpropenoyl-L-amino acid amide present in cocoa beans) and two phenolic extracts from unroasted and roasted cocoa beans, by evaluating superoxide anion (O(2)(-)) production, cytokine release, and NF-κB activation in human monocytes stimulated by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA). The effects of rosmarinic acid are shown for comparison. Clovamide and rosmarinic acid inhibited PMA-induced O(2)(-) production and cytokine release (with a bell-shaped curve and maximal inhibition at 10-100 nM), as well as PMA-induced NF-κB activation; the two cocoa extracts were less effective. In all tests, clovamide was the most potent compound and also enhanced peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ) activity, which may exert anti-inflammatory effects. These findings indicate clovamide as a possible bioactive compound with anti-inflammatory activity in human cells.     

Proportion of above-ground biomass in commercial logs and residues following the harvest of five commercial forest species in Australia

A significant factor influencing the contribution of wood products to carbon (C) storage is the proportion of above-ground tree biomass (AGB) recovered in commercial logs at harvest. This study examined the proportion of AGB in logs and residues at the harvest of radiata pine, cypress pine, blackbutt, spotted gum and messmate. Messmate and spotted gum had the highest variation in stem diameter and height. The average AGB ranged from 2000 to 3000 kg for the hardwoods and 220–1000 kg for the softwoods. Blackbutt had the overall lowest proportion of AGB recovered in commercial logs (45.5%) and radiata pine the highest (65%). The proportion of AGB in the bark of the hardwoods was significantly lower than in the softwoods. The proportion of the AGB in forest residues following harvest ranged from 30 to 55% depending on the species.The proportion of AGB recovered in high quality commercial logs ranged from 15% for spotted gum to 63% for radiata pine. The differences were due to the natural characteristics of the selected species and variations in regional market availability. The highest retention rates of AGB in high quality hardwood commercial logs were obtained for trees with DBH between 500 and 600 mm (messmate and blackbutt) and greater than 600 mm for spotted gum.The mean moisture content of the wood of the different species ranged from 35 to 50%. Messmate and radiata pine logs had the highest moisture content (48 and 50%, respectively).The C concentration of blackbutt, radiata pine and cypress pine was slightly higher than 50%. The softwoods had significantly higher C concentration than the hardwoods. The C concentration between positions (cross-section, sapwood and heartwood) also varied for the different species.The highest proportion of the above-ground C was in the debarked log for all species with the exception of blackbutt.The cellulose concentration of the wood ranged from 56 to 64% for hardwoods and 40–52% for the two softwoods. The lignin concentration of the wood ranged from 16 to 19% for the hardwoods and 25–35% for the two softwoods. The hardwood species could not be distinguished from one another based on the cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin concentration, but within the softwood species, cypress pine and radiata pine formed separate clusters.     

Biochar Increases Diuron Sorption and Reduces the Potential Contamination of Subsurface Water with Diuron in a Sandy Soil

The herbicide diuron is widely used in agricultural areas in Brazil, whereas it has high potential for subsurface water contamination due to its physicochemical characteristics. Recent studies have demonstrated the potential of biochar as a sorbent and possible pesticide leaching mitigation. The objective of this study was to investigate the long-term effect of biochar application on the kinetics of sorption and desorption of diuron in a Cerrado Haplic Plinthosol. Samples were collected in an experiment conducted in the field in a randomized block design consisting of the combination of two levels of fertilizer application (0 and 300 kg ha^-1 of 5-25-15 formula of NPK fertilizers) and three doses of biochar (0, 16, and 32 Mg ha^-1). The Freundlich isotherm accurately described the sorption of diuron in all treatments. Biochar application increased the sorption and reduced the desorption of diuron. This effect was attributed to the contribution of biochar to total organic carbon (C) and C in the humin fraction and to the increase in the reactivity of the humic acid and humin fractions, which was significantly highly correlated with the sorption coefficient (K_f). A positive correlation between the partition coefficient of organic C and K_f confirmed the importance of the soil organic compartment for the sorption of diuron. The higher diuron sorption and lower diuron desorption capacities of sandy soils after biochar application could reduce the potential risk of diuron leaching and contamination of subsurface water.     

Preparation of Activated Carbon from Sugarcane Bagasse Soot and Methylene Blue Adsorption

Sugarcane bagasse soot is an agro-industrial residue rich in carbon that can be transformed into value-added materials, such as activated carbons. Therefore, this work aimed at producing activated carbon from sugarcane bagasse soot, using CO₂ at 800, 850, and 900 °C, and investigating its efficiency to adsorb methylene blue as model contaminant. The results showed that the surface area and pore volume increased in the obtained carbons, with high specific areas (up to 829 m²/g), and the isotherms of the N₂ adsorption describe mesoporous materials. The morphology of the prepared activated carbons showed that sugarcane bagasse soot and the activated carbons kept the fibrous structure of sugarcane bagasse, but after activation, they have cavities that resemble a honeycomb. Adsorption studies with methylene blue dye showed that the activation process resulted in adsorption capacities up to 11 times higher than sugarcane bagasse soot, which is comparable with commercial activated carbon. Dye adsorption kinetics could be described by a pseudo-second-order dependency in the studied materials, and the adsorption isotherms were better fitted by the Langmuir model. It is emphasized that cost-effective materials that are similar to commercial activated carbon were obtained.     

Additive prediction of aboveground biomass for Pinus radiata (D. Don) plantations

A general and two country-specific systems of additive equations were developed to predict aboveground biomass of Pinus radiata plantations from stand variables that are routinely measured in inventory plots and predicted by conventional growth and yield models. The data for this work consisted of 319 plot-based biomass estimates that were derived from individual tree biomass equations developed in situ. These plot-based biomass estimates were compiled from studies reported in the forestry and ecological literature since 1960 and also from personal communications. They represent more than 60 sites worldwide with a majority in Australia and New Zealand. The systems of additive biomass equations developed from these data provide an alternative and addition to the current methods of estimating the aboveground biomass of P. radiata plantations. They also provide a direct linkage between forest inventory measures, outputs from conventional growth and yield models and biomass and carbon stock estimates at the same spatial scale. This direct linkage provides a new basis for scaling to a remote sensing image from which biomass and carbon stocks across the landscape can be mapped. Comparisons of prediction accuracies between this approach and other methods such as scaling up from individual tree biomass estimates and biomass expansion factors highlighted considerable methodological differences in the estimates of aboveground biomass and associated uncertainties over a range of stand age and conditions. These differences should be carefully evaluated before adopting a particular method to estimate aboveground biomass and carbon stocks of P. radiata plantations at a local, regional or national scale.     

Fluorescent amplified fragment length polymorphism genotyping of human and animal Staphylococcus aureus isolates from dairy farms with manual milking

Fluorescence amplified fragment length polymorphism (fAFLP) was used to assess the genetic relatedness of 40 Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from human and animal skin samples in seven dairy farms with manual milking. S. aureus was isolated from 11 out of 30 (36%) human skin samples and from 29 out of 100 (29%) teat skin samples from apparently healthy cows. Genomic DNA from each isolate was double-digested with EcoRI and MseI and complementary oligonucleotide adaptors were ligated to the restriction fragments. Pre-selective and selective amplification reactions were performed, the amplified fragments were separated by electrophoresis in an ABI377 sequencer and analysed using GeneScan 3.1 and Genotyper 2.5. Three single isolates (a-c), a predominant cluster with 35 isolates (d) and another cluster with two isolates (e) were identified. Both clusters d and e included human and animal isolates genetically related, because the profiles had 90-100% homology. Since no cluster was comprised uniquely of human or animal isolates and given the close genetic relatedness among human and animal samples in the farms, the present findings support the hypothesis that dairy workers can spread S. aureus through manual milking.     

Early postnatal development of central corneal thickness in dogs

Objective To investigate the changes in corneal thickness that occur during maturation of the canine eye over the first months of life. Animals studied Dogs of two different breeds with ages ranging from 14 days to 42 weeks of age. Procedures The central corneal thickness was measured by ultrasonic pachymetry every week for the first month after eyelid opening (around 14 days) and then every month until 42 weeks of age. Segmented regression was applied to capture the two phases observed in the central corneal thickness plotted against age. Breed, eye and gender were also included in the model. Results Mean central corneal thickness (CCT) values initially decreased following eyelid opening, with the lowest point being reached at around 6 weeks of age. Then CCT gradually increased as the dogs matured. Differences between left and right eye were not significant. Breed and gender effects were significant factors in the statistical model. Conclusions Following eyelid opening there is an initial decrease in corneal thickness until approximately 6 weeks of age, which presumably mirrors maturation of corneal endothelial cell function. After 6 weeks of age the CCT increases with age until approximately 30 weeks of age after which there was only a gradual increase over the remainder of the study period. A similar pattern of changes in corneal thickness in humans has been previously recorded.