Fuels from biomass: integration with food and materials systems

The development of fuels from biomass can lead naturally to dispersed facilities that incorporate food or materials production (or both) with fuel production, forming adaptive systems that can be modified to meet evolving needs and constraints. The technology that is appropriate to each system needs to be worked out, taking into account associated food and materials opportunities in order to decrease the ultimate cost of energy delivered to the consumer. I analyze possible systems based on sugarcane, corn, and guayule.     

Stability of abdominal fat and meat of broilers: Effect of duration of feeding antioxidants 1

1. The α‐tocopherol (AT) content of abdominal fat and fat stability increased as a function of the duration of α‐tocopheryl acetate (ATA) feeding in broilers fed on diets containing either 40 g acidulated soyabean‐oil soapstock (ASS) or tallow/kg. A linear relationship was observed between AT content of the adipose tissue and its stability with both types of fat supplements.

2. The stabilities of carcass fat and meat of 9‐week‐old broilers fed on diets containing ASS with 300 mg ethoxyquin (EQ)/kg or diets containing tallow with 20 mg ATA/kg from weeks 5 to 9 were comparable with those obtained by feeding these antioxidants and fats throughout the growth period.

3. ATA added to a diet containing ASS, and EQ, added to a diet containing tallow did not improve meat stability despite such an effect on adipose tissue when fed for 9 weeks. The results emphasise the importance of using the dietary antioxidant appropriate to the fat supplement to improve carcass stability.     

Mercury residues in breast muscle of wild ducks, 1970-71.

Samples of breast muscle from 327 ducks collected from October 1970 to March 1971 in the conterminous United States were analyzed for total mercury by flameless atomic absorption spectrometry. Mercury levels for the entire collection ranged from less than 0.01 to 3.91 ppm wet weight with a median of 0.10 ppm. Twenty-five ducks had levels equalling or exceeding the 0.5 ppm guideline for fish and shellfish established by the Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. Dabbling ducks, which are shallow-water feeders and mostly vegetarian in fall, winter, and spring, usually had lower levels than diving and sea ducks. Levels were generally higher in ducks collected in areas where environmental mercury levels were known to be greater than in ducks from nonsuspect areas. Despite the mobility of the ducks, levels seemed more closely linked to local environmental contamination than to various factors associated with large geographic areas.     

The effects of ultraviolet-B (UV-B: 290–320 nm) radiation on blister blight disease of tea (Camellia sinensis)

Sunlight is known to reduce the incidence of blister blight disease of tea, caused by Exobasidium vexans . The effects of the ultraviolet-B (UV-B: 290–320 nm) component of solar radiation on the disease and the development of E. vexans were studied in the field in Sri Lanka using UV-screening filter materials held over a commercial crop. Exclusion of UV-B radiation by Polyester, which reduces fluxes in the UV-B region by approximately 75–85%, increased both the number of translucent spots (immature sites of infection) and number of sporulating blisters (mature sites of infection), but it had little or no effect on the sporulation of the pathogen. When basidiospores were artificially inoculated on leaves, and were exposed to full or filtered solar radiation, their survival and germination increased when UV-B wavelengths were removed; significant differences were found 62 h after inoculation. However, UV-B did not affect the extension of germ tubes. This study indicates that the UV-B component of solar radiation plays an important role in the natural regulation of blister blight disease in the field.     

Metabolic Profiling and In Vitro Assessment of the Biological Activities of the Ethyl Acetate Extract of Penicillium chrysogenum “Endozoic of Cliona sp. Marine Sponge” from the Red Sea (Egypt)

Marine sponge-derived endozoic fungi have been gaining increasing importance as promising sources of numerous and unique bioactive compounds. This study investigates the phytochemical profile and biological activities of the ethyl acetate extract of Penicillium chrysogenum derived from Cliona sp. sponge. Thirty-six compounds were tentatively identified from P. chrysogenum ethyl acetate extract along with the kojic acid (KA) isolation. The UPLC-ESI-MS/MS positive ionization mode was used to analyze and identify the extract constituents while 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy were used for kojic acid (KA) structure confirmation. The antimicrobial, antioxidant, and cytotoxic activities were assessed in vitro. Both the extract and kojic acid showed potent antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa with MIC 250 ± 0.82 µg/mL. Interestingly, the extract showed strong antifungal activity against Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans with MIC 93.75 ± 0.55 and 19.53 ± 0.48 µg/mL, respectively. Furthermore, KA showed the same potency against Fusarium oxysporum and Cryptococcus neoformans with MIC 39.06 ± 0.85 and 39.06 ± 0.98 µg/mL, respectively. Ultimately, KA showed strong antioxidant activity with IC₅₀ 33.7 ± 0.8 µg/mL. Moreover, the extract and KA showed strong cytotoxic activity against colon carcinoma (with IC₅₀ 22.6 ± 0.8 and 23.4 ± 1.4 µg/mL, respectively) and human larynx carcinoma (with equal IC₅₀ 30.8 ± 1.3 and ± 2.1 µg/mL, respectively), respectively. The current study represents the first insights into the phytochemical profile and biological properties of P. chrysoenum ethyl acetate extract, which could be a promising source of valuable secondary metabolites with potent biological potentials.     

Studies on Herpesvirus scophthalmi infection of turbot Scophthalmus maximus (L.): Histopathological observations

Abstract. The histological features of the disease caused by infection of turbot by Herpesvirus scophthalmi are described. Infection of epidermal cells of skin and gill resulted in the formation of giant cells showing a variety of nuclear and cytoplasmic changes associated with the replication of the virus. The effects of the condition together with possible control measures are discussed.     

Thin layer chromatographic separation and spectrodensitometric determination of higher and lower sulfonated subsidiary dyes in FD&C Yellow No. 6.

A thin layer chromatographic method is presented by which higher and lower sulfonated subsidiary dyes are simultaneously separated from FD&C Yellow No. 6. After separation, the colors are quantitated directly, using a spectrodensitometer. Recoveries of 1, 2, and 5% of added 1-(4-sulfophenylazo)-2-naphthol-3,6-disulfonic acid ranged from 92 to 111%. Recoveries of 1, 2, and 5% of added 1-(4-sulfophenylazo)-2-naphthol ranged from 90 to 110%.     

THE ELECTRONIC MEASUREMENT OF SMALL HERBAGE YIELDS USING A HIGH SENSITIVITY CAPACITANCE METER

The capacitance meters available in the past for estimating herbage yields have lacked sensitivity at the extremes of their range of measurement. The preliminary evaluation of a highly sensitive capacitance meter described here indicates that accurate measurement is possible in the range 0.1100 kg DM/ha. The implications of this development for the measurement of herbage of low availability are discussed.     

Fertility of hybrids fromSolanum phureja and haploidS. Tuberosum matings

Summary A workable level of male and female fertility is present among many haploids (2n–24) obtained from the common potato,S. tuberosum (2n–48). However, the incidence of male fertility and the seed set obtained following numerous interhaploid matings have been consistently low. Hybrids between the cultivated diploid (2n–24) species (S. ajanhuiri, S. goniocalyx, S. phureja, S. stenotomum) and the pollen-fertileS. tuberosum haploids provide one means of overcoming this low fertility. Crosses were made among 60 F₁-hybrids, resulting fromS. phureja (♀) — haploidS. tuberosum (♂) matings, to determine their pollen and ovule fertility. These hybrids, which represent 16 combinations of 15S. phureja selections (from Plant Introductions 195198, 195214, 225678, 225683, 225685, 225701, 225708, 225710, 243461, 243462, 243466) with 2 malefertile haploids (US-W 1 fromKatahdin and US-W 42 from,Chippewa), were selected for desirable tuber characteristics and yield. All 60 hybrid selections were fertile both as males and as females. The seed set obtained was exceptionally high. No self-fertility was found. The high incidence and level of male and female fertility suggests that lack of fertility is not likely to present an obstacle to future study of the potato at the 24-chromosome level.

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Zusammenfassung Ein brauchbarer Grad von m?nnlicher und weiblicher Fertilit?t ist bei vielen, von der gew?hnlichen KartoffelS. tuberosum (2n–48) erhaltenen Haploiden (2n=24) vorhanden. Dennoch sind das Ausmass von m?nnlicher Fertilit?t und der nach zahlreichen interhaploiden Paarungen erhaltene Samenansatz st?ndig schwach gewesen. Bastarde zwischen den kultivierten diploiden (2n–24) Arten (S. ajanhuiri, S. goniocalyx, S. phureja, S. stenotomum) und den pollenfertilenS. tuberosum-Haploiden stellen eine M?glichkeit dar, um diese schwache Fertilit?t zu überwinden. Fertile, kr?ftige Bastarde, einige davon mit überraschend guter Knollengr?sse und gutem Ertrag wurden erzeug', wenn die Haploiden als Pollenspender gebraucht wurden. Die Bastarde, welche von den reziproken Kreuzungen stammten, waren ebenso kl?ftig, aber m?nnlich-steril. Um ihre Pollen- und Eizellen-Fertilit?t zu bestimmen, wurden Kreuzungen zwischen 60 F₁-Bastarden vorgenommen, die aus Paarungen vonS. phureja (♀) mit, haploidenS. tuberosum (♂) hervorgingen. Diese Bastarde, die 16 Kombinationen von 15S. phureja-Auslesen (aus “Plant Introductions” 195198, 195214, 225678, 225683, 225685, 225701, 225708, 225710, 243461, 243462, 243466) mit zwei m?nnlich-fertilen Haploiden (US-W 1 vonKatahdin und US-W 42 vonChippewa) darstellen, wurden auf wünschenswerte Knolleneigenschaften und Ertrag ausgelesen. 99% der m?glichen 1.770 Kombinationen zwischen den 60 Eltern (1.755 Best?ubungen) und 84% der reziproken Kreuzungen (1.483 Best?ubungen) wurden vorgenommen, indem eine Best?ubung in jeder Richtung angewendet wurde. Der Erfolg nach reziproken Paarungen war mit dem aus Kombinationen, die nur in einer Richtung versucht wurden, vergleichbar (68% und 67% Beeren je Best?ubung). Alle Beeren zusammen brachten einen Durchschnittsertrag von 242 Samen je Beere und 92% ergaben mehr als 100 Samen je Beere (Tabelle 1). Alle 60 Eltern erwiesen sich als m?nnlich- und weiblich-fertil. Keine waren selbstfertil, obwohl alle funktionsf?hige Eizellen und Pollen produzierten. Die Leistungen dieser Selektionen als m?nnliche und weibliche Eltern sind nach Familien zusammengestellt (Tabelle 2). Die Mittelwerte für Einzelauslesen innerhalb einer Familie waren, von weinigen Ausnahmen abgesehen, den Familien-Mittelwerten vergleichbar. Die Zahl der erfolgreichen Best?ubungen zwischen enger verwandten F₁-Auslesen war mit jener zwischen “nicht verwandten” Auslesen vergleichbar (Tabelle 3). Der durchschnittliche Samenansatz war hoch, ob die Paarung zwischen Geschwister-, Halbgeschwister- oder “nicht verwandten” Auslesen erfolgte. Ein Vergleich zwischen den rohen (“raw”) Haploiden vonS. tuberosum und den 60 Bastarden ausS. phureja und haploidenS. tuberosum in bezug auf Triebkraft, Abblühen und Fettilit?t ist auffallend. Im Verlauf einer Vegetationsporiode blühten ungef?hr 50% der Haploiden, zirka 30% wurden erfolgreich als weibliche Eltern verwendet, und 3% waren m?nnlich-fertil (Tabelle 4). Demgegenüber blühten alle Bastard-Auslesen reichlich, und alle waren als m?nnliche und weibliche Eltern funktionsf?hig. Das h?ufige Vorkommen und der hohe Grad von m?nnlicher und weiblicher Fertilit?t weist darauf hin, dass der Mangel an Fertilit?t für zukünftige Studien über die Kartoffel mit 24 Chromosomen kaum ein Hindernis bildet.

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Résumé Il existe chez divers haplo?des (2n=24) obtenus de la Pomme de terre commune,S. tuberosum (2n=48), un niveau exploitable de fertilité male et femelle. Cependant les cas de fertilité male et les quantités de semences obtenues à la suite de nombreux croisements inter-haplo?des sont régulièrement bas. L'hybridation entre les espèces diplo?des cultivées (2n=24) (S. ajanhuiri, S. goniocalyx, S. phureja, S. stenotomum) et les haplo?desS. tuberosum à pollen fertile constitue un moyen de surmonter cette basse fertilité. En utilisant les haplo?des comme parents pollinisateurs, on a obtenu des hybrides fertiles, vigoureux, parmi lesquels plusieurs possèdent des qualités surprenantes de grande grosseur de tubercule et de productivité. Les croisements réciproques donnent des hybrides également vigoureux mais affectés de stérilité male. On a effectué des croisements parmi 60 hybrides F₁, provenant deS. phureja (♀) S. tuberosum haplo?des (♂), pour déterminer leur fertilité pollinique et ovulaire. Ces hybrides, représentant 16 combinaisons de 15 sélections deS. phureja (provenant des “Plant Introductions” 195198, 195214, 225678, 225683, 225685, 225701, 225708, 225710, 243461, 243462, 243466) avec deux haplo?des avec fertilité male (US-W 1 dekatahdin et US-W 42 deChippewa), avaient été choisis pour leurs bonnes propriétés de tubercule et de productivité. 99% des 1770 combinaisons possibles parmi les 60 parents (1775 pollinisations) et 84% des combinaisons réciproques (1483 pollinisations) ont été réalisées en pollinisant dans les deux sens. Les réussites des croisements réciproques et des croisements dans un sens seulement sont comparables (68 et 67% de fructification respectivement). Sur l'ensemble des baies, la production moyenne de semences par baie était de 242; 92% des baies donnaient plus de 100 semences par baie (Tableau 1). Tous les 60 parents étaient fertiles à la fois comme male et comme femelle. Aucun n'était autofertile alors que tous produisaient des oeufs et du pollen fonctionnels. Les performances de ces sélections comme parents males et femelles sont résumées par familles dans leTableau 2. Les moyennes des sélections individuelles au sein d'une famille étaient, à part quelques exceptions, comparables aux moyennes de la famille. Les nombres de pollinisations fécondes parmi les sélections F₁ les plus apparentées étaient comparables à ceux de sélections “non apparentées” (Tableau 3). La production moyenne de semences était élevée, que le croisement implique des sélections soeurs, demi-soeurs, ou “non apparentées”. Les comparaisons de vigueur, de floraison et de fertilité entre les hybrides purs (“raw”) deS. tuberosum haplo?de et les 60 hybridesS. phureja S. tuberosum haplo?de sont frappantes. Au cours d'une saison de croissance, 50% approximativement des haplo?des fleurissent, 30% approximativement sont utilisés avec succès comme parents femelles, et 3% ont la fertilité male (Tableau 4). Au contraire, toutes les sélections d'hybrides fleurissent abondamment et toutes sont des parents males et femelles fonctionnels. Le niveau élevé de fertilité male et femelle suggère qu'un manque de fertilité ne présente vraisemblablement pas un obstacle à l'étude ultérieure de la Pomme de terre au niveau de 24 chromosomes.

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Cooperation of the Inter-Regional Potato Introduction Project in providingSolanum materials is hereby acknowledged. This research was supported in part by a grant from the National Science Foundation.