Harvest Location Research Articles

Sensory profiling, liking and acceptance of sea urchin gonads from the North Atlantic coast of Portugal, aiming future aquaculture applications

Sea urchin gonads are receiving increasing attention for their exclusive sensorial attributes. However, the sensory profile of this highly demanded gourmet product has not yet been well described, and it may potentially help enhancing the gonads’ marketability and acceptability. The main goal of this study was to build a sensory profile of sea urchin (Paracentrotus lividus) gonads, to evaluate differences between sex, harvest location, as well as the impact of presentation on consumer acceptance. Sixty untrained panellists (regular consumers of seafood) were asked to evaluate eight samples of raw sea urchin gonads, divided by sex, harvest location and presentation (in a clear translucent glass bowl or inside a sea urchin test). The panellists evaluated overall liking and acceptance (Food Action Scale), followed by a Check-All-That-Apply (CATA) ballot with a list of 38 sensory attributes divided into four dimensions: appearance (9), odour (8), texture (7) and taste (14), launched in Sense Gest. From a three-way ANOVA, no significant effect of sex, harvest location and presentation were identified for both liking and acceptance. However, a significant interaction between presentation and sex was identified: females with gourmet presentation were rated higher than females presented in a bowl; and males presented in a bowl were favoured in relation to gourmet presentation. Sensory profiling clearly separates gonads according to sex, with females being more appealing than males that presented a milky white fluid. Gonads were also separated according to the presentation method: the white background of the bowl seemed to highlight the orange colour of females; the gourmet presentation favoured the females in relation to the males, mainly because the male gonad colour and white-colour exudate were emphasized by the background of the sea urchin test. Moreover, the gourmet presentation in both sexes was correlated with a fresh, tropical and pleasant odour. This study concluded that sea urchin with an orange gonad and a sweet, fresh and tropical flavour is preferable, which will allow future nutritional research efforts to be focused on the enhancement of these gonad attributes.

Metal residues in macroalgae feedstock and implications for microbial fermentation

Macroalgae cultivation shows potential for the application as emerging feedstock for microbial fermentation to produce biochemicals. However, metal residues in macroalgae might affect the fermentation capacity of relevant microorganisms. This aspect is currently not considered when selecting macroalgae and microorganism species for microbial fermentation. To consider this aspect for selecting viable macroalgae and microorganism species, we link metal exposure in bioreactors from macroalgae residues to ecotoxicological test results for relevant microorganisms. Our results indicate that estimated bioreactor concentrations for most metals are below microorganism effect levels. For copper and hexavalent chromium, however, reactor concentrations might exceed relevant effect levels for at least some considered microorganism species. Adjusting water hardness in the bioreactor as well as selecting algae harvest location and macroalgae species might minimize metal exposure to fermenting microorganisms, in support of optimizing the biorefining process for biochemical production.

Factors Influencing Symptomatic and Nonsymptomatic Bulge Rates in the Abdominal Donor Site of Autologous Breast Reconstruction

INTRODUCTION: With continued demand for abdominal based breast reconstruction, it is important to understand all the factors influencing donor site morbidity. Previous studies mostly focus on type of flap and its associated donor site complications. However, we aim to assess other factors, including history of prior abdominal surgery, body mass index (BMI), and specific operative details such as the total area of muscle harvested, portion of the rectus muscle harvested, status of the anterior fascia after abdominal closure, use of mesh, and the status of abdominal wall nerves. METHODS: A retrospective chart review of patients undergoing autologous breast reconstruction from May 2012 to October of 2017 by 2 surgeons at a single institution was performed. Only patients with abdominal-based breast reconstruction were included in the study. Demographics, prior medical and surgical history, intraoperative data, and postoperative course were collected. Primary outcomes of interest were nonsymptomatic bulge found on physical exam and symptomatic bulge requiring surgical correction. RESULTS: One-hundred twenty women were identified with 39 undergoing unilateral and 81 undergoing bilateral breast reconstruction. Within the unilateral patient group, 30 patients underwent ms-Transversal Rectus Abdominis Muscle (TRAM) and 9 patients underwent deep inferior epigastric artery perforator (DIEP) reconstruction. The breakdown in the bilateral group is as follows: 39 bilateral ms-TRAM, 5 bilateral DIEP, 37 a combination of ms-TRAM and DIEP. The average follow-up was 2.01 years (range, 0.04–7.52 years). Thirteen (10.8%) patients developed nonsymptomatic bulge and 14 (11.7%) patients developed symptomatic bulge requiring surgical correction. Patient with BMI ≥ 30 were 3 times more likely to develop a symptomatic bulge (P = 0.029). Similarly, patients with prior abdominal surgery were 7.2 times more likely to develop a symptomatic bulge (P = 0.047). Patients with bilateral ms-TRAM reconstruction had higher rate of nonsymptomatic and symptomatic bulge compared with any other reconstruction type (P = 0.050). Size of muscle harvested did not have an effect on bulge development (P = 0.674). Higher percentage of patients with muscle harvested from the central portion of the rectus muscle developed non-symptomatic bulge (P = 0.008). In contrast, patients with muscle harvested from the medial or lateral portion of the rectus muscle had a 15% increased risk of developing symptomatic bulge (P = 0.023 and P = 0.021, respectively). The use of mesh, type of mesh, and location of mesh placement during abdominal wall reconstruction did not affect bulge development (P = 0.236, P = 0.285, P = 0.195, respectively). Whether the anterior rectus fascia was closed or left open at the end of the case did not influence the bulge rate (P = 0.122). Similarly, number of nerves severed did not influence the bulge rate (P = 0.575). CONCLUSION: High BMI and previous abdominal surgery significantly increase the risk of symptomatic bulge development. Location of muscle harvest from the rectus muscle influenced the rates of nonsymptomatic and symptomatic bulge development, with muscle from the central portion of the rectus muscle resulting in significantly higher rate of nonsymptomatic bulge, and muscle from medial or lateral portion of the rectus muscle resulting in higher rate of symptomatic bulge. Total muscle area harvested, use of mesh in abdominal reconstruction, or nerve preservation did not affect the rate of bulge development.

Would weight parity on interstate highways improve safety and efficiency of timber transportation in the US South?

ABSTRACT In the US, weight limits on interstate highways are established by the federal government while weight limits on other roadways are established by state or local governments. State weight limits for log trucks exceed federal interstate highway weight limits in all major timber-producing states. This disparity discourages log trucks from traveling loaded on interstate highways. This study compared the safety and efficiency of log truck transportation on current routes to routes utilizing interstate highways in eight wood baskets in the US South. Timber harvest and delivery locations were collected from logging businesses, log truck owners, and forest landowners. GPS truck tracking software and ArcGIS were used to estimate travel distance and travel time on optimal interstate routes and current routes that avoided interstate highways. The sample included 907 unique routes from 257 harvest sites. An average of 39% of routes would benefit from interstate highway access and 66% of harvest sites had at least one load that would benefit from interstate access. Evidence suggests that interstate routes would be safer than current routes because log trucks would encounter 41% fewer intersections, 33% fewer stop signals, and approximately one fewer school zone per route. Despite no significant change in average haul distance, interstate highway access would result in estimated cumulative annual travel cost savings of $7.4 million (USD) in the wood baskets analyzed. Findings suggest that allowing state-legal, loaded log trucks to operate on interstate highways would improve the safety and efficiency of timber transportation in the US South.

Automated Method for Delineating Harvested Stands Based on Harvester Location Data

The data produced by cut-to-length harvesters provide new large-scale data source for event-based update of national forest stand inventory by Finnish Forest Centre. This study aimed to automate geoprocessing, which generates delineations of operated areas from harvester location data. Automated algorithms were developed and tested with a dataset of 455 harvested objects, recorded during harvestings. In automated stand delineation, the location points are clustered, the stand points are identified and external strip roads are separated. Then, stand polygons are produced. To validate the results, automatic delineations were compared to 57 observed delineations from field measurements and aerial images. A detailed comparison method was developed to study the correspondence. Stand polygonization parameter was adjusted and areal correspondence with 1% error on average was obtained for stands over 0.75 ha. Good stand shape agreement was observed. Overall, the automated method worked well, and the operative stand delineations were found suitable for updating the forest inventory data. To modify the operative stands towards forest inventory stands, a balancing algorithm is introduced to create a solid, unique stand boundary between overlapping stands. This algorithm is beneficial for upkeep of stand networks. In addition, the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) accuracy of the harvesters was examined and estimated numerically.

Trace elemental fingerprinting of shells and soft tissues can identify the time of blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) harvesting

Reliance on seafood for a source of animal protein is growing globally and this is likely to continue as Earth's population continues to rise. An active shift towards farmed produce over wild caught is occurring, attributed to dwindling wild populations, increased productivity potential and increased food security needs. Although production is rising, producers and regulators are continually challenged as passive filter feeding shellfish such as mussels are impacted by disease outbreaks, toxic algae blooms, pollution and food fraud that pose a risk to the market. This risk can manifest as mortality events and loss of stock, but also via consumer safety and subsequent loss of trust. To combat this threat, accurate and reliable traceability tools are necessary to give regulators power to maintain consumer safety and subsequently, trust. Recent research has demonstrated that trace element fingerprints (TEFs) based on the shell and soft tissues can identify the site of harvest of blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) (Bennion et al., 2019. Trace element fingerprinting of blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) shells and soft tissues successfully reveals harvesting locations. Science of The Total Environment, 685, 50–58) and king scallops (Pecten maximus) (Morrison et al., 2019. Spatio-temporal trace element fingerprinting of king scallops (Pecten maximus) reveals harvesting period and location. Science of The Total Environment, 697, 134121) with 100% success. Here, we test the temporal stability of trace element fingerprints (TEFs) of blue mussels within the aquaculture sphere, over five harvesting dates spanning two years. Computational models constructed using the trace element signatures of shells and soft tissues show near absolute temporal differences of TEFs between harvesting dates. However, TEFs based on a combination of both the shell and periostracum of mussels enabled 96% of all individuals to be correctly assigned to their date of harvest indicating that this method can not only identify the location but also the date of harvest of bivalve shellfish. This technique offers a reliable scientific-based traceability tool for regulators to uphold food safety standards and can prove an invaluable asset within the seafood regulatory arsenal.

Quantifying Long-Term Bird Population Responses to Simulated Harvest Plans and Cumulative Effects of Disturbance

There is interest in linking outputs from land use simulators to bird species distribution models to project how boreal birds will respond to cumulative effects of caribou (Rangifer tarandus) conservation, harvest, fire, and energy-sector development in Alberta. Our hypotheses were: 1) species associated with older mixed-wood stands would decline more if harvest was shifted away from areas used by caribou to areas with more mixed-wood; and 2) species associated with older forests would be more negatively affected by the combined effects of harvest, fire, and non-forestry footprint than by harvest alone. We used vegetation data from two harvest scenarios produced in Patchworks as inputs for density models of 20 boreal forest songbird and woodpecker species in Alberta. We projected abundance of these species over 50 years under: 1) two scenarios created in Patchworks, without fire but with and without deferral of timber harvest within a caribou conservation zone on lands tenured to Alberta-Pacific Forest Industries Inc.; 2) a scenario with fire but no human footprint; and 3) five scenarios in ALCES Online, in which habitat was affected by Patchworks harvest locations, fire (1-2 × current rate), and energy sector development (present or absent; with or without seismic line reclamation to improve caribou habitat). In the Patchworks scenarios, we found similar projected numbers of each bird species over time, whether harvest deferral occurred or not. Both harvest plans increased habitat and numbers for most species associated with older forests over 50 years, while most species associated with younger forests declined in both harvest plans, because average projected forest age increased over 50 years. Fire and other footprint generally reduced relative amount of habitat for species associated with older forests, which still increased over time, while other species responded positively or less negatively to fire. Seismic restoration created habitat for three-quarters of species that responded negatively to energy sector development over 50 years. As projections depended on whether just harvest, fire or all footprints were analyzed, multiple human impacts over time beyond harvest should be considered in conservation and land use planning based on long-term predictions about wildlife in anthropogenic landscapes.

Discrimination of Mentha species grown in different geographical areas of Algeria using 1H-NMR-based metabolomics

1H-NMR-based metabolomics have been applied to identify potential NMR-markers and biomarkers capable of distinguishing, qualifying and classifying three Mentha species:- Mentha pulegium L., Mentha × rotundifolia (L.) Huds., Mentha spicata L., and their ecotypes. Samples of the 3 species were collected in seven different locations in Algeria, with the aim to establish a quality control protocol based on the use of NMR fingerprint profiles of polar extracts. NMR data indicate that the identification of the Mentha genus can be confirmed by the presence of the doublet proton signals with identical coupling constants at δ 7.49 (d, 15.9 Hz) and δ 6.29 (d, 15.9 Hz); these correspond to the protons of the double-bond conjugated to the ester group of rosmarinic acid, a bioactive compound found in all three species. Differences in NMR proton chemical shifts and/or signal intensities were clearly demonstrated on the orthogonal projections to latent structures discriminating analysis (OPLS-DA). Several potential biomarkers discriminating the three Mentha species were originated using S-plots, loading score plots, NMR data analysis and literature search. These discriminating signals point to glycosylated flavonols, oxygenated terpenoids and hydrocarbon terpenoids to distinguish M. pulegium, M. × rotundifolia and M. spicata, respectively. Within the same species, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) scores clearly discriminated the metabolite content according to regions in which the plants were grown. The 6 zones in which Mentha pulegium samples were harvested were clearly separated along either or both PC1 and PC2; by contrast, the harvesting locations were divided into two groups along PC1 for both M. × rotundifolia and M. spicata. The total antioxidant activity of the Mentha species was impacted by the abiotic factors of the different regions.

Spatial patterning of walleye recreational harvest in Lake Erie: Role of demographic and environmental factors

Demographic and environmental factors can influence the spatial distribution of fish populations, potentially affecting the timing, location, and magnitude of harvest. Quantifying these relationships can be complicated, if their effects vary spatially over a population’s range or are non-additive (i.e., interactive), where one factor mediates the effect of another. Toward understanding the relative influence of demographic and environmental factors on fishery harvest in large freshwater lakes, we used varying-coefficient generalized additive models to explore the existence of non-additive, spatially-dependent effects of adult population size and thermal conditions on recreational harvest patterns of Lake Erie walleye (Sander vitreus) during 2006-2015. We identified nonlinear, additive, and generally positive effects of thermal conditions and adult population size on harvest rates. Their effects were, however, spatially-dependent, the accounting of which can help explain inter-annual and intra-annual variation in lake-wide harvest rates. Specifically, harvest rates increased more with increasing cumulative degree days in the eastern portion of the central basin, especially offshore, relative to the rest of the study area. Harvest rates also increased more with increasing walleye population size in the southwest portion of the west basin and the middle of the central basin compared to other study areas. As in marine ecosystems, our findings demonstrate the benefit of using modeling approaches that consider the spatial dependency of harvest rate on demographic and environmental factors to understanding broader harvest dynamics in large lakes. Their use could help managers and policy-makers ensure the sustained use of valued freshwater fish populations amidst demographic and environmental change.

Revealing the illegal harvesting of Manila clams (Ruditapes philippinarum) using fatty acid profiles of the adductor muscle

The Manila clam (Ruditapes philippinarum) is one of the most traded bivalves in the world. Knowing its harvesting location is therefore paramount to guarantee the safety of consumers. The present study employs fatty acid (FA) profiles of the adductor muscle (AM) to reveal the most likely harvesting location of four batches of Manila clams suspected of having been illegally sourced from the Tagus estuary. In this ecosystem, where the collection of Manila clams is currently prohibited for food safety reasons, illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) capture is known to occur. In order to trace the geographic origin of these four batches of Manila clams, a reference model based on the FA profiles of the AM was developed with specimens originating from the two most representative ecosystems supplying the trade-chain of this species in mainland Portugal (the Tagus estuary and Ria de Aveiro), as well as Ría de Vigo, a production area outside Portugal and that is also an important supplier. The ability of this model to allocate clams to its origin ecosystem was evaluated using independent datasets, with an allocation success of 100% (all samples were correctly assigned to its origin ecosystem, thus validating the model). Based on the reference model established, the harvesting location of the four batches suspected of originating from ongoing IUU in the Tagus estuary was investigated. Specimens from 3 of the 4 batches screened were classified, as most likely originating from the Tagus estuary (with a likelihood ranging from 90% up to 100%). These results highlight the potential of this approach to fight the IUU capture of Manila clams, as this practice endangers important habitats and threatens public health.

Analysis of volatile compounds in Paracentrotus lividus by HS-SPME/GS-MS and relation to its sensorial properties

This study characterizes the sensory features and odour active volatile organic compounds (VOC) profile of P. lividus, taking into consideration the sex and harvest location. Sensory evaluation was performed by an experienced panel through the application of Projective Mapping paired with Ultra Flash Profile. VOC were determined by headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled to gas chromatography mass spectrometry (HS-SPME/GC-MS). Data showed that sea urchin gonad's sensory properties were mainly influenced by sex, while their volatile profile was affected both by sex and harvest location. Males tended to be sweeter, softer and with a pale-yellow colour, while females revealed an intense sweet tropical taste and a bright-orange colour. PCA unveiled variations in the levels of p-xylene, 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene and m-xylene between locations, whereas levels of β-pinene, 2,4-dimethyl-1-heptene, d-limonene and heptane discriminate sex. This study contributes to a better characterization of the sensory profile of sea urchin gonads aiming the selection of premium gonads.

Wind potential estimation and proposed energy production in Southern Punjab using Weibull probability density function and surface measured data

Current work focusses on the wind potential assessment in South Punjab. Eleven locations from South Punjab have been analyzed using two-parameter Weibull model (with Energy Pattern Factor Method to estimate Weibull parameters) and five years (2014–2018) hourly wind data measured at 50 m height and collected from Pakistan Meteorological Department. Techno-economic analysis of energy production using six different turbine models was carried out with the purpose of presenting a clear picture about the importance of turbine selection at particular location. The analysis showed that Rahim Yar Khan carries the highest wind speed, highest wind power density, and wind energy density with values 4.40 ms−1, 77.2 W/m2 and 677.76 kWh/m2/year, respectively. On the other extreme, Bahawalnagar observes the least wind speed i.e. 3.60 ms−1 while Layyah observes the minimum wind power density and wind energy density as 38.96 W/m2 and 352.24 kWh/m2/year, respectively. According to National Renewable Energy Laboratory standards, wind potential ranging from 0 to 200 W/m2 is considered poor. Economic assessment was carried out to find feasibility of the location for energy harvesting. Finally, Polar diagrams drawn to show the optimum wind blowing directions shows that optimum wind direction in the region is southwest.

Evaluation of Porcine Versus Human Mesenchymal Stromal Cells From Three Distinct Donor Locations for Cytotherapy

Background: Mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC)-based cytotherapies fuel the hope for reduction of chronic systemic immunosuppression in allotransplantation, and our group has previously shown this capability for both swine and human cells. MSCs harvested from distinct anatomical locations may have different behavior and lead to different outcomes in both preclinical research and human trials. To provide an effective reference for cell therapy studies, we compared human and porcine MSCs from omental fat (O-ASC), subcutaneous fat (SC-ASC) and bone marrow (BM-MSC) under rapid culture expansion with endothelial growth medium (EGM).Methods: MSCs isolated from pigs and deceased human organ donors were compared for yield, viability, cell size, population doubling times (PDT), surface marker expression and differentiation potential after rapid expansion with EGM. Immunosuppressant toxicity on MSCs was investigated in vitro for four different standard immunosuppressive drugs. Immunomodulatory function was compared in mixed lymphocyte reaction assays (MLR) with/without immunosuppressive drug influence.Results: Human and porcine omental fat yielded significantly higher cell numbers than subcutaneous fat. Initial PDT was significantly shorter in ASCs than BM-MSCs and similar thereafter. Viability was reduced in BM-MSCs. Porcine MSCs were positive for CD29, CD44, CD90, while human MSCs expressed CD73, CD90 and CD105. All demonstrated confirmed adipogenic differentiation capacity. Cell sizes were comparable between groups and were slightly larger in human cells. Rapamycin revealed slight, mycophenolic acid strong and significant dose-dependent toxicity on viability/proliferation of almost all MSCs at therapeutic concentrations. No relevant toxicity was found for Tacrolimus and Cyclosporin A. Immunomodulatory function was dose-dependent and similar between groups. Immunosuppressants had no significant adverse effect on MSC immunomodulatory function.Discussion: MSCs from different harvest locations and donor species differ in terms of isolation yields, viability, PDT, and size. We did not detect relevant differences in immunomodulatory function with or without the presence of immunosuppressants. Human and pig O-ASC, SC-ASC and BM-MSC share similar immunomodulatory function in vitro and warrant confirmation in large animal studies. These findings should be considered in preclinical and clinical MSC applications.

ANALISIS LAMA WAKTU PANGKAL BATANG TEBU (Saccharum officinarum L.) TERTINGGAL DI LAHAN TERHADAP NILAI RENDEMEN

Sugar cane (Saccharum officinarum L) is the main commodity as raw material for sugar production. Therefore, agricultural land in Java must be able to meet the needs of sugar cane for PG. The common problem when harvesting sugar cane is the lack of cutting labor thus sugarcane felling is not carried out according to the provisions known as the land tight . As a result, the base of sugarcane stalks left long in the field. The base of the sugarcane stem is the rootstock where the yield value is high. This study on the analysis of duration of sugarcane stumps left in the land due to landless cutting is a case study conducted in the Ngadirejo PG area, Kediri Regency. In this study, the variable used is the time spent by the stump of sugarcane left in the field after cutting. Based on the observations at the location of sugarcane harvest, it can be seen that the length of sugarcane stumps remaining in the land was between 6 cm-15 cm, with an average weight of 0.07 kg - 0.3 kg. In the laboratory test, the yield value for the variable after felling was 9.85 immediately, 8.98 at 2 days after harvest, and 4.83 after 14 days. Thus it can be concluded that the longer the base of sugarcane sticks left on the ground the lower the yield value is .

Identification of variables contributing to increased vitamin D concentrations in fish and fish ingredients

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, obtained solely through the diet by companion animals. Fish ingredients, which are naturally high in vitamin D, are commonly used in commercial pet foods to provide a variety of nutrients. However, due to their inherent vitamin D levels, formulating using fish ingredients can pose a challenge when trying to control final product vitamin D concentrations. Further, levels of vitamin D in fish ingredients can be inconsistent and quite variable between species, cut, and geographical location of harvest. It is critical for pet food companies to have accurate knowledge of the vitamin D concentrations of incoming ingredients. The objectives of this study were to determine whether factors related to species source and form were associated with elevated vitamin D concentrations in fish ingredients, and to investigate if a correlation existed between vitamin D and lipid content. Data on forty-four fish ingredients, collected between 2014 to 2017 was used to assemble a dataset, and sorted based on species, tissue type, geographical location of harvest, farm status, and cooking method. Samples were analyzed for moisture, fat, protein, ash, and vitamin D concentration. There were significant differences in vitamin D levels among species of fish, year of collection, cut of fish, and farm status (P < 0.0001). Tuna was found to have greater concentrations of vitamin D compared to all other fish species (P < 0.0001). Relative to all other cuts of fish, trim was higher in vitamin D concentration (P < 0.05), while whole fish was higher in vitamin D concentration relative to racks and M/O (P < 0.001; P < 0.0013). Furthermore, farmed fish were significantly higher in vitamin D concentration relative to wild-caught fish (P < 0.0001). Last, it was found that lipid content was not correlated (ρ = 0.008; P = 0.782) with vitamin D concentrations in the present study. Obtaining accurate nutrient values for incoming ingredients allows formulators to accurately predict nutrient values of the final product, and work with confidence in developing a diet that adequately meets nutrient recommendations for companion animals.

Exploring the Potential of the Microbiome as a Marker of the Geographic Origin of Fresh Seafood.

Geographic food fraud – misrepresenting the geographic origin of a food item, is very difficult to detect, and therefore this type of fraud tends to go undetected. This potentially negatively impacts the health of Canadians and economic success of our seafood industry. Surveillance studies have shown that up to a significant portion of commercially sold seafood items in Canada are mislabeled or otherwise misrepresented in some way. The current study aimed to determine if the microbiome of fresh shellfish could be used as an accurate marker of harvest location. Total DNA was extracted from the homogenate of 25 batches of fresh soft-shell clams (Mya arenaria) harvested in 2015 and 2018 from two locations on the East Coast of Canada and the microbiome of each homogenate was characterized using 16S rRNA targeted amplicon sequencing. Clams harvested from Nova Scotia in both years had a higher abundance of Proteobacteria and Acidobacteria (p < 0.05), but a lower abundance of Actinobacteria (p < 0.05) than those from Quebec. Alpha-diversity also differed significantly between sites. Samples harvested from Nova Scotia had greater diversity (p < 0.0001) than those from Quebec. Beta-diversity analysis showed that the microbial community composition was significantly different between the samples from Nova Scotia and Quebec and indicated that 16S rRNA targeted amplicon sequencing might be an effective tool for elucidating the geographic origin of unprocessed shellfish. To evaluate if the microbiome of shellfish experiences a loss of microbial diversity during processing and storage – which would limit the ability of this technique to link retail samples to geographic origin, 10 batches of retail clams purchased from grocery stores were also examined. Microbial diversity and species richness was significantly lower in retail clams, and heavily dominated by Proteobacteria, a typical spoilage organism for fresh seafood, this may make determining the geographic origin of seafood items more difficult in retail clams than in freshly harvested clams.

Melissopalynology, antioxidant activity and multielement analysis of two types of early spring honeys from Hungary

Two types of early spring Hungarian honeys, purchased as rape (Brassica napus L.) and ramson (Allium ursinum L.) honeys were identified and characterized. The 42 samples originated from various geographical locations, harvested in two different years. The unifloral origin of rape honeys was supported using melissopalynological analysis, while the samples marketed as ramson honeys were of multifloral origin with predominantly fruit tree or rape pollen grains. Color intensity and antioxidant capacities measured with 4 methods differed in uni- and multifloral honeys, but location and year of harvest had no influence within the honey types. Correlations were observed among antioxidant capacity values and color. The analysis of elements showed that essential elements were present in higher amounts in multifloral honeys, while in rape honeys the influence of geographical origin was observed. The concentrations of several toxic elements were below the detection limit (<0.1 mg kg−1) in the samples, indicating their good quality. Microscopical pollen analysis of honeys was used effectively to confirm their botanical origin, which was the most important factor to influence all of the measured parameters. Pollen spectrum, antioxidant potential and element content of honeys all served as useful indicators of their quality. Because of the large number of samples, this multi-level study provides reliable data about two types of early spring Hungarian honeys both for producers and consumers.

GIS-based approach for rainwater harvesting site selection

The main obstacle to development in arid areas is the scarce and intermittent rainfall. Water harvesting is considered one of means to grantee the sustainability of water for use in domestic, irrigation and even industry. The current study carried out on Haqlan valley basin in western part of Iraq. The selection of suitable location for rainwater harvesting is based on different key determinates such as environment, hydrology, socio-economic, and topography as well as the estimation of the storage volume and the surface area. This study aims to identify the suitable location for rainwater harvesting using Geographical Information System (GIS) and remote sensing with multi-criteria decision techniques in the study area. Many thematic maps were extracted such as soil map, vegetation cover, land use/land cover, slope, and digital elevation model. The drainage network and the contour line map were used to suggest six sites in the study area. The result shows that the total suitable area for water harvesting was 28% of the study area, while 21% indicated moderate suitability. The proposed method is relatively supportive in analyzing geospatial data to determine and select the optimal site for rainwater harvesting and minimize evaporation losses.

Evaluating wildland fire liability standards – does regulation incentivise good management?

Fire spread on forested landscapes depends on vegetation conditions across the landscape that affect the fire arrival probability and forest stand value. Landowners can control some forest characteristics that facilitate fire spread, and when a single landowner controls the entire landscape, a rational landowner accounts for spatial interactions when making management decisions. With multiple landowners, management activity by one may impact outcomes for the others. Various liability regulations have been proposed, and some enacted, to make landowners account for these impacts by changing the incentives they face. In this paper, the effects of two different types of liability regulations are examined – strict liability and negligence standards. We incorporate spatial information into a model of land manager decision-making about the timing and spatial location of timber harvest and fuel treatment. The problem is formulated as a dynamic game and solved via multi-agent approximate dynamic programming. We found that, in some cases, liability regulation can increase expected land values for individual land ownerships and for the landscape as a whole. But in other cases, it may create perverse incentives that reduce expected land value. We also showed that regulations may increase risk for individual landowners by increasing the variability of potential outcomes.

Postharvest changes in phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity of apples cv. Jonagold growing in different locations in Europe

Apples cv. 'Jonagold' of the same quality were collected from four orchards in three European countries. The orchards differed in terms of longitude, latitude and microclimate. The apples were stored in controlled atmosphere storage for six months. Both after harvest and after storage the apples were compared in terms of physical and chemical properties. Differences in firmness, titratable acidity, total soluble solids, mass varied not >11%. Storability was little affected by harvest location. The sum of polyphenols was more strongly influenced by storage than by orchard location. The strongest degradation of flavonols after storage was in apples grown in the most southern region of harvest (Italy). The content of (+)- catechin and (−)-epicatechin depended on harvest location and its strong increase resulted in higher content of procyanidins and flavanols after storage. Changes in individual polyphenols were significant after storage and depended on harvest location.