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Berries
Kinds of Berries Terms modified by Berries Selected AbstractsIncidence, Aggressiveness and In Planta Interactions of Botrytis cinerea and other Filamentous Fungi Quiescent in Grape Berries and Dormant Buds in Central Washington StateJOURNAL OF PHYTOPATHOLOGY, Issue 7 2002F. M. Dugan Abstract Recovery of quiescent filamentous fungi from non-symptomatic grape berries and dormant buds demonstrated dominance of Alternaria, Aureobasidium, Cladosporium, Ulocladium and other dematiaceous hyphomycetes. Up to 78% of berries contained fungi prior to harvest. Botrytis cinerea was recovered from 0.2 to 0.5% of surface-disinfested berries just subsequent to fruit set, and 1.6,4.8% of surface-disinfested, over-wintered dormant buds. In laboratory inoculations of mature grape berries with strains of Alternaria, Aureobasidium, Cladosporium, Ulocladium and Botrytis, only the latter was aggressive in rotting berry fruits. Inoculations with B. cinerea alone and in combination with strains of Alternaria, Aureobasidium, Cladosporium and Ulocladium recovered from grape demonstrated that prior occupation of wound sites by the latter fungi resulted in reduced lesion size compared to inoculation with B. cinerea alone. [source] Mechanical behaviour and quality traits of highbush blueberry during postharvest storageJOURNAL OF THE SCIENCE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE, Issue 6 2009Valentina Chiabrando Abstract BACKGROUND: Berry firmness is one of the most important characteristics for fresh market consumption. Blueberry firmness is also an important attribute because it is considered to be a measure of its freshness. Berries lose their firmness by loss of water and by changes in their structure. RESULTS: The postharvest life of two highbush blueberry cultivars (Bluecrop and Coville) was investigated. Several parameters related to blueberry quality were evaluated during the postharvest storage period. To assess berry texture characteristics (firmness, hardness, cohesiveness, gumminess, chewiness, springiness, resilience), a rapid non-destructive penetrometer test by Durofel® and texture profile analysis (TPA) using a texture analyser were carried out. Low temperature inhibited the decrease of total soluble solids, total titratable acidity and increase of flesh pH value, thereby maintaining good taste quality. There was an increase in fruit firmness (Durofel index) and hardness and a decrease in chewiness and springiness during storage. CONCLUSION: There was a significant correlation among the TPA parameters and Durofel index. The Durofel index could therefore be used as a suitable indicator of fruit quality and storability, and low-temperature storage is beneficial to maintain the taste quality of blueberry fruit after harvest. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry [source] Selected bioactivities of Vaccinium berries and other fruit crops in relation to their phenolic contentsJOURNAL OF THE SCIENCE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE, Issue 12 2007Wilhelmina Kalt Abstract Antioxidant activity, urinary tract protective activity, and cardioprotective anti-platelet effects are among the bioactivities associated with dietary phenolics. These bioactivities were measured in vitro in fruit extracts from seven Vaccinium species and five non- Vaccinium species to determine their relationship to total phenolic content and to anthocyanin and proanthocyanidin content. Berries belonging to the genus Vaccinium were particularly high in antioxidant activity and urinary tract protective anti-adhesion activity, while anti-platelet activity varied among species. There was a positive relationship between antioxidant activity (using the oxygen radical absorbing capacity (ORAC) assay) and both the total phenolic (R2 = 0.76) and anthocyanin content (R2 = 0.43) of the fruit, although there was no relationship between ORAC and proanthocyanidin content. There were no relationships between anti-adhesion activity and total phenolic content, anthocyanin content, or proanthocyanidin content. Likewise, no relationships were observed between anti-platelet activity and total phenolic content, anthocyanin content, or proanthocyanidin content. These results suggest that while antioxidant properties are characteristic of all fruit phenolics, in vitro anti-adhesion and anti-platelet bioactivities may be due to less abundant phenolic subgroups. Copyright © 2007 Crown in the right of Canada and Society of Chemical Industry [source] Healthy Colours From BerriesNUTRITION BULLETIN, Issue 4 2002Article first published online: 14 SEP 200 [source] Berry size and vine water deficits as factors in winegrape composition: Anthocyanins and tanninsAUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF GRAPE AND WINE RESEARCH, Issue 2 2004GASPAR ROBY Abstract Soluble solids, seed tannin, skin tannin, and skin anthocyanin were measured in fruit from Cabernet Sauvignon vines that had experienced either High, Control or Low water status during ripening. Berries from each treatment were segregated into 6 size categories at harvest in order to test independently for relationships due to size compared with those due to water deficits. Berry content of all solutes increased approximately in proportion to the increase in berry size. Deviations from proportionality caused Brix and anthocyanin concentration (mg per unit berry fresh mass) to decrease, and the concentration of skin tannin to remain unchanged or decrease slightly with increasing berry size. The concentration of seed tannin did not decrease and appeared to increase with berry size in multiple-seeded berries. In comparison with skin tannin or anthocyanin content, seed tannin content varied more with berry size and less with vine water status. In addition to decreasing berry size, water deficits increased the amount of skin tannin and anthocyanin per berry and the concentrations of skin tannin and anthocyanins, but did not significantly affect the content or concentration of seed tannin. The results show that there are effects of vine water status on fruit composition that arise independently of the resultant differences in fruit size. The effect of vine water status on the concentration of skin tannin and anthocyanin was greater than the effect of fruit size on those same variables. However, the increases in skin tannin and anthocyanin that accompanied water deficits appear to result more from differential growth sensitivity of inner mesocarp and exocarp than direct effects on phenolic biosynthesis. [source] The canopy conductance of a boreal aspen forest, Prince Albert National Park, CanadaHYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 9 2004P. D. Blanken Abstract Annual fluxes of canopy-level heat, water vapour and carbon dioxide were measured using eddy covariance both above the aspen overstory (Populus tremuloides Michx.) and hazelnut understory (Corylus cornuta Marsh.) of a boreal aspen forest (53·629 °N 106·200 °W). Partitioning of the fluxes between overstory and understory components allowed the calculation of canopy conductance to water vapour for both species. On a seasonal basis, the canopy conductance of the aspen accounted for 70% of the surface conductance, with the latter a strong function of the forest's leaf area index. On a half-hour basis, the canopy conductance of both species decreased non-linearly as the leaf-surface saturation deficits increased, and was best parameterized and showed similar sensitivities to a modified form of the Ball,Berry,Woodrow index, where relative humidity was replaced with the reciprocal of the saturation deficit. The negative feedback between the forest evaporation and the saturation deficit in the convective boundary layer varied from weak when the forest was at full leaf to strong when the forest was developing or loosing leaves. The coupling between the air at the leaf surface and the convective boundary layer also varied seasonally, with coupling decreasing with increasing leaf area. Compared with coniferous boreal forests, the seasonal changes in leaf area had a unique impact on vegetation,atmosphere interactions. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] "Where Are They Going?": Immigrant Inclusion in the Czech Republic (A Case Study on Ukrainians, Vietnamese, and Armenians in Prague),INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION, Issue 2 2007an Drbohlav ABSTRACT This paper is based on research conducted by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Office in Prague and the Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague in the fall and winter of 2003-2004. Within the questionnaire survey, 126 first-generation immigrants in Prague (51 Ukrainians, 45 Vietnamese, and 30 Armenians) were successfully contacted via a non-probability sampling method. The main goals of the research were to ascertain what mode of inclusion into Czech society the immigrant groups practiced and to determine their satisfaction level with their new lives. Special attention was paid to finding out important factors that stand behind both the common features and particular patterns of behaviour. Our approach is an attempt to analyse the issue via quantitative statistics (Chi-square Test, the AnswerTree Method). Berry's (1992) acculturation strategies model and Portes and Zhou's (e.g. 2000) segmented assimilation model serve as reference points while discussing conceptual matters. The results indicate that the immigrants' inclusion in Czech society in Prague has developed into specific modes: Ukrainians are typical of their specific transnationalization patterns, Vietnamese represent a "well-off" but separated and segregated community, and Armenians practice a clear assimilation strategy, while approaching the mainstream in terms of socio-economic status. Based on various indications, it seems that successful inclusion in Czech society is connected to the assimilation mode. In sum, the immigrants most satisfied with their quality of life are those for whom it is not important to live close to their compatriots and those whose knowledge of the spoken Czech language is above average. The lowest satisfaction score is tied to those immigrants who prefer to live close to their compatriots, those with university education, and those with a low income. Good knowledge of the Czech language seems to be a gateway to immigrants' satisfaction. Cette étude s'appuie sur un travail de recherche mené par le bureau de Prague de l'Organisation internationale pour les migrations (OIM) et la faculté des sciences de l'Université Charles à Prague, au cours de l'automne et de l'hiver 2003-2004. Dans le cadre de l'enquête-questionnaire, 126 immigrants de la première génération se trouvant à Prague (51 Ukrainiens, 45 Vietnamiens et 30 Arméniens) ont répondu grâce à une méthode procédant par sondage non aléatoire. Les buts principaux de cette recherche consistaient à vérifier à quels moyens avaient eu recours les groupes d'immigrants pour s'insérer dans la société tchèque et à déterminer dans quelle mesure ils s'estimaient satisfaits de leur nouvelle vie. Une attention particulière a été accordée à la recherche des facteurs importants ayant contribuéà fixer à la fois les caractéristiques communes et les particularités en matière de comportement. L'auteur s'est efforcé d'analy-ser la question à l'aide des statistiques quantitatives (test Chi carré, méthode AnswerTree). Le modèle des stratégies d'acculturation de Berry (1992) et le modèle d'assimilation segmentée de Portes et Zhou (par exemple 2000) servent de points de référence dans l'examen de questions conceptuelles. Les résultats montrent que l'incorporation des immigrants dans la société tchèque, a Prague, s'est traduite de différentes façons. Les Ukrainiens correspondent aux schémas spécifiques de transnationalisation qui leur sontpropres; les Vietnamiens constituent une communauté« prospère » mais se tenant à l'écart des autres; et les Arméniens pratiquent une stratégie évidente d'assimilation, tout en se rapprochant du courant central sur le plan du statut socio-économique. Sur la base de différentes indications, il semble que l'incorporation réussie dans la société tchèque soit liée au mode d'assimilation. Pour résumer, les immigrés les plus satisfaits de leur qualité de vie sont ceux pour qui il n'est pas important de vivre auprès de leurs compatriotes et ceux dont les connaissances de la langue tchèque parlée sont audessus de la moyenne. Le niveau de satisfaction le plus bas est celui des immigrés qui préfèrent rester en contact étroit avec leur compatriotes, ceux quijouissent d'une éducation de niveau universitaire et ceux dont le revenu se situe dans une tranche basse. Une bonne connaissance de la langue tchèque semble être la clé de la satisfaction des immigrés. Este artículo se basa en un estudio realizado por la Oficina de la Organización Internacional para las Migraciones (OIM) en Praga y la Facultad de Ciencias de la Universidad Charles de Praga, durante el último trimestre de 2003 y el primer trimestre de 2004. Recurriendo al cuestionario y al método de muestreo improbable se encuestó a 126 inmigrantes de primera generación en Praga (51 ucranios, 45 vietnamitas y 30 armenios). Los objetivos principales del estudio fueron determinar los modos de inserción de los grupos de inmigrantes en la sociedad checa y su nivel de satisfacción con relación a sus nuevas vidas. Se concedió particular atención a otros importantes factores subyacentes, a saber, las características comunes y los patrones particulares de comportamiento. En este artículo se analiza la cuestión mediante: estadísticas cuantitativas (la prueba de Chi-square, el método del Árbol de Respuestas); el modelo de estrategias de aculturación de Berry (1992); y el modelo de asimilación segmentada de Portes y Zhou (2000) que sirvieron de referencia a la hora de debatir cuestiones conceptuales. Los resultados apuntan a que la inserción de los inmigrantes en la sociedad checa, concretamente en Praga, se ha desarrollado según patrones específicos: los ucranios recurren a patrones típicos de transnacionalización, los vietnamitas son unacomunidad "acomodada" pero que se halla separaday segregada, mientras que los armenios utilizan un patrón claro de inserción, al tiempo que intentan incorporarse a la corriente principal en lo que atañe a su estatus socioeconómico. Sobre la base de diversas indicaciones, parece que una asimilación acertada en la sociedad checa depende del modo de inserción. En otras palabras, los inmigrantes más satisfechos con su calidad de vida son aquellos que no consideran importante vivir cerca de sus compatriotas y cuyos conocimientos del checo hablado superan la media. El índice más bajo de satisfacción se observa en los inmigrantes que prefieren vivir cerca de sus compatriotas, realizaron estudios universitarios y perciben bajos ingresos. Por lo visto, el buen conocimiento del idioma checo es la clave en la satisfacción de los inmigrantes. [source] Redistributive Land Reform: No April Rose.JOURNAL OF AGRARIAN CHANGE, Issue 1-2 2004Cline, GKI on the Inverse Relationship, The Poverty of Berry At the theoretical heart of the Griffin, Khan and Ickowitz (GKI) case for redistributive land reform (,a many-splendoured thing') lies the highly influential study by Albert Berry and William Cline, Agrarian Structure and Productivity in Developing Countries, published for the ILO in 1979. That study is regarded by many as the definitive work on the inverse relationship between farm size and land productivity. This paper subjects Berry and Cline, and by extension GKI, to critical scrutiny with respect to their policy implications, theoretical framework and empirical evidence. It also provides an alternative class-theoretic approach to understanding the inverse relationship which undermines the use of the latter as the central rationale for redistributive land reform. If the approach of Berry and Cline can be shown to be theoretically, methodologically and empirically flawed, then perforce the argument and policy recommendations of GKI, who replicate that approach, can be shown to be fundamentally defective. [source] Personality and Dutch Emigrants' Reactions to Acculturation StrategiesJOURNAL OF APPLIED SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 12 2006Winny Bakker This experimental questionnaire study examined individual differences in affective and normative reactions to acculturation strategies. A sample of 265 Dutch emigrants with a dual cultural background read scenarios describing the experiences of an emigrant. Eight (4 × 2) different scenario versions were developed, each referring to 1 of 4 acculturation strategies (Berry, 1997) and representing either the Frisian or the Dutch native culture. Participants reacted most positively to the integration strategy. There were no differences in reactions to Frisian or Dutch original culture. With respect to the influence of personality, as measured with the Multicultural Personality Questionnaire (van der Zee & van Oudenhoven, 2000), individuals high in flexibility responded more positively to the assimilation strategy than did individuals who scored low on this dimension. [source] Demand for differentiated milk products: implications for price competitionAGRIBUSINESS : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL, Issue 4 2009Elena Lopez The authors apply the Berry, Levinsohn, and Pakes (1995) model to scan data from Boston supermarkets augmented with consumer characteristics data to analyze consumer choices and price competition in a differentiated fluid milk market. Milk characteristics include price, fat content, brand name, and the organic and/or lactose-free nature of the product. Empirical results show that consumer valuation of fat decreases with income, but increases with the number of children. Low-fat and specialty milks, such as organic and lactose-free milks, are preferred by high-income consumers with no children. Although all milks are price elastic at the individual brand level, the cross-price elasticities are quite low and negligible for specialty milks. Based on calculated Lerner indexes, private label milks have the highest percent markups despite their lower prices, whereas specialty milks have the lowest markups despite their higher prices, which attests to a greater degree of market power for conventional and particularly for private label milk. [JEL Classification: D12, D40, L11, L81]. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Management Lessons From Mayo Clinic: Inside One of the World's Most Admired Service Organizations by Leonard L. Berry and Kent D. SeltmanPERSONNEL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 2 2009Article first published online: 12 MAY 200 First page of article [source] Photosynthetic parameters of birch (Betula pendula Roth) leaves growing in normal and in CO2 - and O3 - enriched atmospheresPLANT CELL & ENVIRONMENT, Issue 4 2004H. EICHELMANN ABSTRACT Two silver birch (Betula pendula Roth) clones K1659 and V5952 were grown in open-top chambers over 3 years (age 7,9 years). The treatments were increased CO2 concentration (+CO2, 72 Pa), increased O3 concentration (+O3, 2 × ambient O3 with seasonal AOT40 up to 28 p.p.m. h) and in combination (+CO2 + O3). Thirty-seven photosynthetic parameters were measured in the laboratory immediately after excising leaves using a computer-operated routine of gas exchange and optical measurements. In control leaves the photosynthetic parameters were close to the values widely used in a model (Farquhar, von Caemmerer and Berry, Planta 149, 78,90, 1980). The distribution of chlorophyll between photosystem II and photosystem I, intrinsic quantum yield of electron transport, uncoupled turnover rate of Cyt b6f, Rubisco specificity and Km (CO2) were not influenced by treatments. Net photosynthetic rate responded to +CO2 with a mean increase of 17% in both clones. Dry weight of leaves increased, whereas protein, especially Rubisco content and the related photosynthetic parameters decreased. Averaged over 3 years, eight and 17 mechanistically independent parameters were significantly influenced by the elevated CO2 in clones K1659 and V5952, respectively. The elevated O3 caused a significant decrease in the average photosynthetic rate of clone V5952, but not of clone K1659. The treatment caused changes in one parameter of clone K1659 and in 11 parameters of clone V5952. Results of the combined treatment indicated that +O3 had less effect in the presence of +CO2 than alone. Interestingly, changes in the same photosynthetic parameters were observed in chamberless grown trees of clone V5952 as under +O3 treatment in chambers, but this was not observed for clone K1659. These results suggest that during chronic fumigation, at concentrations below the threshold of visible leaf injuries, ozone influenced the photosynthetic parameters as a general stress factor, in a similar manner to weather conditions that were more stressful outside the chambers. According to this hypothesis, the sensitivity of a species or a clone to ozone is expected to depend on the growth conditions: the plant is less sensitive to ozone if the conditions are close to optimal and it is more sensitive to ozone under conditions of stress. [source] On the need to incorporate sensitivity to CO2 transfer conductance into the Farquhar,von Caemmerer,Berry leaf photosynthesis modelPLANT CELL & ENVIRONMENT, Issue 2 2004G. J. ETHIER ABSTRACT Virtually all current estimates of the maximum carboxylation rate (Vcmax) of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) and the maximum electron transport rate (Jmax) for C3 species implicitly assume an infinite CO2 transfer conductance (gi). And yet, most measurements in perennial plant species or in ageing or stressed leaves show that gi imposes a significant limitation on photosynthesis. Herein, we demonstrate that many current parameterizations of the photosynthesis model of Farquhar, von Caemmerer & Berry (Planta 149, 78,90, 1980) based on the leaf intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci) are incorrect for leaves where gi limits photosynthesis. We show how conventional A,Ci curve (net CO2 assimilation rate of a leaf ,An, as a function of Ci) fitting methods which rely on a rectangular hyperbola model under the assumption of infinite gi can significantly underestimate Vcmax for such leaves. Alternative parameterizations of the conventional method based on a single, apparent Michaelis,Menten constant for CO2 evaluated at Ci[Km(CO2)i] used for all C3 plants are also not acceptable since the relationship between Vcmax and gi is not conserved among species. We present an alternative A,Ci curve fitting method that accounts for gi through a non-rectangular hyperbola version of the model of Farquhar et al. (1980). Simulated and real examples are used to demonstrate how this new approach eliminates the errors of the conventional A,Ci curve fitting method and provides Vcmax estimates that are virtually insensitive to gi. Finally, we show how the new A,Ci curve fitting method can be used to estimate the value of the kinetic constants of Rubisco in vivo is presented [source] Parameterization of the CO2 and H2O gas exchange of several temperate deciduous broad-leaved trees at the leaf scale considering seasonal changesPLANT CELL & ENVIRONMENT, Issue 2 2003Y. KOSUGI ABSTRACT A combined model to simulate CO2 and H2O gas exchange at the leaf scale was parameterized using data obtained from in situ leaf-scale observations of diurnal and seasonal changes in the CO2 and H2O gas exchange of four temperate deciduous broad-leaved trees using a porometric method. The model consists of a Ball et al. type stomatal conductance submodel [Ball, Woodrow & Berry, pp. 221,224 in Progress in Photosynthesis Research (ed. I. Biggins), Martinus-Nijhoff Publishers, Dordrecht, The Netherlands, 1987] and a Farquhar et al. type biochemical submodel of photosynthesis (Farquhar, von Caemmerer & Berry, Planta 149, 78,90, 1980). In these submodels, several parameters were optimized for each tree species as representative of the quantitative characteristics related to gas exchange. The results show that the seasonal physiological changes of Vcmax25 in the biochemical model of photosynthesis should be used to estimate the long-term CO2 gas exchange. For Rd25 in the biochemical model of photosynthesis and m in the Ball et al. type stomatal conductance model, the difference should be counted during the leaf expansion period. [source] The Ball,Berry,Leuning and Tardieu,Davies stomatal models: synthesis and extension within a spatially aggregated picture of guard cell functionPLANT CELL & ENVIRONMENT, Issue 11 2002R. C. Dewar Abstract A new model of stomatal conductance is proposed which combines the essential features of the Ball,Berry,Leuning (BBL) and Tardieu,Davies (TD) models within a simple spatially aggregated picture of guard cell function. The model thus provides a coherent description of stomatal responses to both air and soil environments. The model also presents some novel features not included in either the BBL or TD models: stomatal sensing of intercellular (rather than leaf surface) CO2 concentration; an explanation of all three observed regimes (A, B and C) of the stomatal response to air humidity (Monteith Plant, Cell and Environment 18, 357,364, 1995); incorporation of xylem embolism; and maintenance of hydraulic homeostasis by combined hydraulic and chemical signalling in leaves (in which leaf epidermal hydraulic conductivity plays a key role). Significantly, maintenance of hydraulic homeostasis in the model does not require a direct feedback signal from xylem embolism, the predicted minimum leaf water potential being independent of xylem hydraulic conductivity. It is suggested that stomatal regulation through combined hydraulic and chemical signalling in leaves and/or roots provides a general mechanism enabling plants to maintain their water potentials above a minimum value. Natural selection of the key stomatal parameters would then set the minimum potential to a specific value determined by the most vulnerable plant process under water stress (e.g. cell growth, protein synthesis or xylem cavitation), depending on species and growth conditions. [source] E-scapes: The electronic physical environment and service tangibilityPSYCHOLOGY & MARKETING, Issue 2 2003Stephen K. Koernig Tangible cues in a firm's physical environment play an important role in affecting consumer attitudes and behavior (Baker, Berry, & Parasuraman, 1988; Bitner, 1990, 1992; Darden & Babin, 1994; Donovan & Rossiter, 1982; Zeithaml, 1981). The physical environment has typically been conceptualized as in-store variables such as lighting, music, color, smell, and store layout, but the Internet has created a new type of electronic physical environment, the e-scape, based in cyberspace. This research investigates the role of tangibility in maximizing the effectiveness of an e-scape for service firms. The effectiveness of the Berry and Clark (1986) documentation, physical representation, and association strategies is explored by empirically examining the impact of Web sites employing these strategies on attitudinal and behavioral measures. The results suggest that the documentation strategy is effective for increasing the tangibility of services and elicits more positive evaluations of the service and the Web site, higher unaided recall, and higher loyalty. The results also indicate that the physical representation strategy is more effective than the association strategy in certain conditions. The mechanism driving these effects is described and managerial implications are discussed. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Environmental Stewardship: Critical Perspectives,Past and Present , Edited by Robert James BerryRELIGIOUS STUDIES REVIEW, Issue 3 2007Daniel McFee No abstract is available for this article. [source] Beauty Bias: Discrimination and Social Power by Bonnie BerryTHE JOURNAL OF AMERICAN CULTURE, Issue 1 2008Ray B. Browne No abstract is available for this article. [source] Berry phase of two atoms in the same quantized light fieldANNALEN DER PHYSIK, Issue 5-6 2007M.-L. Liang Abstract The Berry phase of two atoms exposed to the same quantized light field has been studied. The interaction between each atom and the light field obeys the Jaynes-Cummings model. Due to the quantization of the light field, the interaction Hamiltonians for the two atoms interacting with the field do not commute with each other, which induces new parts in the Berry phase. Meanwhile, there appears a phase which doesn't exist in the classical regime and is purely induced by the field quantization. [source] ,For Our Devotion and Pleasure': The Sexual Objects of Jean, Duc de BerryART HISTORY, Issue 2 2001Michael Camille Jean, Duc de Berry (1340,1416), often seen as the first great ,collector' in Western art, is also described by some historians as a ,homosexual'. This article examines the relationship between these two terms and the problematic historical evidence for the latter claim, exploring the duke's desire for things, images and bodies in less categorical terms. The main argument is that we can best understand Jean's sexual tastes from the artworks he commissioned and in which we know from contemporary accounts he took great personal delight. Reinterpretations are provided of some well-known images, such as the January page of the unfinished Trés Riches Heures (1416), where the patron is pictured at the centre of a ,homosocial' feast for the eyes. This manuscript, along with the marginal decoration of his Grandes Heures, suggests his enjoyment of beautiful youthful bodies in general and of androgyny in particular. However, this has to be viewed within the very different gender system of the late fourteenth century in which women, youths and children were literally objects of male control. Only in this sense can we begin to understand how the duke's love of things intersected with his political position and power more generally. Rather than see his collecting in all its polymorphous perversity as a symptom of personal trauma, I want to view it as a socially creative and recuperative act that was part of the performance of a ruthless man of power. [source] Structure at 1.5,Å resolution of cytochrome c552 with its flexible linker segment, a membrane-anchored protein from Paracoccus denitrificansACTA CRYSTALLOGRAPHICA SECTION D, Issue 7 2010Chitra Rajendran Electron transfer (ET) between the large membrane-integral redox complexes in the terminal part of the respiratory chain is mediated either by a soluble c -type cytochrome, as in mitochondria, or by a membrane-anchored cytochrome c, as described for the ET chain of the bacterium Paracoccus denitrificans. Here, the structure of cytochrome c552 from P. denitrificans with the linker segment that attaches the globular domain to the membrane anchor is presented. Cytochrome c552 including the linker segment was crystallized and its structure was determined by molecular replacement. The structural features provide functionally important information. The prediction of the flexibility of the linker region [Berry & Trumpower (1985), J. Biol. Chem.260, 2458,2467] was confirmed by our crystal structure. The N-terminal region from residues 13 to 31 is characterized by poor electron density, which is compatible with high mobility of this region. This result indicates that this region is highly flexible, which is functionally important for this protein to shuttle electrons between complexes III and IV in the respiratory chain. Zinc present in the crystallization buffer played a key role in the successful crystallization of this protein. It provided rigidity to the long negatively charged flexible loop by coordinating negatively charged residues from two different molecules and by enhancing the crystal contacts. [source] Herbizide , Neue Wirkstoffe gegen die Malaria?BIOLOGIE IN UNSERER ZEIT (BIUZ), Issue 4 2007Article first published online: 30 JUL 200 Die Tropenkrankheit Malaria gehört zu den zehn häufigsten Todesursachen weltweit. Unser Titelbild zeigt Merozoiten , die Vermehrungsform des einzelligen Malaria-Erregers Plasmodium , die gerade rote Blutkörperchen eines Menschen infizieren. Möglicherweise kann man mit Herbiziden gegen den Parasiten vorgehen. Mehr dazu lesen Sie in dem Artikel, der auf Seite 228 beginnt. Bild: Drew Berry, The Walter und Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Australien. [source] "Where Are They Going?": Immigrant Inclusion in the Czech Republic (A Case Study on Ukrainians, Vietnamese, and Armenians in Prague),INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION, Issue 2 2007an Drbohlav ABSTRACT This paper is based on research conducted by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Office in Prague and the Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague in the fall and winter of 2003-2004. Within the questionnaire survey, 126 first-generation immigrants in Prague (51 Ukrainians, 45 Vietnamese, and 30 Armenians) were successfully contacted via a non-probability sampling method. The main goals of the research were to ascertain what mode of inclusion into Czech society the immigrant groups practiced and to determine their satisfaction level with their new lives. Special attention was paid to finding out important factors that stand behind both the common features and particular patterns of behaviour. Our approach is an attempt to analyse the issue via quantitative statistics (Chi-square Test, the AnswerTree Method). Berry's (1992) acculturation strategies model and Portes and Zhou's (e.g. 2000) segmented assimilation model serve as reference points while discussing conceptual matters. The results indicate that the immigrants' inclusion in Czech society in Prague has developed into specific modes: Ukrainians are typical of their specific transnationalization patterns, Vietnamese represent a "well-off" but separated and segregated community, and Armenians practice a clear assimilation strategy, while approaching the mainstream in terms of socio-economic status. Based on various indications, it seems that successful inclusion in Czech society is connected to the assimilation mode. In sum, the immigrants most satisfied with their quality of life are those for whom it is not important to live close to their compatriots and those whose knowledge of the spoken Czech language is above average. The lowest satisfaction score is tied to those immigrants who prefer to live close to their compatriots, those with university education, and those with a low income. Good knowledge of the Czech language seems to be a gateway to immigrants' satisfaction. Cette étude s'appuie sur un travail de recherche mené par le bureau de Prague de l'Organisation internationale pour les migrations (OIM) et la faculté des sciences de l'Université Charles à Prague, au cours de l'automne et de l'hiver 2003-2004. Dans le cadre de l'enquête-questionnaire, 126 immigrants de la première génération se trouvant à Prague (51 Ukrainiens, 45 Vietnamiens et 30 Arméniens) ont répondu grâce à une méthode procédant par sondage non aléatoire. Les buts principaux de cette recherche consistaient à vérifier à quels moyens avaient eu recours les groupes d'immigrants pour s'insérer dans la société tchèque et à déterminer dans quelle mesure ils s'estimaient satisfaits de leur nouvelle vie. Une attention particulière a été accordée à la recherche des facteurs importants ayant contribuéà fixer à la fois les caractéristiques communes et les particularités en matière de comportement. L'auteur s'est efforcé d'analy-ser la question à l'aide des statistiques quantitatives (test Chi carré, méthode AnswerTree). Le modèle des stratégies d'acculturation de Berry (1992) et le modèle d'assimilation segmentée de Portes et Zhou (par exemple 2000) servent de points de référence dans l'examen de questions conceptuelles. Les résultats montrent que l'incorporation des immigrants dans la société tchèque, a Prague, s'est traduite de différentes façons. Les Ukrainiens correspondent aux schémas spécifiques de transnationalisation qui leur sontpropres; les Vietnamiens constituent une communauté« prospère » mais se tenant à l'écart des autres; et les Arméniens pratiquent une stratégie évidente d'assimilation, tout en se rapprochant du courant central sur le plan du statut socio-économique. Sur la base de différentes indications, il semble que l'incorporation réussie dans la société tchèque soit liée au mode d'assimilation. Pour résumer, les immigrés les plus satisfaits de leur qualité de vie sont ceux pour qui il n'est pas important de vivre auprès de leurs compatriotes et ceux dont les connaissances de la langue tchèque parlée sont audessus de la moyenne. Le niveau de satisfaction le plus bas est celui des immigrés qui préfèrent rester en contact étroit avec leur compatriotes, ceux quijouissent d'une éducation de niveau universitaire et ceux dont le revenu se situe dans une tranche basse. Une bonne connaissance de la langue tchèque semble être la clé de la satisfaction des immigrés. Este artículo se basa en un estudio realizado por la Oficina de la Organización Internacional para las Migraciones (OIM) en Praga y la Facultad de Ciencias de la Universidad Charles de Praga, durante el último trimestre de 2003 y el primer trimestre de 2004. Recurriendo al cuestionario y al método de muestreo improbable se encuestó a 126 inmigrantes de primera generación en Praga (51 ucranios, 45 vietnamitas y 30 armenios). Los objetivos principales del estudio fueron determinar los modos de inserción de los grupos de inmigrantes en la sociedad checa y su nivel de satisfacción con relación a sus nuevas vidas. Se concedió particular atención a otros importantes factores subyacentes, a saber, las características comunes y los patrones particulares de comportamiento. En este artículo se analiza la cuestión mediante: estadísticas cuantitativas (la prueba de Chi-square, el método del Árbol de Respuestas); el modelo de estrategias de aculturación de Berry (1992); y el modelo de asimilación segmentada de Portes y Zhou (2000) que sirvieron de referencia a la hora de debatir cuestiones conceptuales. Los resultados apuntan a que la inserción de los inmigrantes en la sociedad checa, concretamente en Praga, se ha desarrollado según patrones específicos: los ucranios recurren a patrones típicos de transnacionalización, los vietnamitas son unacomunidad "acomodada" pero que se halla separaday segregada, mientras que los armenios utilizan un patrón claro de inserción, al tiempo que intentan incorporarse a la corriente principal en lo que atañe a su estatus socioeconómico. Sobre la base de diversas indicaciones, parece que una asimilación acertada en la sociedad checa depende del modo de inserción. En otras palabras, los inmigrantes más satisfechos con su calidad de vida son aquellos que no consideran importante vivir cerca de sus compatriotas y cuyos conocimientos del checo hablado superan la media. El índice más bajo de satisfacción se observa en los inmigrantes que prefieren vivir cerca de sus compatriotas, realizaron estudios universitarios y perciben bajos ingresos. Por lo visto, el buen conocimiento del idioma checo es la clave en la satisfacción de los inmigrantes. [source] Pollinator genetics and pollination: do honey bee colonies selected for pollen-hoarding field better pollinators of cranberry Vaccinium macrocarpon?ECOLOGICAL ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 2 2001James H. Cane Summary 1. Genetic polymorphisms of flowering plants can influence pollinator foraging but it is not known whether heritable foraging polymorphisms of pollinators influence their pollination efficacies. Honey bees Apis mellifera L. visit cranberry flowers for nectar but rarely for pollen when alternative preferred flowers grow nearby. 2. Cranberry flowers visited once by pollen-foraging honey bees received four-fold more stigmatic pollen than flowers visited by mere nectar-foragers (excluding nectar thieves). Manual greenhouse pollinations with fixed numbers of pollen tetrads (0, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32) achieved maximal fruit set with just eight pollen tetrads. Pollen-foraging honey bees yielded a calculated 63% more berries than equal numbers of non-thieving nectar-foragers, even though both classes of forager made stigmatic contact. 3. Colonies headed by queens of a pollen-hoarding genotype fielded significantly more pollen-foraging trips than standard commercial genotypes, as did hives fitted with permanently engaged pollen traps or colonies containing more larvae. Pollen-hoarding colonies together brought back twice as many cranberry pollen loads as control colonies, which was marginally significant despite marked daily variation in the proportion of collected pollen that was cranberry. 4. Caloric supplementation of matched, paired colonies failed to enhance pollen foraging despite the meagre nectar yields of individual cranberry flowers. 5. Heritable behavioural polymorphisms of the honey bee, such as pollen-hoarding, can enhance fruit and seed set by a floral host (e.g. cranberry), but only if more preferred pollen hosts are absent or rare. Otherwise, honey bees' broad polylecty, flight range, and daily idiosyncrasies in floral fidelity will obscure specific pollen-foraging differences at a given floral host, even among paired colonies in a seemingly uniform agricultural setting. [source] Characteristics of strawberry plants propagated by in vitro bioreactor culture and ex vitro propagation methodENGINEERING IN LIFE SCIENCES (ELECTRONIC), Issue 3 2009Samir C. Debnath Abstract Reproducible protocol for regeneration of complete plantlets from ,Bounty' strawberry (Fragaria ananassa Duch.), using a combination of gelled medium and bioreactor system, has been standardized. Sepals, leaf discs, and petiole halves produced multiple buds and shoots when cultured on semi solid-gelled medium containing 4 ,M thidiazuron (TDZ) for 4 wk followed by transferring in liquid medium containing 2,,M TDZ in a bioreactor system and cultured for another 4 wk. TDZ induced shoot proliferation at 0.1,,M in the bioreactor system but inhibited shoot elongation. TDZ-induced shoots were elongated and rooted in vitro on gelled medium containing 2,,M zeatin. Such bioreactor-derived tissue culture (BC) plantlets obtained from sepal explants were grown ex vitro and compared with those propagated by tissue culture on gelled medium (GC) and by conventional runner cuttings (RC), for growth, morphology, anthocyanin content, and antioxidant activity after three growth seasons. The BC and GC plants produced more crowns, runners, leaves, and berries than the RC plants although berry weight per plant did not differ significantly. BC and GC plants produced berries with more anthocyanin contents and antioxidant activities than those produced by the RC plants. However, intersimple sequence repeat (ISSR) marker assay produced a homogenous amplification profile in the tissue culture and donor control plants confirming the clonal fidelity of micropropagated plants. In vitro culture on TDZ and zeatin-containing nutrient media apparently induced the juvenile branching characteristics that favored enhanced vegetative growth with more crown, runners, leaf, and berry production. [source] Fruit Colour Preferences of Redwings (Turdus iliacus): Experiments with Hand-Raised Juveniles and Wild-Caught AdultsETHOLOGY, Issue 6 2004Johanna Honkavaara Certain fruit colours and their contrast with the background coloration are suggested to attract frugivorous birds. To test the attractiveness of different colours, we performed three experiments in laboratory with controlled light conditions. In the first two experiments, we studied the fruit colour preferences of naive juvenile redwings. In the third experiment, we continued to investigate whether the contrast of the fruit colour with the background coloration affects the preference of both naive juveniles and experienced adult redwings. In the first experiment, juvenile birds preferred black, UV-blue and red berries, to white ones. In pairwise trials, a new set of juveniles still preferred red berries to white ones. When testing the effect of contrasts on their choice, juveniles preferred UV-blue berries to red ones on a UV-blue background. However, no preference was found, when the background was either red or green. Adult redwings preferred UV-blue berries to red ones on all backgrounds. According to these results, juveniles seem to have an innate avoidance of white berries. Furthermore, the foraging decisions of fruit-eating birds are affected more by fruit colour than its contrast with background coloration, at least when contrasting displays are encountered from relatively short distances. Differences in preferences of adult and juvenile birds also indicate that learning seems to play a role in fruit choices. [source] Asparagus khorasanensis (Asparagaceae), a new species from IranFEDDES REPERTORIUM, Issue 7-8 2009S. M. M. Hamdi Asparagus khorasanensis is described as a new species from Khorasan province. This species belongs to the section Asparagus. The new species is compared with its closest relative Asparagus breslerianus Schult. (1830). This species is similar to Asparagus breslerianus Schult. (1830) in having unequal cladodes, height stems, scale leaves. Asparagus khorasanensis differs from A. breslerianus in having a higher cladod number (2,4 vs. 1,3), a higher cladod diameter (1.5,2 vs. 1,1.5 mm), longer internodes (5,15 vs. 15,20 mm), longer scale like leaves (2,2.5 vs. 0.5,0.7 mm), one flowers at base of branches vs. two flowers, longer anther (3,4 vs. 1.7,2 mm), bigger berries (7,8 vs. 5,5.5 mm), longer surface of periclinal cell wall (32,48 (,50) × 12,2,(,23) vs. 12,36 (,40) × 12,18(,20) µm), surface of periclinal cell wall is convex vs. surface of periclinal cell wall is concave and shape of surface cells of seed. (© 2009 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source] Metabolic engineering of Saccharomyces cerevisiae for the synthesis of the wine-related antioxidant resveratrolFEMS YEAST RESEARCH, Issue 1 2003John V.W. Becker Abstract The stilbene resveratrol is a stress metabolite produced by Vitis vinifera grapevines during fungal infection, wounding or UV radiation. Resveratrol is synthesised particularly in the skins of grape berries and only trace amounts are present in the fruit flesh. Red wine contains a much higher resveratrol concentration than white wine, due to skin contact during fermentation. Apart from its antifungal characteristics, resveratrol has also been shown to have cancer chemopreventive activity and to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. It acts as an antioxidant and anti-mutagen and has the ability to induce specific enzymes that metabolise carcinogenic substances. The objective of this pilot study was to investigate the feasibility of developing wine yeasts with the ability to produce resveratrol during fermentation in both red and white wines, thereby increasing the wholesomeness of the product. To achieve this goal, the phenylpropanoid pathway in Saccharomyces cerevisiae would have to be introduced to produce p -coumaroyl-CoA, one of the substrates required for resveratrol synthesis. The other substrate for resveratrol synthase, malonyl-CoA, is already found in yeast and is involved in de novo fatty-acid biosynthesis. We hypothesised that production of p -coumaroyl-CoA and resveratrol can be achieved by co-expressing the coenzyme-A ligase-encoding gene (4CL216) from a hybrid poplar and the grapevine resveratrol synthase gene (vst1) in laboratory strains of S. cerevisiae. This yeast has the ability to metabolise p -coumaric acid, a substance already present in grape must. This compound was therefore added to the synthetic media used for the growth of laboratory cultures. Transformants expressing both the 4CL216 and vst1 genes were obtained and tested for production of resveratrol. Following ,-glucosidase treatment of organic extracts for removal of glucose moieties that are typically bound to resveratrol, the results showed that the yeast transformants had produced the resveratrol ,-glucoside, piceid. This is the first report of the reconstruction of a biochemical pathway in a heterologous host to produce resveratrol. [source] Secretory elements of needles and berries of Juniperus communis L. ssp. communis and its volatile constituentsFLAVOUR AND FRAGRANCE JOURNAL, Issue 5 2003F. Shahmir Abstract The structure of the secretory elements and the essential oils of the needles and berries of Juniperus communis L. ssp. communis growing in north Iran were studied. The needles, which contain ducts and transfusion tissue, act as conduction structures, and the berries containing elongate tubercles which act as reservoirs of volatile oils. The essential oils, isolated by hydrodistillation, were analysed by GC,MS. The oil contained 41 and 27 components in the needles and berries, respectively. The needle oil consisted mainly of sabinene (40.7%), , -pinene (12.5%) and terpinen-4-ol (12.3%) and the berry oil included sabinene (36.8%), , -pinene (20%), limonene (10.6%), germacrene D (8.2%) and myrcene (4.8%) as the main components. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Extraction and isolation of Pistacia lentiscus L. essential oil by supercritical CO2FLAVOUR AND FRAGRANCE JOURNAL, Issue 4 2002Raffaele Congiu Abstract Supercritical CO2 extraction coupled to a fractional separation technique (SFE) was used to isolate essential oil from the leaves and berries of Pistacia lentiscus L. The technique adopted allowed us to separate the volatile oil from waxes. In the case of the leaf essential oil, the yield was 0.45% by weight of the charged material. The chemical composition of the oil, determined by GC,MS analysis, revealed the presence of ,-caryophyllene (31.38%), germacrene D (12.05%) and ,-cadinene (6.48%). Remarkable differences were noticed in the corresponding hydrodistilled oil, composed chiefly by ,-pinene (18.71%), ,-phellandrene (12.83%) and ,-caryophyllene (13.22%). The yield of volatile oil obtained or treating Pistacia lentiscus berries was only 0.2%. ,-myrcene, ,-pinene and ,-phellandrene are the compounds characteristic of the oil obtained with both methods, SFE and hydrodistillation. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||