Developmental processes, polyamine composition and content of fruiting cuttings of Vitis vinifera L.: Responses to nitrogen deficiency

Fruiting cuttings of cv. Cabernet Sauvignon exposed to nitrogen (N) deficiency showed alterations of the N and phosphorus content, the number of berries per plant and berry characteristics at maturity. Conjugated and bound polyamines changed in various tissues at different and critical stages of development and responded strongly to N deficiency. At anthesis the conjugated and bound spermidine content in flowers and the N supply were closely and inversely correlated, while conjugated and bound forms of putrescine responded in the opposite way. However, in these organs N deficiency led to a high content of bound spermidine and a marked decrease of conjugated putrescine. At fruit set, N deficiency was associated with a high content of bound diaminopropane in berries. In ripe berries free putrescine and the N supply were inversely correlated.

S-Abscisic acid, 2-chloroethylphosphonic acid and indole-3-acetic acid treatments modify grape (Vitis vinifera L. 'Cabernet Sauvignon') hormonal balance and wine quality

The phenolic composition of red wine strongly determines its quality. Even when the applications of plant  growth regulator (PGR) affect grape quality, there is  almost no information on the effect of these treatments  on the grape’s internal hormonal balance and the wine  composition and quality. In the present study, changes in the internal hormonal content following the application of (+)-S-abscisic acid (S-ABA), 2-chloroethylphosphonic acid (CEPA) and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) at veraison were examined to determine their effects on 'Cabernet Sauvignon' grapes and wine composition in a plants in containers experiment and in a commercial vineyard experiment. Applied PGRs had a significant effect on the hormonal balance and phenolic composition of grape skins. The S-ABA-treated grapes showed a significantly higher skin internal free abscisic acid concentration in the plants in container experiment and the CEPA-treated grapes showed a reduction in skin internal IAA concentration in the commercial vineyard experiment. Winemaking was performed in the commercial vineyard experiment. Wine’s chemical composition was affected by these treatments and an up-to 63 % increase in malvidin-3-glucoside concentration and an up-to 70 % increase in total tannin concentration were found in wines made from the CEPA-treated grapes. The alcohol content was 10.3 % higher (from 12.6 to 13.9 % v v-1) in wines made from the CEPA-treated grapes. No significant differences in the wine sensory attributes (aroma and mouth-feel) between the control and the PGR-treated wines were identified by a sensory panel.

Stakeholder perspectives on shale gas fracking: A Q-method study of environmental discourses

The rapid expansion of shale gas exploration worldwide is a significant source of environmental controversy. Successful shale gas policymaking is dependent upon a clear understanding of the dynamics of competing stakeholder perspectives on these issues, and so methods are needed to delineate the areas of agreement and conflict that emerge. This empirical study, based in the United Kingdom, examines emergent perspectives on a range of environmental, health and socio-economic impacts associated with shale gas fracking using Q- methodology: a combined qualitative-quantitative approach. The analysis reveals three typologies of perspectives amongst key industry, civil society and non-affiliated citizen stakeholders; subsequently contextualised in relation to Dryzek’s typology of environmental discourses. These are labelled A) “Don’t trust the fossil fuels industry: campaign for renewables” (mediating between sustainable development and democratic pragmatism discourses); B) “Shale gas is a bridge fuel: economic growth and environmental scepticism” (mediating between economic rationalism and ecological modernisation discourses); and C) “Take place protective action and legislate in the public interest” (reflecting a discourse of administrative rationalism). The implications of these competing discourses for nascent shale gas policy in the UK are discussed in light of recent Government public consultation on changes to national planning policy

The Local Economic Impact of Shale Gas Extraction

Advocates of UK shale gas expansion have focused upon predicted national economic benefits, but local and/or regional impact has been largely neglected. This paper seeks to address this deficit by creating a unique dataset, combining industry data with consumer and supply chain surveys, thereby overcoming the current absence of suitable secondary data. Local economic impact in the Bowland field is estimated via a simple Keynesian local income multiplier model. Results emphasize the importance of facilitating local employment opportunities, through skills initiatives, and development of regional supply chain clusters, to anchor economic benefits within the local economy. Policy implications are discussed

Increased prevalence of neurocognitive impairment in aging people living with human immunodeficiency virus : the anrs ep58 hand 55-70 study

Background.There are limited data on the comparative prevalence of neurocognitive impairment (NCI) in aging people living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLHIV) and people not living with HIV. Methods.This was a cross-sectional study of PLHIV randomly matched by age (±4 years), gender, and education with 5 HIV-uninfected individuals from the CONSTANCES cohort. PLHIV were fluent in French and sequentially included during routine outpatient visits if aged 55-70 years, with HIV viral load -200 cells/uL in the past 24 and 12 months, respectively. The primary outcome was NCI as defined by the Frascati criteria. Multivariate normative comparison (MNC) and -1.5 standard deviations in >-2 neurocognitive domains were secondary outcomes of NCI. Results.Two hundred PLHIV were matched with 1000 controls. Median age was 62 years, and 85% were men. In PLHIV, the median T-CD4 lymphocyte level was 650 cells/uL, and median nadir T-CD4 lymphocyte level was 176 cells/uL. NCI was found in 71 (35.5%) PLHIV and in 242 (24.2%) controls (odds ratio [OR], 1.74; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.25, 2.41). After adjusting for confounders, HIV remained significantly associated with NCI (OR, 1.50; 95% CI, 1.04, 2.16). Adjusted results were similar with NCI defined by MNC (ORMNC, 2.95; 95% CI, 1.13, 3.50) or -1.5 SD (OR-1.5, 2.24; 95% CI, 1.39, 3.62). Conclusions.In this matched study of aging individuals, HIV was significantly associated with an increased risk of NCI after adjusting for major confounders. Results were confirmed with more stringent NCI classifications

J Agric Food Chem

Pulsed electric field (PEF) treatment is an emerging technology that is arousing increasing interest in vinification processes for its ability to enhance polyphenol extraction performance. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of PEF treatment on grape skin histocytological structures and on the organization of skin cell wall polysaccharides and tannins, which, until now, have been little investigated. This study relates to the effects of two PEF treatments on harvested Cabernet Sauvignon berries: PEF1 (medium strength (4 kV/cm); short duration (1 ms)) and PEF2 (low intensity (0.7 kV/cm); longer duration (200 ms)). Histocytological observations and the study of levels of polysaccharidic fractions and total amounts of tannins allowed differentiation between the two treatments. Whereas PEF1 had little effect on the polyphenol structure and pectic fraction, PEF2 profoundly modified the organization of skin cell walls. Depending on the PEF parameters, cell wall structure was differently affected, providing variable performance in terms of polyphenol extraction and wine quality