Influence of water regime on grape aromatic composition of Muscat of Alexandria in a semiarid climate

Irrigation effects in relation to the environmental conditions on grape aromas are still unknown. This study aims to clarify the effects of water regime on the aromatic composition of “Muscat of Alexandria” grapes under the semiarid climate conditions of eastern Spain and over three seasons. The relationships between total volatile composition in free and glycosidically-bound fractions, vine performance, and grape composition were also assessed. The watering treatments studied were: sustained deficit irrigation (SDI) at 50% of the estimated crop evapotranspiration (ETc); early deficit (EDI), where pre-veraison water deficit was imposed; late deficit (LDI), in which a water shortage was applied during post-veraison; and control (C), irrigated at 100% of ETc during the entire season. The effects of water regimes on volatile and glycosidically-bound composition were different between seasons due to the predominant effect of the environmental conditions on aromatic composition. The seasons with the greater yield were associated to a lower grape aromatic composition, however, this effect at the crop level was less pronounced in the most irrigated treatment. In drier seasons, irrigation delayed ripening and increased the terpene concentration of “Muscat of Alexandria” grapes, showing a high treatment and season interaction. Specific water regimes have the potential to buffer the effects of environmental conditions on the aromatic composition of “Muscat of Alexandria” grapes in a semi-arid climate, as the result of the complex relationships between climatic factors, vine performance and grape maturity

Influencia de diferentes tratamientos de riego sobre la composición volátil de vinos elaborados con las variedades blancas “Cigüente” y “Verdejo”

En este trabajo se han estudiado los efectos de diferentes tratamientos de régimen hídrico sobre la composición aromática de los vinos elaborados con uva de las variedades blancas Cigüente (en Badajoz) y Verdejo (en Valladolid). Los tratamientos de riego estudiados para Cigüente fueron: CiNR (no regado), CiPR (déficit preenvero, regado al 25% hasta envero y después al 75%), CIPO (déficit postenvero. 75% hasta envero y después al 25%) y CiT (riego máximo durante toda la temporada). Para Verdejo los tratamientos de riego fueron VeNR (no regado), VeRS (riego al 50% del testigo hasta vendimia) y VeT (testigo, 50% ETo, riego máximo). Los mostos obtenidos de las diferentes variedades y tratamientos se sulfitaron con 50 mg/L de SO2, se inocularon con la levadura neutra EC1118 (Lallemand) y su fermentación se llevó a cabo a temperatura controlada. La composición volátil de los vinos elaborados a partir de cada tratamiento fue analizada mediante GC-MS. Se identificaron y cuantificaron 42 compuestos en Verdejo y 36 en Cigüente, que se agruparon en ocho familias aromáticas: alcoholes superiores, alcoholes en C6, ésteres, acetatos, ácidos, fenoles, lactonas y compuestos carbonilados. A nivel global no se encontraron diferencias significativas entre tratamientos de riego en ninguna de las variedades de estudio, sin embargo se observó una tendencia al aumento de concentración en los tratamientos no regados (NR). En el análisis por familias de compuestos volátiles, se hallaron pocas diferencias significativas entre tratamientos. En el caso de Cigüente, se observó un efecto significativo del riego sobre las familias de lactonas y compuestos carbonilados, ambas familias representadas por un único compuesto volátil (γ- butirolactona y acetoina respectivamente). Por otra parte, en Verdejo los tratamientos de riego únicamente tuvieron influencia significativa sobre la familia de fenoles volátiles, representada por dos compuestos (4-vinilgüaiacol y 4-vinilfenol). En ambos casos, Verdejo y Cigüente, la mayor concentración de estas familias de compuestos volátiles fue observada en los tratamientos no regados (NR). En general, en el resto de las familias de compuestos volátiles analizadas no se observaron diferencias significativas, aunque se observó una tendencia hacia una mayor concentración en los tratamientos no regados (NR)

Adhesion of freshwater sponge cells mediated by carbohydrate-carbohydrate interactions requires low environmental calcium

Marine ancestors of freshwater sponges had to undergo a series of physiological adaptations to colonize harsh and heterogeneous limnic environments. Besides reduced salinity, river-lake systems also have calcium concentrations far lower than seawater. Cell adhesion in sponges is mediated by calcium-dependent multivalent self-interactions of sulfated polysaccharides components of membrane-bound proteoglycans named aggregation factors. Cells of marine sponges require seawater average calcium concentration (10\xC2\xA0mM) to sustain adhesion promoted by aggregation factors. We demonstrate here that the freshwater sponge Spongilla alba can thrive in a calcium-poor aquatic environment and that their cells are able to aggregate and form primmorphs with calcium concentrations 40-fold lower than that required by marine sponges cells. We also find that their gemmules need calcium and other micronutrients to hatch and generate new sponges. The sulfated polysaccharide purified from S. alba has sulfate content and molecular size notably lower than those from marine sponges. Nuclear magnetic resonance analyses indicated that it is composed of a central backbone of non- and 2-sulfated \xCE\xB1- and \xCE\xB2-glucose units decorated with branches of \xCE\xB1-glucose. Assessments with atomic force microscopy/single-molecule force spectroscopy show that S. alba glucan requires 10-fold less calcium than sulfated polysaccharides from marine sponges to self-interact efficiently. Such an ability to retain multi-cellular morphology with low environmental calcium must have been a crucial evolutionary step for freshwater sponges to successfully colonize inland waters

Phenolic profile of grapevine cv. Tempranillo skins is affected by timing and severity of early defoliation

Aim of study: To investigate the effects of three early leaf removal treatments on the phenolic compounds of cv. ‘Tempranillo’ (Vitis vinifera L.) grape skins. Area of study: The experiment was conducted in a vineyard located in Requena, Valencia (South-eastern Spain) over two consecutive seasons. Material and methods: Four treatments were investigated over two seasons in drip-irrigated vines: Control (C), non-defoliated and three defoliation treatment, applied at different phenological stages and intensities where all leaves from the first 6 nodes were eliminated just before flowering (ED) and at fruitset (LD). The fourth defoliation treatment was performed at the same time of ED but only the leaves facing east of the eight first nodes were removed (EED). At harvest, thirty-eight phenolic compounds were quantified by HPLC in the grape skins, including anthocyanins, flavanols, flavonols, hydroxycinnamic acids and their tartaric derivatives. Main results: A general increase of the skin phenolic compounds concentration was found in response to the defoliation treatments. The largest and more significant effects were observed for LD in 2009 with relative increases with respect to the un-defoliated vines of 14.8, 86.0, 119.0, and 75.9% for anthocyanins, flavanols, flavonols and hydroxycinnamates, respectively. On the other hand, EED did not clearly modify any polyphenolic compound. In addition, the response of phenolic families analyzed to defoliation treatments was different. Malvidine derivatives were not altered by any of the treatments, while the contents of quercetin and kaempferol derivatives and ferulic and coumaric acids, increased in both years when LD was applied. Research highlights: The defoliation effects on specific phenolic substances were dependent on timing, severity, and the season. Skin phenolic compounds increase in response to defoliation treatments and flavonols and hydroxycinnamates were the most affected families

Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy in oncology: the fingerprints of cancer?

Abnormal metabolism is a key tumor hallmark. Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) allows measurement of metabolite concentration that can be utilized to characterize tumor metabolic changes. 1H-MRS measurements of specific metabolites have been implemented in the clinic. This article performs a systematic review of image acquisition and interpretation of 1H-MRS for cancer evaluation, evaluates its strengths and limitations, and correlates metabolite peaks at 1H-MRS with diagnostic and prognostic parameters of cancer in different tumor types

How clinical imaging can assess cancer biology.

Human cancers represent complex structures, which display substantial inter- and intratumor heterogeneity in their genetic expression and phenotypic features. However, cancers usually exhibit characteristic structural, physiologic, and molecular features and display specific biological capabilities named hallmarks. Many of these tumor traits are imageable through different imaging techniques. Imaging is able to spatially map key cancer features and tumor heterogeneity improving tumor diagnosis, characterization, and management. This paper aims to summarize the current and emerging applications of imaging in tumor biology assessment

Laboratori remot d'experimentació en fenòmens oscil·latoris i ondulatoris, circuits i electrometria i en experimentació en electrotècnia

Este proyecto es la continuación de dos proyectos anteriores: Laboratorio de experimentación remoto interactivo en física. Experiencia en oscilaciones y ondas. Laboratorio de experimentación remoto interactivo. Experiencias en circuitos y electrometría. Fueron proyectos calificados positivamente por el ICE en la convocatoria de diciembre de 1999 y que por la envergadura de los mismos no pudieron ser concluidos. El proyecto de experiencia en oscilaciones y ondas consta de tres bancadas experimentales en las que se estudian oscilacionmes amortiguadas, ondas estacionarias en una cuerda y ondas estacionarias en un tubo de aire. El proyecto de circuitos tiene la finalidad de poder estudiar remotamente un circuito con diferentes componentes conectados con la topología requerida a partir de la conexión de múltiples relés sobre un conjunto de elementos

Variation in stem mortality rates determines patterns of above-ground biomass in Amazonian forests: implications for dynamic global vegetation models

Understanding the processes that determine above-ground biomass (AGB) in Amazonian forests is important for predicting the sensitivity of these ecosystems to environmental change and for designing and evaluating dynamic global vegetation models (DGVMs). AGB is determined by inputs from woody productivity [woody net primary productivity (NPP)] and the rate at which carbon is lost through tree mortality. Here, we test whether two direct metrics of tree mortality (the absolute rate of woody biomass loss and the rate of stem mortality) and/or woody NPP, control variation in AGB among 167 plots in intact forest across Amazonia. We then compare these relationships and the observed variation in AGB and woody NPP with the predictions of four DGVMs. The observations show that stem mortality rates, rather than absolute rates of woody biomass loss, are the most important predictor of AGB, which is consistent with the importance of stand size structure for determining spatial variation in AGB. The relationship between stem mortality rates and AGB varies among different regions of Amazonia, indicating that variation in wood density and height/diameter relationships also influences AGB. In contrast to previous findings, we find that woody NPP is not correlated with stem mortality rates and is weakly positively correlated with AGB. Across the four models, basin-wide average AGB is similar to the mean of the observations. However, the models consistently overestimate woody NPP and poorly represent the spatial patterns of both AGB and woody NPP estimated using plot data. In marked contrast to the observations, DGVMs typically show strong positive relationships between woody NPP and AGB. Resolving these differences will require incorporating forest size structure, mechanistic models of stem mortality and variation in functional composition in DGVMs

Estimating the global conservation status of more than 15,000 Amazonian tree species

Estimates of extinction risk for Amazonian plant and animal species are rare and not often incorporated into land-use policy and conservation planning. We overlay spatial distribution models with historical and projected deforestation to show that at least 36% and up to 57% of all Amazonian tree species are likely to qualify as globally threatened under International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List criteria. If confirmed, these results would increase the number of threatened plant species on Earth by 22%. We show that the trends observed in Amazonia apply to trees throughout the tropics, and we predict thatmost of the world’s >40,000 tropical tree species now qualify as globally threatened. A gap analysis suggests that existing Amazonian protected areas and indigenous territories will protect viable populations of most threatened species if these areas suffer no further degradation, highlighting the key roles that protected areas, indigenous peoples, and improved governance can play in preventing large-scale extinctions in the tropics in this century

Variation in stem mortality rates determines patterns of above-ground biomass in Amazonian forests: implications for dynamic global vegetation models

This is the final version of the article. Available from Wiley via the DOI in this record.Understanding the processes that determine above-ground biomass (AGB) in Amazonian forests is important for predicting the sensitivity of these ecosystems to environmental change and for designing and evaluating dynamic global vegetation models (DGVMs). AGB is determined by inputs from woody productivity [woody net primary productivity (NPP)] and the rate at which carbon is lost through tree mortality. Here, we test whether two direct metrics of tree mortality (the absolute rate of woody biomass loss and the rate of stem mortality) and/or woody NPP, control variation in AGB among 167 plots in intact forest across Amazonia. We then compare these relationships and the observed variation in AGB and woody NPP with the predictions of four DGVMs. The observations show that stem mortality rates, rather than absolute rates of woody biomass loss, are the most important predictor of AGB, which is consistent with the importance of stand size structure for determining spatial variation in AGB. The relationship between stem mortality rates and AGB varies among different regions of Amazonia, indicating that variation in wood density and height/diameter relationships also influences AGB. In contrast to previous findings, we find that woody NPP is not correlated with stem mortality rates and is weakly positively correlated with AGB. Across the four models, basin-wide average AGB is similar to the mean of the observations. However, the models consistently overestimate woody NPP and poorly represent the spatial patterns of both AGB and woody NPP estimated using plot data. In marked contrast to the observations, DGVMs typically show strong positive relationships between woody NPP and AGB. Resolving these differences will require incorporating forest size structure, mechanistic models of stem mortality and variation in functional composition in DGVMs.This paper is a product of the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme AMAZALERT project (282664). The field data used in this study have been generated by the RAINFOR network, which has been supported by a Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation grant, the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme projects 283080, ‘GEOCARBON’; and 282664, ‘AMAZALERT’; ERC grant ‘Tropical Forests in the Changing Earth System’), and Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Urgency, Consortium and Standard Grants ‘AMAZONICA’ (NE/F005806/1), ‘TROBIT’ (NE/D005590/1) and ‘Niche Evolution of South American Trees’ (NE/I028122/1). Additional data were included from the Tropical Ecology Assessment and Monitoring (TEAM) Network – a collaboration between Conservation International, the Missouri Botanical Garden, the Smithsonian Institution and the Wildlife Conservation Society, and partly funded by these institutions, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and other donors. Fieldwork was also partially supported by Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico of Brazil (CNPq), project Programa de Pesquisas Ecológicas de Longa Duração (PELD-403725/2012-7). A.R. acknowledges funding from the Helmholtz Alliance ‘Remote Sensing and Earth System Dynamics’; L.P., M.P.C. E.A. and M.T. are partially funded by the EU FP7 project ‘ROBIN’ (283093), with co-funding for E.A. from the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs (KB-14-003-030); B.C. [was supported in part by the US DOE (BER) NGEE-Tropics project (subcontract to LANL). O.L.P. is supported by an ERC Advanced Grant and is a Royal Society-Wolfson Research Merit Award holder. P.M. acknowledges support from ARC grant FT110100457 and NERC grants NE/J011002/1, and T.R.B. acknowledges support from a Leverhulme Trust Research Fellowship