Effect of Postharvest Application of Carvone on Potato Tubers Grown from True Potato Seed (TPS)

AbstractDormancy duration is an important quality aspect of both ware and seed potato tubers and may be extended by the application of chemical sprout suppressants. The replacement of these synthetic compounds by essential oils with sprouting-inhibitory properties may contribute to the sustainable cultivation of potato.The aim of this study was to examine how the postharvest application of carvone affects potato tubers grown from true potato seed (hybrid CIP IP 88008). Ten days after harvest, tubers were placed in air-tight glass containers and carvone was applied repeatedly (300mL/1000kg tubers) while untreated tubers were used for the control. The containers were stored at 5, 10 and 20°C and opened every two days for 10minutes for aeration. The number of sprouts per tuber, rate of respiration, fresh weight loss and concentration of glucose, fructose and sucrose in tuber tissue from the buds (‘eyes’) and the parenchyma were recorded.Carvone application did not affect bud dormancy duration at 5°C and buds did not sprout even after 98 days’ storage. At 10 and 20°C, carvone application prolonged dormancy, but at 20°C a high percentage of rotted tubers (40%) was observed. At all storage temperatures, carvone reduced weight loss but increased the rate of tuber respiration. Carvone application did not affect sugar content at 5οC, but after 68 days of storage at 10οC the concentration of fructose increased and sucrose decreased. However, after 4 months of storage no differences in sugar concentration were recorded.It is concluded that carvone application can effectively prolong bud dormancy during storage at 10οC. Even though the concentration of reducing sugars and the tuber respiration rate increased, there were no negative effects on the quality aspects of tubers (concentration of glucose, fructose and sucrose) after long term storage

The effect of controlled atmospheres on the composition and quality of dill (Anethum graveolens L. cv. Ducat) cultivated in spring and stored at two temperatures

This study was performed to evaluate four atmospheres varying in CO2 and N2 concentrations on the composition and quality of dill (Anethum graveolens L. cv. Ducat) during storage. Seeds were sown directly in the soil on 16/01/2010 and the plants harvested 93 days after sowing. The leaves (lamina and petiole) were weighed at harvest and immediately transferred to airtight plastic bags within which the atmospheres were modified by injection of O2, CO2 and N2. The treatments that were applied (O2-CO2-N2) were: (1): 20-0-80, (2): 20-5-75, (3): 20-10-70, (4): 20-15-65. All samples were stored for 14 days at 2 or 5°C and the gas composition within the bags maintained at the desired levels. From the results, it was found that weight loss during storage varied between 7 and 12% at 2oC and 13 and 17% at 5oC irrespective of the gas composition. Vitamin C concentration decreased during storage, but at both storage temperatures the decrease was less at the highest CO2 level. The concentration of total phenolics decreased during storage, irrespective of the composition of the storage atmosphere. There was a loss of chlorophyll during storage, which tended to be greater at 5oC than at 2oC, but was prevented at both temperatures by the highest CO2 concentration. In consequence, leaves stored under a gas composition of 20-15-65 (O2-CO2-N2) were greener at the end of storage. This, in conjunction with the relatively higher vitamin C concentration in this treatment, indicates that 15% CO2 was the most suitable storage atmosphere for quality retention in dill, while the preferred temperature was 2oC due to lower weight loss

Impacts of extreme flooding on riverbank filtration water quality

Riverbank filtration schemes form a significant component of public water treatment processes on a global level. Understanding the resilience and water quality recovery of these systems following severe flooding is critical for effective water resources management under potential future climate change. This paper assesses the impact of floodplain inundation on the water quality of a shallow aquifer riverbank filtration system and how water quality recovers following an extreme (1 in 17 year, duration > 70 days, 7 day inundation) flood event. During the inundation event, riverbank filtrate water quality is dominated by rapid direct recharge and floodwater infiltration (high fraction of surface water, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) > 140% baseline values, > 1 log increase in micro-organic contaminants, microbial detects and turbidity, low specific electrical conductivity (SEC) 400% baseline). A rapid recovery is observed in water quality with most floodwater impacts only observed for 2–3 weeks after the flooding event and a return to normal groundwater conditions within 6 weeks (lower fraction of surface water, higher SEC, lower DOC, organic and microbial detects, DO). Recovery rates are constrained by the hydrogeological site setting, the abstraction regime and the water quality trends at site boundary conditions. In this case, increased abstraction rates and a high transmissivity aquifer facilitate rapid water quality recoveries, with longer term trends controlled by background river and groundwater qualities. Temporary reductions in abstraction rates appear to slow water quality recoveries. Flexible operating regimes such as the one implemented at this study site are likely to be required if shallow aquifer riverbank filtration systems are to be resilient to future inundation events. Development of a conceptual understanding of hydrochemical boundaries and site hydrogeology through monitoring is required to assess the suitability of a prospective riverbank filtration site

ICTD Work, Plus mFeel : improving communication in resource-poor settings

This issue's Works-In-Progress department has four entries related to the issue's theme, Information and Communication Technologies for Development (ICTD). They are “Sustainable ICT in Agricultural Value Chains”, “Measuring Social Inclusion in Primary Schools”, “An Architecture for Green Mobile Computation”, and “Improving Communication in Resource-Poor Settings”. A fifth entry, “mFeel: An Affective Mobile System”, covers the mFeel mobile system, which combines context awareness with affective and cognitive techniques

Managing groundwater supplies subject to drought: perspectives on current status and future priorities from England (UK)

Effective management of groundwater resources during drought is essential. How is groundwater currently managed during droughts, and in the face of environmental change, what should be the future priorities? Four themes are explored, from the perspective of groundwater management in England (UK): (1) integration of drought definitions; (2) enhanced fundamental monitoring; (3) integrated modelling of groundwater in the water cycle; and (4) better information sharing. Whilst these themes are considered in the context of England, globally, they are relevant wherever groundwater is affected by drought

Online fluorescence spectroscopy for the real-time evaluation of the microbial quality of drinking water

We assessed the utility of online fluorescence spectroscopy for the real-time evaluation of the microbial quality of untreated drinking water. Online fluorimeters were installed on the raw water intake at four groundwater -derived UK public water supplies alongside existing turbidity sensors that are used to forewarn of the presence of microbial contamination in the water industry. The fluorimeters targeted fluorescent dissolved organic matter (DOM) peaks at excitation/emission wavelengths of 280/365 nm (tryptophan-like fluorescence, TLF) and 280/450 nm (humic-like fluorescence, HLF). Discrete samples were collected for Escherichia coli, total bacterial cell counts by flow cytometry, and laboratory-based fluorescence and absorbance. Both TLF and HLF were strongly correlated with E. coli (r ¼ 0.71e0.77)and total bacterial cell concentrations (r ¼ 0.73e0.76), whereas the correlations between turbidity and E. coli (r ¼ 0.48) and total bacterial cell counts (r ¼ 0.40) were much weaker. No clear TLF peak was observed at the sites and all apparent TLF was considered to be optical bleed-through from the neighbouring HLF peak. Therefore, a HLF fluorimeter alone would be sufficient to evaluate the microbial water quality at these sources. Fluorescent DOM was also influenced by site operations such as pump start-up and the precipitation of cations on the sensor windows. Online fluorescent DOM sensors are a better indicator of the microbial quality of untreated drinking water than turbidity and they have wide-ranging potential applications within the water industry

Epidemiology, practice of ventilation and outcome for patients at increased risk of postoperative pulmonary complications

BACKGROUND Limited information exists about the epidemiology and outcome of surgical patients at increased risk of postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs), and how intraoperative ventilation was managed in these patients. OBJECTIVES To determine the incidence of surgical patients at increased risk of PPCs, and to compare the intraoperative ventilation management and postoperative outcomes with patients at low risk of PPCs. DESIGN This was a prospective international 1-week observational study using the ‘Assess Respiratory Risk in Surgical Patients in Catalonia risk score’ (ARISCAT score) for PPC for risk stratification. PATIENTS AND SETTING Adult patients requiring intraoperative ventilation during general anaesthesia for surgery in 146 hospitals across 29 countries. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The primary outcome was the incidence of patients at increased risk of PPCs based on the ARISCAT score. Secondary outcomes included intraoperative ventilatory management and clinical outcomes. RESULTS A total of 9864 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The incidence of patients at increased risk was 28.4%. The most frequently chosen tidal volume (VT) size was 500 ml, or 7 to 9 ml kg1 predicted body weight, slightly lower in patients at increased risk of PPCs. Levels of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) were slightly higher in patients at increased risk of PPCs, with 14.3% receiving more than 5 cmH2O PEEP compared with 7.6% in patients at low risk of PPCs (P < 0.001). Patients with a predicted preoperative increased risk of PPCs developed PPCs more frequently: 19 versus 7%, relative risk (RR) 3.16 (95% confidence interval 2.76 to 3.61), P < 0.001) and had longer hospital stays. The only ventilatory factor associated with the occurrence of PPCs was the peak pressure. CONCLUSION The incidence of patients with a predicted increased risk of PPCs is high. A large proportion of patients receive high VT and low PEEP levels. PPCs occur frequently in patients at increased risk, with worse clinical outcome

Epidemiology, practice of ventilation and outcome for patients at increased risk of postoperative pulmonary complications: LAS VEGAS - An observational study in 29 countries

BACKGROUND Limited information exists about the epidemiology and outcome of surgical patients at increased risk of postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs), and how intraoperative ventilation was managed in these patients. OBJECTIVES To determine the incidence of surgical patients at increased risk of PPCs, and to compare the intraoperative ventilation management and postoperative outcomes with patients at low risk of PPCs. DESIGN This was a prospective international 1-week observational study using the ‘Assess Respiratory Risk in Surgical Patients in Catalonia risk score’ (ARISCAT score) for PPC for risk stratification. PATIENTS AND SETTING Adult patients requiring intraoperative ventilation during general anaesthesia for surgery in 146 hospitals across 29 countries. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The primary outcome was the incidence of patients at increased risk of PPCs based on the ARISCAT score. Secondary outcomes included intraoperative ventilatory management and clinical outcomes. RESULTS A total of 9864 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The incidence of patients at increased risk was 28.4%. The most frequently chosen tidal volume (V T) size was 500 ml, or 7 to 9 ml kg−1 predicted body weight, slightly lower in patients at increased risk of PPCs. Levels of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) were slightly higher in patients at increased risk of PPCs, with 14.3% receiving more than 5 cmH2O PEEP compared with 7.6% in patients at low risk of PPCs (P ˂ 0.001). Patients with a predicted preoperative increased risk of PPCs developed PPCs more frequently: 19 versus 7%, relative risk (RR) 3.16 (95% confidence interval 2.76 to 3.61), P ˂ 0.001) and had longer hospital stays. The only ventilatory factor associated with the occurrence of PPCs was the peak pressure. CONCLUSION The incidence of patients with a predicted increased risk of PPCs is high. A large proportion of patients receive high V T and low PEEP levels. PPCs occur frequently in patients at increased risk, with worse clinical outcome.</p