Host-plant acceptance by aphids: cues initiating reproduction

The host-plant acceptance behaviour of aphids was examined, in two aphid species, the bird cherry-oat aphid, Rhopalosiphum padi and the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphum pisum, to elucidate the recognition factors used to assess plant suitability for parthenogenetic reproduction. In addition, host-plant chemistry was investigated to study possible cues that initiated reproduction. The probing and parturition behaviour of R. padi on barley, Hordeum vulgare, or bird cherry leaves, Prunus padus, were monitored by electrical penetration graph (EPG) coupled with a simultaneous video recording. The autumn winged gynoparae and the summer winged virginoparae initiated reproduction on their host plants, P. padus and H. vulgare, respectively, before phloem contact occurred and these findings suggest that phloem contact is not necessary for host-acceptance decisions. Host acceptance behaviour of A. pisum, on susceptible and phloem-based resistant line of Medicago truncatula was monitored and found to be similar on both plant lines. The phloem-based resistance mechanism did not affect parturition behaviour indicating that reproduction is initiated prior to phloem contact. The results also imply that sign chemicals used as host recognition cues located in a peripheral tissue rather than in the phloem of host plants. Bioassays were employed to characterise the sign chemicals within host-plants of R. padi. It was found that virginoparae reproduced similarly on a neutral medium such as water or holidic diet as well as host-plant aqueous extract, which suggests that particular stimulants may be not involved in host-plant recognition by this generalist morph. On the other hand, aqueous extracts of bird cherry leaves specifically stimulated parturition in autumn gynoparae. Bioassay-guided chemical fractionation showed that at least five secondary metabolites appear to be involved in host recognition by gynoparae

Design Opportunities in Service-Product Combined Systems

This paper aims to examine recent research issues related to the integration of service and product in view of industrial design. Further, it attempts to identify new opportunities for further research regarding “product-servicization” vs. “service-productization”. In the continued efforts to provide the users with fuller experiences, one major trend is the blending of products and services. Much existing research seems to either present cases or propose frameworks regarding the ‘connection’, rather than ‘integration’ between products and services. Broadly, two major approaches seem to exist in this area: 1. product-servicization, 2. service-productization. The former generally indicates adding more services to existing products, whereas the latter generally refers to making services tangible and/or visible in the form of a product. However, findings of an extensive literature search conducted for this study suggest one important deficiency in dealing with service issues around the product: the ‘integration’ between the actual product design and service elements for supporting new service-product system. That is the rationale behind this research, an attempt to investigate the possibility for the integration of product design and service factors which could be embedded in the design of product itself in new service-product system. This paper is largely based on qualitative research. New design research opportunities are identified by qualitatively analyzing relevant literature, synthesizing the information and presenting some cases to support the main argument of the research. Design-led Service-Productization is not, and should not be re-arranging deck chairs on the Titanic. Rather, it should bring practical and tangible design issues related to new service-product system. Findings suggest that this approach could provide a new model of new product development integrated with a service scheme, which is a more proactive approach than “product-servicization”. Further development of this research could lead to establishing a framework for the Design-led Service-Product Integration. Keywords: Product-servicization; Industrial design; Service; Product; Integration</p

Mechanisms of color change and the prevention of off-color and off-flavor in irradiated meat

To determine the effect of irradiation on the oxidative quality changes during the storage, pork loin and turkey breast muscles were irradiated using an electron beam. Irradiation accelerated lipid oxidation, increased redness, and produced several sulfur (S)-volatiles that were responsible for the characteristic irradiation off-odor. This quality deterioration by irradiation was dependent on packaging conditions. Lipid oxidation was more problematic when meat was aerobically stored, whereas the production of S-volatiles was greater in vacuum-packaged irradiated raw meats. But when meat was freezer-stored, aerobic packaging was more susceptible to the production of both oxidation-dependent and S-volatiles. Irradiation made the color of meats redder and the redness was more distinct and stable under vacuum conditions. In irradiated meat, the production of carbon monoxide (CO), which can bind to myoglobin as a sixth ligand, was proportional to the irradiation dose. Oxidation-reduction potential was also decreased by irradiation indicating that more reducing conditions were supplied to heme pigments. Thus, it can be concluded that the increased a*-values in irradiated meat was caused by heme pigment-CO ligand formation. The absorption spectra of meat drip also showed that the peak wavelengths of irradiated meat were similar to those of the CO-myoglobin. Therefore, we suggest that CO-myoglobin be a major heme pigment responsible for the red or pink color in irradiated meats. These color changes and the mechanisms in irradiated raw meat were similar in irradiated precooked meat. A few strategies to reduce the oxidative quality deterioration of irradiated meats were studied. Addition of an antioxidant (sesamol, gallate, Trolox, or alpha-tocopherol) or their combination was effective in reducing the S-volatiles in vacuum-packaged irradiated meats or in controlling lipid oxidation in aerobically packaged irradiated ones. A modified packaging concept (double-packaging; combined use of vacuum and aerobic packaging) was also effective in eliminating S-volatiles and minimizing lipid oxidation during the storage. Especially, gallate + alpha-tocopherol along with double-packaging reduced effectively the red color of irradiated raw and cooked meats. These beneficial effects of double-packaging and antioxidant were more critical in irradiated cooked meat, and it was a very effective method to control the oxidative quality changes of irradiated meats

Developments in Medical Tourism

As a newly emerging pattern of consumption and production of healthcare services, medical tourism is featured with particular regional characteristics in the range of service for patients elect to travel across international borders with the intention of receiving medical treatment. From perspectives of globalization and supply consideration, this article illustrates the drives, size and scope of medical tourism. Experiences from Korea and UK are introduced to explain commonalities and distinctions of diverse medical tourism treatments and their destinations. In addition, the authors also illustrate payment mechanism, potential challenges and China’s current medical tourism patterns