Protein patterns of ripe seeds of Theobroma cacao, Theobroma grandiflorum, and Theobroma bicolor.

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Utilization of cupuacu-seeds as raw material for chocolate-like products: variability of morphological traits and biochemistry of aroma potential

Study carried out at Embrapa Amazonia Ocidental (Manaus-AM-Brasil) on the cupuacu-seeds as raw material for chocolate-like products. The results reveal that cupuacu-seeds posses the biochemical potential to be used as raw material for chocolate-like products. However, simple application of the fermentation practices known from cocoa will not lead to a satisfactory yield of aroma precursors. There are some particular characteristics of cupuacu seeds, which must be met by appropriate fermentation procedures

Utilization of cupuaçu seeds as raw material for chocolate-like products: variability of morphological traits and biochemistry of aroma potential.

The general challenge of this project is to improve the understanding of natural and man-made ecosystems as bases for the development of sustainable land use practices in the Central Amazon

Development and production of cupuaçu plants (Theobroma grandiflorum) on degraded areas: implications of water relations.

In the study presented here we investigated the development and production of the crop tree Theobroma grandiflorum (in Brazil named "cupuaçu") under varying agro-environments

Emergency Medicine Milestones Final Ratings Are Often Subpar

Background: The emergency medicine (EM) milestones are objective behaviors that are categorized into thematic domains called “subcompetencies” (eg, emergency stabilization). The scale for rating milestones is predicated on the assumption that a rating (level) of 1.0 corresponds to an incoming EM-1 resident and a rating of 4.0 is the “target rating” (albeit not an expectation) for a graduating resident. Our aim in this study was to determine the frequency with which graduating residents received the target milestone ratings. Methods: This retrospective, cross-sectional study was a secondary analysis of a dataset used in a prior study but was not reported previously. We analyzed milestone subcompetency ratings from April 25–June 24, 2022 for categorical EM residents in their final year of training. Ratings were dichotomized as meeting the expected level at the time of program completion (ratings of ≥3.5) and not meeting the expected level at the time of program completion (ratings of ≤3.0). We calculated the number of residents who did not achieve target ratings for each of the subcompetencies. Results: In Spring 2022, of the 2,637 residents in the spring of their last year of training, 1,613 (61.2%)achieved a rating of ≥3.5 on every subcompetency and 1,024 (38.8%) failed to achieve that rating on at least one subcompetency. There were 250 residents (9.5%) who failed to achieve half of their expectedsubcompetency ratings and 105 (4.0%) who failed to achieve the expected rating (ie, rating was ≤3.0) on every subcompetency. Conclusion: When using an EM milestone rating threshold of 3.5, only 61.2% of physicians achieved the target ratings for program graduation; 4.0% of physicians failed to achieve target ratings for any milestone subcompetency; and 9.5% of physicians failed to achieve the target ratings for graduating residents in half of the subcompetencies

Einfluss von Bodenwasserverfügbarkeit und Mikroklima auf die Transpirationsdynamik von Stadtbäumen

Stadtbäume leisten aufgrund ihrer Kühlfunktion durch Transpiration einen positiven Beitrag zum urbanen Mikroklima. Gesteuert wird die Transpiration zum einen durch Klimaparameter und die artspezifische Physiologie, zum anderen durch die Bodenwasserverfügbarkeit in der Wurzelzone. Unterschiedliche Standortbedingungen des städtischen Raums führen allerdings zu einer räumlichen sowie zeitlichen Variabilität des zur Transpiration benötigten Bodenwassers. Unter welchen Bedingungen dies zu Trockenstress und damit einer eingeschränkten Kühlfunktion bei Stadtbäumen führt, hängt dabei sowohl von der Baumart als auch von den standörtlichen Gegebenheiten ab. Für eine Verbesserung eines Stadtbaum-Managements wie auch von Klimamodellen des urbanen Raums ist es notwendig, weitere Kenntnisse über die spezies- und standortspezifische Variabilität der Transpirationsdynamik von Stadtbäumen zu erlangen. Zur direkten Erfassung der Transpirationsdynamik wurden während der Vegetationsperioden 2013 und 2014 Xylemsaftflussmessung an etablierten Stieleichen (Quercus robur L.), eine der häufigsten Stadtbaumarten in Hamburg, vorgenommen. Untersucht wurden je drei Eichen auf drei Untersuchungsflächen im Hamburger Stadtgebiet, welche durch unterschiedliche bodenhydrologische Eigenschaften gekennzeichnet waren. Die räumlich-zeitliche Variabilität der Bodenwasserverfügbarkeit wurde mittels kontinuierlicher Messungen von Bodenwassergehalt und Bodenwasserspotenzial ermittelt. Zur Erfassung der atmosphärischen Wassernachfrage sowie von Lufttemperatur und Strahlung wurden an allen Standorten Klimamessstationen errichtet. Basierend auf Klima- und Saftflussdaten wurde schließlich die potentielle Saftflussdynamik mithilfe eines Jarvis-Modells berechnet. Während beider Vegetationsperioden konnten deutliche standörtliche Unterschiede hinsichtlich Bodenhydrologie und Mikroklima aufgezeigt werden. Auf allen Untersuchungsflächen kam es zu unterschiedlich stark ausgeprägten Austrocknungen des Oberbodens, bei der in Tiefen zwischen 0 und 80 cm Bodenwasserpotenziale bis pF 3.95 festgestellt wurden. Es zeigte sich jedoch, dass im Untersuchungszeitraum die Saftflussdynamik auch bei deutlich verringerter Bodenwasserverfügbarkeit allein durch Klimaparameter gesteuert wurde und damit weiterhin der potentiellen Saftflussdynamik folgte. Eine Limitierung des Saftflusses und damit der Transpiration dieser gut etablierten Stadtbäume durch moderate Trockenheit konnte zu keinem Zeitpunkt festgestellt werden

Effects of elevated carbon dioxide and climate change on biomass and nutritive value of Kyasuwa (Cenchrus pedicellatus Trin.)

Atmospheric carbon dioxide enrichment enhances plant growth and development and may alter the nutritive value of grasses. The objective of this study was to evaluate growth, biomass partitioning and nutritive value of Kyasuwa under combinations of atmospheric CO2 concentrations, watering and fertilization treatments. Plants were grown in two greenhouse chambers; with ambient (aCO2; 400 ppm) and elevated CO2 (eCO2; 950 ppm), two watering and three fertilization regimes. Elevated CO2 reduced stomatal conductance by 40%, root to shoot ratio by 8%, leaf to stem ratio (L:S) by 3%, protein content by 14% and Acid Detergent Lignin (ADL) by 23% with no significant changes in total biomass and C/N ratio however, slight increases in leaf area (2%) and Acid Detergent Fiber (ADF) by 4%. Higher fertilization resulted in increased biomass parameters only in well-watered plants while; a lower C/N ratio was recorded with higher fertilization. The L:S ratio was decreased with fertilization while ADL was increased at higher fertilization in well-watered plants. Interactive effects were recorded for ADF content and shoot height. Future eCO2 will be unfavorable to Kyasuwa growth and biomass production making them less competitive with a reduced nutritive value in drought prone and infertile soils

Theobroma grandiflorum (Willd. ex Spreng.) Schum: production factors in agro-ecosystems.

Study to evaluate the feasibiligy of sustainable agroforestry in central Amazonia (Brasil), paying special attention to the potential to recultivate degraded areas. For this purpose differente mixed cultivationsystems are being tested and compared to monocultures designed according to common practices. Study groups of various SHIFT-Projects are working on this experimental site, each groupe dealing with particular aspects of the different agro-ecosystems

With a little help from my friends:physiological integration facilitates invasion of wetland grass Elymus athericus into flooded soils

Tidal wetlands worldwide are undergoing rapid invasions by tall-growing clonal grasses. Prominent examples are invasions by species of the genera Spartina, Phragmites and Elymus. The responsible physiological and ecological drivers of these invasions are poorly understood. Physiological integration (PI) is a key trait of clonal plants, which enables the exchange of resources among ramets. We investigated PI in Elymus athericus, which has been rapidly spreading from high-marsh into low-marsh environments of European salt marshes during the last decades. We applied a nitrogen stable-isotope approach to trace nutrient translocation between ramets in a factorial mesocosm experiment. The experiment was set up to mimic an invasion pattern commonly found in tidal wetlands, i.e. from high-elevated and rarely flooded into low-elevated and frequently flooded microenvironments. We tested for intraspecific variability in PI by including two genotypes of Elymus that naturally occur at different elevations within the tidal frame, a high-marsh (HM) and a low-marsh (LM) genotype. PI strongly increased offspring ramet aboveground and belowground biomass by 62 and 81%, respectively. Offspring ramets under drained conditions had 95% greater belowground biomass than those under flooded conditions. LM genotype offspring ramets produced 27% more aboveground biomass than HM genotypes. Offspring ramets were clearly more enriched in 15N under flooded versus drained conditions; however, this positive effect of flooding on δ15N was only significant in the LM genotype. Our findings demonstrate the importance of PI for the growth of Elymus offspring ramets and thereby for the species' capacity for fast vegetative spread. We show that offspring ramets under stressful flooded conditions are more dependent on nutrient supply from parent ramets than those under drained conditions. Our data furthermore suggest a higher degree of adaptation to flooding via PI in the LM versus HM genotype. In conclusion, we highlight the importance of assessing PI and intraspecific trait variability to understand invasion processes within ecosystems