Establishment of a viable cell detection system for microorganisms in wine based on ethidium monoazide and quantitative PCR

Fermentability and contamination level of wine can be assessed through the detection of viable fermentation-related and spoilage-related microorganisms. Ethidium monoazide in combination with quantitative PCR (EMA-qPCR) has been considered as a promising method to enumerate viable cells. Milling for 80 s by O 500-mu m glass beads is demonstrated to be optimal for DNA extraction from yeasts, lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and acetic acid bacteria (AAB) in wine to be used as a template for PCR. EMA-qPCR results from experiments using DNA extracted by this method correlate well with the results of a plating assay (R-2 > 0.99), and a PCR efficiency between 96% and 105% was obtained. Moreover, for all of these microorganisms, EMA treatment of pure cultures at a low concentration (10 mu g/mL) for 20 min photoactivation resulted in effective differentiation between viable and non-viable cells and had no effect on viable cells. Due to sublethal injury to some cells, underestimation of cell counts was found in most of the wine samples tested using the EMA-qPCR method, and a 40-min incubation in recovery medium could completely offset this error. Our results suggest an optimal glass-bead DNA extraction method and EMA treatment suitable for all of the main microorganisms in wine. The EMA-qPCR method was successfully applied to quantify yeasts. Saccharomyces cerevisiae (S. cerevisiae), LAB, non-Oenococcus oeni LAB (non-O. oeni LAB) and AAB in wine samples. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Genetic and Morphological Variation in Tropical and Temperate Plant Species

Plants provide the foundation for the structure and function, as well as interactions, among organisms in both tropical and temperate zone habitats. To date, many investigations have revealed patterns and mechanisms generating plant diversity at various scales and from diverse ecological perspectives. However, in the era of climate change, anthropogenic disturbance, and rapid urbanization, new insights are needed to understand how plant species in these forest habitats are changing and adapting. Investigations of plants in both little-disturbed, more natural environments, as well as in urban areas in which crucial green infrastructure is ever more important for sustaining complex human societies are needed. This Special Issue of Forests will focus on plant variation from the perspectives of morphology, genetics, and function, especially plant interactions with biotic and abiotic factors. Research articles may address any aspect of plant evolution and community phylogenetics (explorations of patterns and mechanisms from diverse organismal levels, e.g., molecular, population, species, community, landscape, and ecosystem), plant functional traits (e.g., nutrient traits of leaf, stem, root; reproductive traits of flower, fruit, seed), and/or responses of plant species to changing environments (e.g., water, atmosphere, soil, human activities). Studies providing quantitative evaluation or description of interactions of plants with animals and microbes, both in natural and urban environments, including terrestrial and aquatic systems, are also welcome

Plant Proteomic Research

Plants, being sessile in nature, are constantly exposed to environmental challenges resulting in substantial yield loss. To cope with harsh environments, plants have developed a wide range of adaptation strategies involving morpho-anatomical, physiological, and biochemical traits. In recent years, there has been phenomenal progress in the understanding of plant responses to environmental cues at the protein level. This progress has been fueled by the advancement in mass spectrometry techniques, complemented with genome-sequence data and modern bioinformatics analysis with improved sample preparation and fractionation strategies. As proteins ultimately regulate cellular functions, it is perhaps of greater importance to understand the changes that occur at the protein-abundance level, rather than the modulation of mRNA expression. This Special Issue on "Plant Proteomic Research" brings together a selection of insightful papers that address some of these issues related to applications of proteomic techniques in elucidating master regulator proteins and the pathways associated with plant development and stress responses. This Issue includes four reviews and 13 original articles primarily on environmental proteomic studies

Gas, Water and Solid Waste Treatment Technology

This book introduces a variety of treatment technologies, such as physical, chemical, and biological methods for the treatment of gas emissions, wastewater, and solid waste. It provides a useful source of information for engineers and specialists, as well as for undergraduate and postgraduate students, in the areas of environmental science and engineering

Relationship between Forest Ecophysiology and Environment

Ecophysiological mechanisms underlie plant responses to environmental conditions and the influence these responses have on ecological patterns and processes. In this Special Issue, with a particular interest in the interactions between climate change, environmental disturbance, and functional ecology, experimental observations are described at a range of spatial scales. A modeling framework is used in an effort to relate mechanistic responses to ecosystem functions and services, and link forest ecophysiology and environmental indicators. This Special Issue collects important advances in studying and monitoring plant–environment interactions, covering biogeographic gradients from Mediterranean woodlands to boreal forests and from Alpine mountains to tropical environments

River Ecological Restoration and Groundwater Artificial Recharge

Three of the eleven papers focused on groundwater recharge and its impacts on the groundwater regime, in which recharge was caused by riverbed leakage from river ecological restoration (artificial water replenishment). The issues of the hydrogeological parameters involved (such as the influence radius) were also reconsidered. Six papers focused on the impact of river ecological replenishment and other human activities on river and watershed ecology, and on groundwater quality and use function. The issues of ecological security at the watershed scale and deterioration of groundwater quality were of particular concern. Two papers focused on water resources carrying capacity and water resources reallocation at the regional scale, in the context of the fact that ecological water demand has been a significant topic of concern. The use of unconventional water resources such as brackish water has been emphasized in the research in this issue

Health-Promoting Components of Fruits and Vegetables in Human Health

Diet and lifestyle choices can substantially predispose an individual to, or protect against, many age- and obesity-related chronic diseases. According to the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, dietary bioactives arecompounds in foodsnot needed for basic human nutrition but responsible for changes in health status.1 These compounds are safe at normal food consumption levels (e.g., anthocyanins in berries) and their biological activities may come from a single compound (e.g., lutein in spinach) or a class of compounds (e.g., avenanthramides in oats) even if the exact identity and composition are unknown. Bioactive compounds of plants; can vary significantly in their ratios and relative concentrations depending onfactors such as cultivation, soil, altitude, and weather conditions. Substantial scientific evidence is available for some health promoting phytochemicals, such as dose-response relations, for performance and/or reduction in the risk of chronic disease. However, several limitations relating to absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion of many dietary bioactives still exist and must be better understood This Special Issue compiles recent discoveries that advance our understanding of how dietary bioactive, particularly from fruits and vegetables, influence long-term health maintenance and disease prevention

Biomedical and Pharmacological Applications of Marine Collagen

Biomimetic polymers and materials have been widely used in a variety of biomedical and pharmacological applications. Particularly, collagen-based biomaterials have been extensively applied in various biomedical fields, such as scaffolds in tissue engineering. However, there are many challenges associated with the use of mammalian collagen, including the issues of religious constrains, allergic or autoimmune reactions, and the spread of animal diseases. Over the past few decades, marine collagen (MC) has emerged as a promising biomaterial for biomedical and pharmacological applications. Marine organisms are a rich source of structurally novel and biologically active compounds, and to date, many biological components have been isolated from various marine resources. MC offers advantages over mammalian collagen due to its water solubility, low immunogenicity, safety, biocompatibility, antimicrobial activity, functionality, and low production costs. Due to its characteristics and physicobiochemical properties, it has tremendous potential for use as a scaffold biomaterial in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, in drug delivery systems, and as a therapeutic. In this Special Issue, we encourage submissions related to the recent developments, advancements, trends, challenges, and future perspectives in this new research field. We expect to receive contributions from different areas of multidisciplinary research, including—but not restricted to—extraction, purification, characterization, fabrication, and experimentation of MC, with a particular focus on their biotechnological, biomedical and pharmacological uses

Focus on Insect Rearing Methodology to Promote Scientific Research and Mass Production

The ability to produce insects has a broad impact on human lives in a wide array of areas including insect pest and weed management, human and veterinary medicine, insect production for food and nutrient supplements, as well as research and education. Insect rearing began as a simple desire, yet never a simple task, has continued to expand, both in methodology and application. A desire to learn about and understand insects grew into a desire to control and manipulate insects, both to suppress and to preserve. Rearing individual life stages extended to continuous rearing and maintaining evolved into production. Ultimately, this results in insects physically and behaviorally similar to those from nature. New multi-omics technologies (transcriptomics, nutrigenomics, metabolomics, etc.) recently increased knowledge of microbiomes, and the manipulation of nutrigenomic analysis and statistical optimization modeling have enabled advances in insect nutrition. These advances have resulted in a better understanding of the effects of the food stream ingredients and rearing conditions on the insect’s physiological and biochemical functions, in addition to promoting the production of high-quality insects. The production has application in research, insect control, and most recently, specialized food niche. Before one application has been fully realized, a new application has emerged, often supported with the application of new technologies. Given this pattern of advancement followed by benefits, there is every reason to anticipate more to come in the field of insect rearing