bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Modelling the enzymatic softening of apples in relation to cultivar, growing system, picking date and season
Authors: Róth Erika , Hertog Maarten L.A.T.M. , Kovács Etelka , Nicolaï Bart 
Published: March 2008

SummaryThe postharvest softening of four apple cultivars cv. Idared, Liberty, Pilot and Pinova coming from an organic and an integrated experimental orchard was studied to compare the effects of cultivar, growing system, picking date and season. The stiffness of apples was examined monthly by acoustic impulse‐response technique. The activity of β‐galactosidase (β‐Gal) and polygalacturonase (PG) causing cell wall breakdown was investigated at harvest and during storage. A mechanistic model approach was developed to interpret the integral set of data on softening as a function of the measured enzyme activities. No consistent differences were observed in β‐Gal or PG activity during storage of apples coming from either organic or integrated orchards, whereas their stiffness behaved comparably. In general, the effect of cultivar and season was higher than the effect of production system. Using the developed model, postharvest stiffness changes were described in relation to the observed changes in β‐Gal and PG activity during storage.
Characterisation of wines and distilled spirits from melon (Cucumis melo L.)
Authors: Gómez Luis Fernando Hernández , Úbeda Juan , Briones Ana 
Published: March 2008

SummaryMelon fermentation and distillation was studied with a view to produce melon spirits. Three different substrates were obtained from melon (Cucumis melo L.). Sugar concentration was around 60–70 g L−1 and the pH between 4.6 and 5.2. The substrates were clarified and then fermented at one of two pH levels at 20 °C. A commercial Saccharomyces cerevisiae starter culture was used to obtain melon wines with an alcohol concentration of 3.8–5.8% (v/v). The melon wines were distilled in a distillation column to yield distillates with an alcohol content of 33–60% (v/v). The major volatiles in the melon wines and in the distillates were analysed by gas chromatography (GC). The results demonstrated that melon could be a good substrate of fermentation and distillation but also yielded significant differences in the volatiles analysed in the different melon wines and distillates obtained from the different substrates in the different conditions of the experiment. Fermentation pH greatly affected the methanol, acetaldehyde, and butanol contents and thus the final quality of the spirits produced.
Composition, chemical and microbiological properties of Jordanian ovine organ meats
Authors: Abdullah Basem Mohd 
Published: March 2008

SummarySheep livers, spleens, kidneys and hearts were taken from fifteen carcasses at a local slaughterhouse to study proximate composition, energy value, minerals content and chemical and microbiological characteristics. A wide range of weights was identified between organs and within one type of organ. Kidneys had the highest mean moisture and fat contents, while liver had the highest protein content, nitrogen‐free extract value, energy (kcal) values and the lowest pH value. The thiobarbituric acid value was highest in kidneys and lowest in livers. There was considerable variability of mineral content within and between organs. The aerobic plate counts were similar for all organs and numbers of Staphylococcus aureus were low, with little difference in number between organs.
Local excitation and interference of surface phonon polaritons studied by near‐field infrared microscopy
Authors: HUBER A.J. , OCELIC N. , HILLENBRAND R. 
Published: March 2008

SummaryWe demonstrate that mid‐infrared surface phonon polariton excitation, propagation and interference can be studied by scattering‐type near‐field optical microscopy (s‐SNOM). In our experiments we image surface phonon polaritons (SPPs) propagating on flat SiC crystals. They are excited by weakly focused illumination of single or closely spaced metal disks we fabricated on the SiC surface by conventional photolithography. SPP imaging is performed by pseudo‐heterodyne interferometric detection of infrared light scattered by the metal tip of our s‐SNOM. The pseudo‐heterodyne technique simultaneously yields optical amplitude and phase images which allows us to measure the SPP wave vector – including its sign – and the propagation length and further to study SPP interference. High resolution imaging of SPPs could be applied to investigate for example SPP focusing or heat transfer by SPPs in low dimensional nanostructures.
Plasmonic devices with controllable resonances – an avenue towards high‐speed and mass fabrication of optical meta‐materials
Authors: KURIHARA K. , ROCKSTUHL C. , PETIT S. , YAMAKAWA Y. , TOMINAGA J. 
Published: March 2008

SummaryWe report on the fabrication of plasmonic devices with adjustable resonances in the visible portion employing a thermal lithography method. The genuine approach enables the fabrication of nanostructured pattern at a spatial resolution comparable to other nanofabrication techniques, but at significantly larger speeds and over extended spatial domains. The fabricated structures consisted in periodically arranged nanoholes in a silver thin film and supported localized plasmon resonance (LPR) in the vicinity of 370 nm. Results from measured spectral properties were in good agreement with simulations based on rigorous diffraction theory. The method was evaluated towards a potential application to realize large‐scale meta‐materials with effective negative refractive index in the visible.
Controlling the plasmon resonance of single metal nanoparticles by near‐field anisotropic nanoscale photopolymerization
Authors: IBN‐EL‐AHRACH H. , BACHELOT R. , LÉRONDEL G. , VIAL A. , GRIMAULT A.‐S. , PLAIN J. , ROYER P. , SOPPERA O. 
Published: March 2008

SummaryWe propose a new approach for tuning the Surface Plasmon (SP) resonance wavelength using hybrid nanoparticles. Our approach is based on nanoscale photopolymerization around metal nanoparticles. The enhanced optical near‐field of silver nanoparticles triggers local photopolymerization. As a result, atomic force microscopy reveals two nanoscale polymerized lobes around nanoparticles, with a controlled effective index distribution. A spectral breaking degeneracy of surface plasmon resonance of the nanoparticles has been demonstrated by polarized extinction spectroscopy.
Near‐field investigation of porous silicon photoluminescence modification after oxidation in water
Authors: JUAN M. , BOUILLARD J.‐S. , PLAIN J. , LERONDEL G. , ADAM P. M. , BACHELOT R. , ROYER P. 
Published: March 2008

SummaryWe report on local photo‐induced oxidation of porous silicon in water at room temperature. Starting from a nonluminescent sample, the oxidation process induces luminescence which was found to first increase and then decrease as a function of the oxidation time. A clear blue shift is also observed. This effect is believed to be owing to size modification of silicon nanocrystallites and thus is explained in terms of quantum confinement. Optical near‐field images and spectrum are used to monitor the photoluminescence modifications after oxidation. As the photoluminescence can be widely tuned in wavelength and intensity, this method offers a way to pattern the emission properties of the sample.
A Poincaré's approach for plasmonics: the plasmon localization
Authors: BARCHIESI D. , KREMER E. , MAI V.P. , GROSGES T. 
Published: March 2008

SummaryA Poincaré's approach is employed to characterize the excitation of a plasmon, which in essence corresponds to a zero of a complex S‐matrix. Throughout this work we study the plasmonic behaviour of gold, as this metal not only is frequently used in experimental arrays, but also requires an accurate dispersion model to properly excite plasmons. We investigate the plasmonic behaviour of gold nanogratings by means of Born's approximation and the Finite‐Elements Method. Also, a method based on the Poincaré's approach is proposed to optimize this kind of structures.
Cell wall investigations utilizing tip‐enhanced Raman scattering
Authors: BUDICH C. , NEUGEBAUER U. , POPP J. , DECKERT V. 
Published: March 2008

SummaryTip‐enhanced Raman scattering is used to investigate the surface structure of the cell wall of Staphylococcus epidermidis with high lateral resolution and chemical specificity. For most biological samples, the transmission tip‐enhanced Raman scattering set‐up is ideally suited because it allows the specimen to be kept under specific environmental conditions, whereas it most efficiently collects the signal created at the field‐enhancing probe. Special emphasis is given here to the parameters required to reproducibly set up the instrument, such that field‐enhancement factors can be estimated properly. Also the importance of control experiments to avoid misinterpretation of signals will be emphasized by an example.
Total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy study of spiral Ca2+ waves in single heart cell
Authors: BAI Y. , TANG A. , WANG S. , ZHU X. 
Published: March 2008

SummarySpiral wave phenomena exist in many scales of nature and have attracted the attention of scientists from different fields. Although much work has been done on qualitative analysis of spiral waves, the mechanism of spiral waves' spontaneous formation and termination in living systems is still not clear. Here, by using total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy, we show the spiral waves of calcium signals in single rat cardiac myocytes and the simulation of the waves comprising calcium sparks. The mechanism of the formation and termination of spiral waves is attributable to the calcium release channels' refractory resulting from their stochastic release. We suggest that this mechanism can be adapted to other living systems.
Study of the optical response of phase‐change recording layer with zinc oxide nanostructured thin film
Authors: KAO T. S. , FU Y. H. , HSU H. W. , TSAI D. P. 
Published: March 2008

SummaryRecently, use of nanostructured materials as a near‐field optical active layer has attracted a lot of interest. The non‐linear optical properties and strong enhancements of metallic oxide nanostructured thin films are key functions in applications of promising nanophotonics. For the importance of ultra‐high density optical data storage, we continue investigating the ultra‐high density recording property of near‐field optical disk consisting of zinc oxide (ZnOx) nanostructured thin film. A carrier‐to‐noise ratio above 38 dB at a recording mark size of 100 nm can be obtained in the ZnOx near‐field optical disk by a DVD driver tester directly. In this article, we use an optical pump‐probe system (static media tester) to measure the optical response of a phase‐change recording layer (Ge2Sb2Te5) and demonstrate the high contrast of optical recording with a ZnOx nanostructured thin film in short pulse durations. Also, we investigate the dependence of writing power and the optical response in conventional re‐writable recording layers and the phase‐change material with ZnOx nanostructured thin film.
Two populations of Phlebotomus ariasi in the Cévennes focus of leishmaniasis in the south of France revealed by analysis of cuticular hydrocarbons
Authors: KAMHAWI SHADEN , MOLYNEUX D. H. , KILLICK‐KENDRICK R. , MILLIGAN P. J. M. , PHILLIPS ANGELA , WILKES T. J. , KILLICK‐KENDRICK MIREILLE 
Published: March 2008

ABSTRACT. Two distinct populations of Phlebotomus ariasi Tonnoir have been identified in the Cevennes focus of leishmaniasis in the south of France using gas‐liquid chromatography (GLC) of cuticular hydrocarbons extracted from individual dried female flies. Results were obtained after analysis of flies collected from CDC light traps from a domestic and a sylvatic site separated by a distance of 900 m. Flies were provided for GLC analysis as six blind samples. Using cluster and discriminant analysis techniques, five of the samples were shown to form two distinct groups, while a sixth was identified as a mixture.These findings were subsequently confirmed to correspond exactly with the way the samples had been presented. Samples grouped together on the basis of the flies' cuticular hydrocarbon profiles had been taken from the same site, while the ungrouped sample had been deliberately mixed.Using a jack‐knifed estimator, it is shown that specimens can be correctly allocated to the population to which they belong with a 92% success rate.These results confirm the value of the technique for the identification of populations of medical vectors. The implication of the findings for the epidemiology of leishmaniasis is discussed with special reference to the need to determine if both populations are vectors and to study differences in behaviour.In addition to adults, profiles of larval sandflies have been obtained for the first time.
Diel rhythms of tick parasitism on incubating African penguins
Authors: DUFFY DAVID CAMERON , DATURI AUGUSTA 
Published: March 2008

ABSTRACT. 1. Ticks (Ornithodoros capensis Neumann) were most abundant on incubating host African penguins (Spheniscus demersus Linnaeus) at 24.00 hours and least abundant during 09.00–12.00 hours during 4 day periods in May and October at 3 h intervals.2. Ticks were three times as abundant in May, the start of the breeding season, as in October, at its end.3. Air temperature and humidity appear less important than light levels in determining tick activity.4. The degree of tick parasitism of breeding seabirds is best studied at night.
Management of insecticide resistance in control of the Simulium damnosum complex by the Onchocerciasis Control Programme, West Africa: potential use of negative correlation between organophosphate resistance and pyrethroid susceptibility
Authors: KURTAK DAN , MEYER ROLF , OCRAN MICHAEL , OUÉDRAOGO MOUSSA , RENAUD PIERRE , SAWADOGO R. O. , TELE BARRO 
Published: March 2008

Abstract. 1. Resistance of some populations of the Simulium damnosum complex to temephos (100‐fold at the LC50 level), with degrees of cross‐resistance to chlorphoxim (14‐fold) and other organophosphate insecticides, follows intensive larvicidal control of S.damnosum s.l. in West African river systems since 1975 by the WHO Onchocerciasis Control Programme.2. Larvae of at least three sibling species of the S.damnosum complex have become organophosphate‐resistant: these are the forest species S.sanctipauli Vajime & Dunbar and the savanna species S.sirbanum V. & D. and S. damnosum Theobald sensu stricto.3. Organophosphate‐resistant S.damnosum s.l. larvae show increased susceptibility to some organochlorine and pyrethroid insecticides, especially to permethrin (up to 11‐fold) and OMS 3002 (up to 17‐fold), as compared with organophosphate‐susceptible populations.4. This differential susceptibility is reflected by increased pyrethroid efficacy in operational use for river treatments against organophosphate‐resistant field populations of S.damnosum s.l. larvae. Treatment of 100 km of the lower Bandama River in 1985 showed that permethrin at the highly selective dosage of 10 min exposure to 0.01 mg/1 caused reversion towards organophosphate‐susceptibility of the target population of S.sanctipauli. This effect was less pronounced when the Comoe River was treated at the lower dosage of 0.005 mg/1 for 10 min.5. To overcome temephos‐resistance, it is proposed that the most rational usage of currently available larvicides would involve the following annual sequence of treatments: Bacillus thuringiensis serotype H‐14 when river discharge is below 75 m3/s; chlorphoxim for about eight weekly treatment cycles after river discharge rises; permethrin (or alternative pyrethroid) for up to six treatment cycles ‐ this should eliminate any incipient selection for chlorphoxim‐resistance; resume chlorphoxim (or perhaps carbosulfan) treatments until river discharge falls below 75 m3/s permitting resumed use of B.t. H‐14.
Efficacy of Bacillus sphaericus 2362 against larvae of Anopheles gambiae under laboratory and field conditions in West Africa
Authors: NICOLAS L. , DARRIET F. , HOUGARD J. M. 
Published: March 2008

Abstract. A flowable concentrate of Bacillus sphaericus (Neide) strain 2362 was applied against Anopheles gambiae Giles s.l. mosquito larve in small plot field trials in Bobo‐Dioulasso area, Burkina‐Faso. Third and fourth instar larvae were controlled for 10–15 days with a dosage of 10 g/m2, 3–10 days with 1 or 0.1 mg/m2, and 2 days with 0.01 g/m2.Complete elimination of larval populations required lx102 to 2times103 viable spores/ml in the larval feeding zone.After treatment, the total numbers of viable spores decreased in the ponds, due to ingestion of spores by non‐target as well as target organisms and/or to loss of viability of some spores by sunlight. This formulation was less effective against An.gambiaehan against Culex quinquefasciatus Say larvae, both in laboratory bioassays and under field conditions.
Septic tank mosquitoes: competition between species in central Nigeria
Authors: IRVING‐BELL R. J. , OKOLI E. I. , DIYELONG D. Y. , LYIMO E. O. , ONYIA O. C. 
Published: March 2008

Abstract. Exit traps, placed over the air vents of septic tanks, were used to examine species diversity and relative abundance of mosquitoes breeding in ammonia‐rich waters of septic tanks. Of the six species found, Culex deceits Theobald and Culex cinereus Theobald appeared to be competing successfully with Culex quinquefasciatus Say during the wet season but not during the long dry season. The seasonal timing of their displacement by Cx quinquefasciatus was variable and did not correlate well with climatic factors. The three other species present, generally during the wet season and early dry season, were Culex tigripes G. & C, Culex horridus Edwards and Aedes aegypti (L.).Experimental bucket ovitraps were used to assess preference towards covered (dark) septic tank water in comparison with sunlit septic tank water, covered and sunlit compost water. These were colonized by Cx quinquefasciatus, Cx decens, Ae.aegypti and Ae.vittatus Bigot. The covered septic tank water was more abundantly colonized by Cx quinquefasciatus and marginally so by the two Aedes species. Cx decens appeared to colonize the exposed compost water more readily in the dry season, but changed to the covered septic tank water in the wet season.The discussion centres around competition between these mosquito species and concludes that it would be useful to know what environmental factors, or what aspects of competition, lead to severe natural reductions in the abundance of the major pest species Cx quinquefasciatus.
Evaluation of some adhesives for collecting Musca domestica and Chrysomya megacephala adults or mosquito larvae in sticky traps
Authors: SULAIMAN SALLEHUDIN , YUNUS HASHIM , SOHADI RAHIM 
Published: March 2008

Abstract. 1. Seven types of water‐insoluble adhesives were evaluated in sticky traps for collecting adults of Musca domestica L. and Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius) or mosquito larvae (Aed.es aegypti (L.) and Culex quinquefasciatus Say).2. Adhesive viscosity affected the tackiness of the glues and this determined their trapping efficiency in air or water.3. From the ‘Hyvis’ range of adhesives tested, ‘Hyvis 200’ was most effective for trapping adult flies.4. With 24 h exposure to fourth instar Ae.aegypti larvae in tapwater, submerged plates coated with ‘Hyvis 10’, ‘Hyvis 30’ or ‘Hyvis 200’ formulations trapped the majority of larvae. In polluted water the highest rates of trapping were 17.3% of Ae. aegypti and 18.7% of Cx quinquefasciatus with ‘Hyvis 200’. Floating traps were consistently less productive than submerged traps under laboratory conditions.5. In a heavily polluted natural breeding‐site of Cx quinquefasciatus, floating traps were more productive than submerged sticky traps with four of seven adhesives tested, the most efficient being ‘Hyvis 200’ (4.2 mosquitoes per hour) and Hyvis:polyethylene 90:10 (4.5/h). Despite the relative inefficiency of aquatic traps, emergent adults, pupae and second to fourth instars of larvae were collected quickly from the habitat.
A behavioural bioassay to identify attractive odours for Glossinidae
Authors: SAINI R. K. , DRANSFIELD R. D. 
Published: March 2008

Abstract. 1. A behavioural bioassay, based on antennal movement responses, was developed using Glossina morsitans morsitans Westwood for screening chemical attractancy to tsetse.2. Chemicals found to be attractive to male tsetse were acetone, formaldehyde, methylethylketone, methylvinylketone, l‐octen‐3‐olandpen‐tanal but not acetophenone, hexanal, lactic acid or urea.3. Female tsetse responded to all these chemicals, more strongly than males for the first six attractants, less strongly than males for the other four chemicals.4. These laboratory bioassay findings agree with field observations on tsetse responses to certain chemical odours. Therefore this behavioural bioassay should be a useful laboratory test procedure for screening attractants.
The life expectancy of phlebotomine sandflies: first field estimates from southern France
Authors: DYE C. , GUY M. W. , ELKINS D. B. , WILKES T. J. , KILLICK‐KENDRTCK R. 
Published: March 2008

Abstract. 1. A field study of Phlebotomus ariasi Tonnoir, the vector of Leishmania infantum Nicolle in southern France, addressed the following questions: Is it possible to estimate reliably the life expectancy of this sandfly; can spatial or temporal variation in the life expectancy be detected, and is such variation significant for disease transmission?2. Life expectancy was estimated by examining follicular relics in the ovaries of more than ten thousand females caught in light traps at seven sites in the Cévennes and the Garrigues, throughout their active period in 1985 and 1986. Whilst the distinction between nulliparous and parous flies was easily made, assessments of the number of times a parous fly had laid eggs were unreliable. Best estimates of life expectancy were therefore calculated from the parous rate.3. Large samples collected from one site in the Cevennes in both years gave very similar estimates of life expectancy.4. There was also no significant difference between estimates obtained from the Cévennes and the Garrigues, despite their distinct vegetation and climates. Therefore, large regional differences in sandfly population size and the prevalence of canine leishmaniasis cannot be explained by a difference in adult survival rate.5. With no systematic annual or regional variation, a useful mean life expectancy can be calculated from the data collected at all sites in both years. It is 1.54 (SE 0.04) ovarian cycles. However, this estimate is sensitive to the assumption that survival rate is a discrete rather than a continuous variable.6. Local variation in the parous rate may be associated with the proximity of traps to P.ariasi emergence sites.