Management practices for Sunmuscat (Vitis vinifera L.): a new drying variety

Sunmuscat grapevines, managed on one of three trellis × two row spacing configurations, and grown on either their own roots or grafted onto Ramsey rootstock, were assessed over nine seasons (1990–1998 inclusive). The three trellis systems comprised (1) a 0.3 m narrow T‐trellis (NT), (2) a 1.2 m wide T‐trellis (WT), both with a 3.3m row spacing and a height of 1.2 m, and (3) a high (1.8 m) hanging cane (HC) system based on bi‐lateral cordons with a 2.2 m row spacing. Vine spacing within rows was 2.4 m irrespective of row width. A trellis drying treatment was compared with hand harvest during 1991–1995. Over the nine seasons, individual WT vines sustained highest yields of fresh grapes (23.7 kg/vine.season) compared to either NT (20.9 kg/vine) or HC vines (20.8 kg/vine) respectively (P < 0.001). However, HC vines expressed a considerable production advantage on a per hectare basis, viz. 41.3 t/ha, due to closer row spacing. Corresponding vineyard productivity for NT and WT vines was 26.4 and 29.9 t/ha respectively. Both WT and HC vines showed significantly higher bunch and shoot numbers than the NT treatment (P < 0.05 and P < 0.001, respectively). Nevertheless, trellis treatment had no effect on fruitfulness, berry weight, bunch weight, total soluble solids or titratable acidity. Taken overall, vines grafted to Ramsey rootstock had higher mean yields than vines on their own roots (i.e. 23.6 and 20.1 kg /vine, respectively P < 0.001) due to more berries per bunch and larger berries, despite having significantly fewer shoots and bunches. There was no long term evidence for incompatibility of Sunmuscat grafted to Ramsey rootstock. Compared to hand harvest of fresh grapes, trellis drying had no effect on yield, shoot and bunch numbers. Development of significantly smaller berries with trellis drying was offset by higher levels of total soluble solids. Sunmuscat is clearly a highly productive variety and is suited to canopy management on tall, cordon‐based hanging cane systems which are also amenable to trellis drying.     

Rootstock effects on salt tolerance of irrigated field-grown grapevines (Vitis vinifera L. cv. Sultana) 2. Ion concentrations in leaves and juice

Field vines of cv. Sultana, grown either on their own roots, or grafted to a range of rootstocks, were drip‐irrigated at three salinity levels (0.40, 1.75 and 3.50 dS/m) over a five‐year period. Rootstocks comprised Ramsey, 1103 Paulsen, J17‐69 and 4 hybrids (designated R1, R2, R3 and R4) derived from parentage involving Vitis champini, V. berlandieri and V. vinifera. Concentrations of Cl^‐, Na+, K+, Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ were measured in petioles at flowering, and in laminae and grape juice at harvest, in each year of the trial. Vines on all rootstocks accumulated less chloride in either petioles at flowering or in laminae and juice at harvest compared with vines on own roots at all salinity treatments. By inference, all rootstocks behaved as chloride excluders relative to the roots of own‐rooted vines. 1103 Paulsen was the best chloride excluder based on lowest concentrations of accumulated Cl^‐ in petioles, laminae and grape juice at high salinity. Sultana on R3 rootstock at high salinity accumulated more Na+ in both laminae and grape juice (at harvest) than did Sultana on own roots or on any of the other rootstocks. Laminae K+ at harvest time was reduced at high salinity in Sultana on own roots and on all rootstocks. Concentrations of both Cl^‐ and Na+ in petioles at flowering and in laminae and grape juice at harvest showed no significant correlation with either yield (as kg of fresh grapes per vine) or vigour (as measured by fresh weight of one‐year‐old pruning wood per vine) for any salinity treatment. There was however, a strong positive correlation between yield and the subsequent weight of one‐year‐old pruning wood for all salinity treatments. There was also a negative correlation between Na+ concentrations in petioles at flowering and the subsequent weight of one year‐old‐pruning wood from the 0.40 dS/m treatment. Similar negative correlations were found between Na+ concentration in both laminae and grape juice at harvest time, and the subsequent weight of one‐year‐old pruning wood from the 0.40 dS/m treatment (but not from either the 1.75 or 3.50 dS/m treatments). Based on these findings and those from Walker et al. 2002a we conclude that a high innate vigour of a rootstock combined with moderate to high chloride and sodium exclusion ability represents the best combination for salt tolerance in Sultana grapevines as measured by yield at moderate to high salinity.     

INFLUENCE OF TEMPERATURE AND RELATIVE HUMIDITY ON THE PHYSICAL STATES OF COTTON CANDY

Cotton candy is made by melting crystalline sucrose above 210C in a bowl which shoots molten liquid sucrose into the air where it rapidly cools and dries into an amorphous glassy solid state. As such, it is highly hygroscopic, picking up moisture as %RH increases and becoming rubbery. The glass transition line (T_g vs. %RH) divides the two states. When rubbery, cotton candy should collapse forming crystalline sucrose becoming unsaleable. Cotton candy was stored at 25C and at %RH from ～0% to 75%. Moisture gain/loss, visual observations, and powder X‐ray diffraction using a Seimens 5005‐powder X‐ray diffractometer were used to evaluate collapse and crystallization. At ～0% and 11% RH (below T_g), cotton candy maintained a stable structure for at least 12 months. At 33% RH (just at T_g), it collapsed and crystallized within 3 days while at 45, 54 and 75% RH, collapse and crystallization occurred in less than 1 day.     

Limonoid Debittering of Citrus Juice Sera By Immobilized Cells of Corynebacterium fascians

Corynebacterium fascians cells capable of metabolizing limonoids were prepared conveniently with inexpensive carbon sources such as fructose, galactose and citric acid. Cells thus obtained were immo-bilized in acrylamide gel and used in a biological debittering process previously developed. The process significantly reduced limonin and nomilin contents of citrus juice sera. It was particularly effective toward the reduction of nomilin. The debittering treatment did not have adverse effects on the composition of other citrus constituents such as citric, malic, ascorbic acids, fructose, glucose and sucrose.     

Neo-liberal or Third Way? What Planners from Glasgow,Melbourne and Toronto Say

Given the long and well-documented decline in the existence and relevance of place-dependent urban community, we explore the use of an idealised version of community of place in the marketing and implementation of a new suburban master planned estate (MPE) in Australia. In a social policy environment where strong communities of place are idealised, we find residents lack the resources or inclination to devote to the establishment of civic norms or durable social networks within the boundaries of the development and, for the most part, they are content to leave the establishment of the symbols of community to the property developer. It is the idea, rather than the reality, of community that is important, but in order to generate that idea, the developer needs to go to some lengths to create an ‘illusion’, or ‘sense’ of strong local community in the estate through marketing, the creation of nostalgic physical reminders, and selected community interventions such as cyclical events and celebrations. These all play an important role in the establishment of subjective ontological security for residents; to the benefit of both resident and developer.

     

Outcomes from Community Engagement in Urban Regeneration: Evidence from England's New Deal for Communities Programme

This article assesses the potential for non-statutory planning tools, Local Landscape Designations (LLDs), to deliver rural development in Scotland. This research is motivated by new Scottish guidance which encourages designations in general, and LLDs in particular, to be more positive, strategic tools for rural development activities. LLDs were originally conceived to protect and enhance significant areas of valued countryside yet they remain neglected in contemporary planning research and policy. A critical assessment of LLDs across Scotland was undertaken using both primary and secondary data. The results reveal a significant mismatch between positive national guidance and local authority policy and planner attitudes, the latter characterised by more protectionist positions and limited strategic planning. Although case study findings in Aberdeenshire reveal that more planning applications in LLDs have conditional approvals as opposed to the wider countryside, key differences have more to do with the subjective views and priorities of planning committees rather than the efficacy of LLDs per se. The article concludes that the current conceptualisation, operation and performance of LLDs needs to be more robust, and better aligned to reflect a positive focus on community and rural development matters in order to differentiate them from wider countryside policies. However, augmenting resources to reflect the increased attention to the landscape agenda in Scotland is a core prerequisite.     

Accessing osteocyte lacunar geometrical properties in human jaw bone on the submicron length scale using synchrotron radiation μCT

The architectural properties of the osteocyte cell network provide a valuable basis for understanding the mechanisms of bone remodelling, mineral homeostasis, ageing and pathologies. Recent advances in synchrotron microtomography enable unprecedented three‐dimensional imaging of both the bone lacunar network and the extracellular matrix. Here, we investigate the three‐dimensional morphological properties of osteocyte lacunae in human healthy and bisphosphonate‐related osteonecrotic jaw bone based on synchrotron X‐ray computed tomography images, with a spatial isotropic voxel size of 300 nm. Bisphosphonate‐related osteonecrosis of the jaw is a relatively new disease with increasing incidence, which remains poorly understood. A step forward in elucidating this malady is to assess whether, and how, the morphology of the osteocyte lacunar network is modified in the affected jaw tissue. We evaluate thousands of cell lacunae from five specimens of which three originate from patients diagnosed with bisphosphonate‐associated osteonecrosis. In this exploratory study, we report three‐dimensional quantitative results on lacunar volumes (296–502 μm³), shape (approximated by an ellipsoidal shape with principal axes a > b > c, such that a = 2.2b and a = 4c) and spatial distribution (i.e., 50% of the mineralized matrix volume is located within 12 μm to the closest lacunar boundary) at submicron resolution on such specimens. We observe that the average lacunar volumes of the bisphosphonate‐related osteonecrotic jaw specimens were within the range of volumes found in the two specimens originating from healthy donors and conclude that lacunar volumes are not the key element in the course of bisphosphonate‐related osteonecrotic jaw. In three out of five specimens we observe lacunar volume sizes in segmented osteons to be significantly different compared to lacunar volumes in the adjacent tissue regions. Furthermore, we quantify the number of lacunae containing small dense objects (on average 9%). In contrast to lacunar morphology we report the lacunar density (16 000–50 000 per mm³) to be different in jaw bone tissue compared to what has been reported in femoral sites.     

WHEY SEPARATION IN ACID SKIM MILK GELS MADE WITH GLUCONO-δ-LACTONE: EFFECTS OF HEAT TREATMENT AND GELATION TEMPERATURE

The effects of heat treatment and gelation temperature on whey separation in acid milk gels made with glucono-δ-lactone were studied using three empirical methods, two of which were developed specifically to quantify spontaneous whey separation from set acid gels. Gels were made in volumetric flasks and petri dishes and the amount of surface whey produced by gels after 16 h was compared with the amount of supernatant expressed by low speed centrifugation (100 g X 10 min) of gels made in tubes. A central composite experiment design and response surface methodology were used. Using regression analysis a second order polynomial model satisfactorily predicted the effect of heat treatment and gelation temperature on whey separation for gels made in volumetric flasks (R²= 0.89). Whey separation was significantly increased by heat treatment (P < 0.001), gelation temperature (P < 0.01) and the quadratic term for heat treatment (P < 0.01). A significant (P < 0.01) positive correlation (r = 0.71) was observed between whey separation in volumetric flasks and petri dishes. It was suggested that high heat treatments and gelation temperatures favour more rearrangements of the network just after formation, making gels unstable and sensitive to spontaneous whey separation.     

Palatability and Storage Characteristics of Precooked Beef Roasts

The palatability and storage characteristics of fresh, frozen and precooked beef chuck roasts prepared using added phosphate-salt and vacuum cooking bags were evaluated. Palatability attributes (tenderness, juiciness, beef flavor intensity, and off-flavor intensity) of precooked roasts prepared in vacuum cooking bags with phosphate-salt were as good or better than freshly cooked roasts. Precooked roasts in vacuum cooking bags had the lowest total bacterial counts after storage for 14 and 28 days. A palatable precooked roast beef product was developed that can be stored for 28 days at 4°C.     

Emulsion Stability as Affected by Competitive Adsorption Between an Oil-Soluble Emulsifier and Milk Proteins at the Interface

The effect of an oil-soluble emulsifier upon adsorption properties of β-casein and β-lactoglobulin at the oil-water interface was studied. Addition of emulsifier improved the emulsification properties, but lowered emulsion stability. Higher concentrations decreased emulsification capacity, due to an increase in oil phase viscosity, and interfered with several protein assays, except the o-phthaldialdehyde (OPA) assay. Depletion measurements revealed that the emulsifier displaced β-casein more readily than β-lactoglobulin from the surface of droplets, which correlated with emulsification and stability measurements. Displacement of proteins was not complete due to emulsifier-induced formation of a multiple w-o-w emulsion, which accounted for the missing protein in the continuous phase.