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Ninety-five common bean (Phaseolus vulgarisL.) landraces from Spain were evaluated in three different environments in northern Spain for their agronomic performance and seed quality. Significant differences among landraces were found for 14 quantitative traits related to phenology, yield and its components, and seed quality traits. Environmental effects were significant for all traits evaluated except for seeds pod−1, seed width/thickness, seed weight, and seed water absorption. Landrace by environment interactions were significant for all traits except for seeds pod−1and seed water absorption. Selection of new breeding lines for agronomic performance and seed quality within landraces should be reliable because many of them are mixture of lines. Some heirloom varieties belonging to the types faba, caparrón,riñón,ganxet and tolosana had the best performances regarding to seed quality and yield. Principal component analysis revealed differences among environments affecting the performance of the bean landraces. Variation in the landraces seems to be organized in a different way in each one of the test environments, therefore, low plasticity and specific adaptation of Spanish bean landraces to different environments is derived from this study. Some landraces, especially those large and white seeded should be an useful resource for sustainable farming systems in different biogeographical areas and a worthy germplasm for the genetic improvement of agronomic value and seed quality.

The genetic diversity among 10 wild populations of common bean Phaseolusvulgarisvar. aborigineuswas analyzed by means of RAPD markers and morpho-agronomic data. The study was performed on populations collected from different sites located in the provinces of Jujuy, Salta and Tucumán in northwestern Argentina. Ten quantitative traits and 33 random primers were scored. Clustering based on morpho-agronomic traits and RAPD markers generated similar phenograms that grouped bean populations based on their site of collection. The levels of diversity observed among populations were low suggesting they have a common ancestor. The levels of diversity shown by morpho-agronomic traits were higher compared to those of molecular markers, most probably due to the effect of the environment. Furthermore, a 480-bp DNA band identified a group of wild populations collected from similar sites. Breeding strategies need to exploit this diversity to broaden the genetic base of commercial beans to develop high yield cultivars.

Background: Total and specific serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) are routinely used as diagnostic tools in allergy clinics. Several studies have demonstrated an increase of total serum IgE concentrations in alcoholics, but the possible influence of lower quantities of ethanol intake on serum IgE values has not been fully evaluated. This study was aimed at analyzing the influence of alcohol intake on both total and specific serum IgE concentrations in patients studied in an allergy clinic.

Abstract: Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), an important food crop in Europe, America, Africa and Asia, is thought to fix only small amounts of atmospheric nitrogen. It contributes significantly to the sustainability of traditional cropping systems because of the predominance of small-scale farmers who cultivate beans in those areas. The objectives of this work were to evaluate bush bean varieties under common agronomic cropping systems and to evaluate breeding lines under low N-fertility sole cropping and intercropping systems. The purpose of the study was to characterize the genotype and cropping system's variability in symbiotic and plant characters and to identify the most suitable genotypes to establish an effective symbiosis with indigenous strains of Rhizobium. No significant differences among the bush bean varieties evaluated under typical fertilization practices were observed for N2-fixation and plant traits except for seed nitrogen. Significant differences among the bean lines studied under low N-fertilization conditions were detected for plant growth,plant component and N2-fixation traits. A significant interaction of bean genotype x cropping system was found for number of nodules per plant and nodule moisture on the bush bean varieties studied, and for days to emergence, days to flowering, end of flowering, shoot length, root dry weight and shoot nitrogen on the bean lines evaluated. Nodulation parameters were correlated positively with the yield components, shoot and root parts and duration of flowering, and correlated negatively with seed crude protein, pod and seed dimensions and seed dry weight. These observations indicate that it may be possible to increase both the symbiotic N2-fixation and seed yield through plant breeding.

Common bean (Phaseolus vulgarisL.) is a traditional crop in Portugal, where farmers growvarieties selected and maintained by themselves. A collection of 88landraces of common bean was evaluated for 17 quantitative andqualitative traits and the biochemical marker phaseolin to displaythe degree of variation of this germplasm. Agronomic data weresubjected to cluster analysis and several groups were identified,with three groups clustering most of the landraces. Regardingphaseolin variation the C and T banding patterns are the mostfrequent ones, so the origin of the Portuguese beans is thus probablythe Andean region of South America. These results give informationabout the origin, diversity and breeding value of the Portuguesegermplasm, that could be useful to widen the genetic base ofcurrently cultivated bean varieties in Europe.

Background: Increased serum immunoglobulin (Ig) E values are frequently found in alcoholics. Cytokines produced by T‐helper‐2 (Th2) lymphocytes are required for IgE synthesis. Chronic alcoholism is associated with altered cytokine balance. This study analyzed the relationship between Th1 and Th2 cytokine production by stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and serum IgE levels, both in atopic and nonatopic alcoholics.

Background: The relationship between Streptococcus bovis bacteraemia and gastrointestinal disease (mainly colon cancer) is well known. Patients with advanced liver disease are prone to bacteraemia. Less attention has been paid to the association between liver disease and Streptococcus bovis bacteraemia in the literature. Aims: To evaluate the prevalence of liver disease in patients with S. bovis bacteraemia. Patients and methods: Twenty-two episodes of S. bovis bacteraemia in 20 adults (13 males and seven females, with a median age of 61 years, range 32–94 years) were detected in a single hospital over a 7-year period. Ten of them had endocarditis. Patients' clinical records were reviewed, with special focus on underlying liver and gastrointestinal disease. Results: Eleven patients (55%) had a chronic liver disease. Nine of them were cirrhotics. Ten patients had a history of chronic alcohol abuse, and four patients had hepatitis C virus antibodies (associated with alcohol abuse in three cases). Large bowel disease was present in six out of 13 evaluable patients (adenocarcinoma in three cases). Patients with liver disease were younger than patients without it. Mortality related to S. bovis bacteraemia was particularly high among patients with advanced liver disease (Child-Pugh state C). Bacteraemia recurred two times in one alcoholic cirrhotic, who was diagnosed as having a Dukes-B colon cancer 4.5 years after the first episode of S. bovis bacteraemia. Conclusions: In our area, S. bovis bacteraemia is frequently associated with chronic liver disease. Liver disease may be a predisposing factor for S. bovis bacteraemia. Copyright 2001 The British Infection Society

Abstract: Breeding programmes in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) have mainly focused on performance under monoculture conditions. Interactions among cultivars and cropping systems do occur and genotypes bred for pure cropping may not be suitable for intercropping. This study was undertaken to obtain estimates of genetic parameters of quality traits for bush bean landraces grown in two cropping systems, and the interrelationships of these traits between pure cropping and intercropping with maize (Zea mays L.). Field experiments were conducted at two locations for two years. Expression of most traits was not strongly influenced by genotype × environment interactions. Heritability estimates were similar in both cropping systems for most pod and seed quality traits. Positive correlations were observed between pure cropping and intercropping for pod characters (weight, length, width and texture) and seed characters (dry and imbided weight, length, hardness, coat proportion, water absorption and crude protein). Use of a selection index is suggested for breeding for seed size, water absorption,coat proportion and crude protein for both cropping systems. However, larger gains would be expected in pure cropping for most traits. Bean accessions PHA-0267, PHA-0285, PHA-0286 and PHA-0299 should be used for developing acceptable culinary and high protein breeding lines for either cropping system.

Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is an important food in the northwest of Spain where it is consumed as either green pods or dry seeds after cooking. Quality properties play a major role in cultivar acceptance by processors and consumers. To determine if sufficient variation in important culinary and nutritional traits exists within common bean, fifty-nine populations (plus five commercial cultivars) were grown in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula in three different environments and evaluated for sixteen fresh pod and dry seed quality traits. Populations showed significant differences for pod curvature, length/width and width/thickness ratios of pod and seed, pod and seed texture, volume, hardness, seed coat percentage and water absorption of seed, crude protein, crude fat, crude fiber, toal sugars and starch content. Genotype × environment interaction was significant for fresh pod traits such as curvature, length/width and width/thickness ratios, and texture, and for dry seed traits such as length/width and width/thickness ratios, volume, hardness and water absorption. Estimates of heritabilities and constancies (genotypic/environmental variance) were higher than 0.5 and 1.0 respectively for pod curvature, length/width and width/thickness ratios of pod and seed, seed volume and seed water absorption. There were high correlations of pod texture with seed length/width and width-thickness ratios, seed coat percentage, seed water absorption, crude fat, total sugars, starch content and crude fiber. Pod texture could be used as an important parameter for evaluating both seed culinary and nutritional quality. In addition, 17 populations showed promise as parental material in a breeding program for pod and seed culinary quality and protein content. The culinary and nutritional quality potential of the accessions such as PHA-0171, PHA-0253 and PHA-0257 which are known as Alubias de riñón could be the base material in a breeding program to obtain accessions with a good seed quality.

Summary The intereropping of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and maize (Zea mays L.) is a common practice in the Northwest of the Iberian Peninsula. In this experiment, 25 populations of bush bean were evaluated for nutritional and culinary traits of dry seed and immature pod in sole crop and in intercrop in two years and in two locations, in order to determine whether selection of bush bean in sole crop can result in genetic progress for intercrop.