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Highlights: [•] Effect of fungicides on fungal growth, must fermentation and aroma was monitored. [•] Ametoctradin, dimethomorph and mepanipyrim affected sugars-to-ethanol yield. [•] In unfiltered must, the fermentative activity of yeasts was unaffected. [•] In filtered must, a slight decrease of biomass and ethanol productions were observed. [•] A decrease in fruity aroma was then registered with respect to the control wine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The postharvest dehydration is one of the most important steps in obtaining a high quality naturally sweet wine and it can play an important role in modulating the production and the release of volatile compounds. However, only a few studies have analysed the changes in the free and bound volatile compounds of grapes throughout the process. In this work, GC–MS was applied to determine the aromatic composition of Garnacha Tintorera grapes subjected to off-vine dehydration or raisining at several points during the process. The total water loss in 83days was about 62% and the sugar concentration rose from 225 to 464g/L. Within the free volatile compounds, isoamyl alcohols, benzaldehyde and guaiacol registered the largest increase above the concentration effect due to water loss; while within the bound volatile compounds were isoamyl alcohols, ethyl vanillate and benzoic acid. The aromatic profile of the raisins obtained were mainly caramelised, floral, phenolic and burned. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Within the framework of a more and more competitive market, the opportunity to obtain different wines from the same variety cultivated in the same vineyard is becoming of increasing importance. In this study the presence of aroma compounds in Gran Negro (Vitis vinifera L.) grapes was investigated in order to obtain its aroma potential fingerprint taking into consideration the separation of apical (tips) and basal (shoulders) berries of the clusters. In the final stages of maturation, differences were searched in the probable alcohol content, total acidity of the must, as well as in the aromatic composition of skin and flesh from shoulder and cluster tip berries. A GC–MS method was used to determine the aromatic composition. The obtained results showed that there was variability for their aromatic composition. These results are promising for those wine cellars that are considering the separation of berries from tips and shoulders of the clusters for the elaboration of wines with different qualities. For the berries from the tips of the clusters, aromatic alcohols and volatile phenols were mainly found in the flesh (15 and 2 times higher than in the skin, respectively); whereas aldehydes and C6 alcohols were mainly in the skin (4 and 3 times higher than in the flesh, respectively). For this reason, it could be recommended to separate berry skin before enzymatic maceration of the berry flesh must. For the berries from the shoulders of the clusters, the group of volatile phenols showed 2 times more concentration in the skin than in the flesh; it could be recommended to maintain berry skin during enzymatic maceration of the must. Overall, the tips showed a 40% lower level of C6 alcohols (contributing to herbaceous nuances). These results from Gran Negro were compared with those of Brancellao and Mouratón cultivars. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The aroma profiles obtained of three Garnacha Tintorera-based wines were studied: a base wine, a naturally sweet wine, and a mixture of naturally sweet wine with other sweet wine obtained by fortification with spirits. The aroma fingerprint was traced by GC–MS analysis of volatile compounds and by sensorial analysis of odours and tastes. Within the volatiles compounds, sotolon (73μg/L) and acetoin (122μg/L) were the two main compounds found in naturally sweet wine. With regards to the odorant series, those most dominant for Garnacha Tintorera base wine were floral, fruity and spicy. Instead, the most marked odorant series affected by off-vine drying of the grapes were floral, caramelized and vegetal-wood. Finally, odorant series affected by the switch-off of alcoholic fermentation with ethanol 96% (v/v) fit for human consumption followed by oak barrel aging were caramelized and vegetal-wood. A partial least square test (PLS-2) was used to detect correlations between sets of sensory data (those obtained with mouth and nose) with the ultimate aim of improving our current understanding of the flavour of Garnacha Tintorera red wines, both base and sweet. Based on the sensory dataset analysis, the descriptors with the highest weight for separating base and sweet wines from Garnacha Tintorera were sweetness, dried fruit and caramel (for sweet wines) vs. bitterness, astringency and geranium (for base wines). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The opportunity for obtaining different wines from the same variety cultivated in the same vineyard is becoming of increasing importance. This is why some wine cellars have started to assay the separation of the tips and shoulders berries of the clusters of a specific variety with this objective. In this work, the study is focused on berries of Mouratón (Vitis vinifera L.) to investigate if, in the latter stages of ripening, differences exist in the probable alcoholic degree, total acidity of the must, as well as in the aromatic composition of skin and flesh of berries coming from the tips and shoulders of the clusters. Gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC–MS) was used to determine the aromatic composition. The obtained results showed that there was not variability for the probable alcoholic degree and total acidity between the tips and shoulders, whereas there was variability for their aromatic composition during ripening. These results are promising for those wine cellars that are considering the separation of berries from tips and shoulders of the clusters for the elaboration of different quality wines. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article discusses a study which examined the variations of blood protein fractions after subcutaneous inoculation of Staphylococcus aureus in fattening obese castrated rabbits. Factors such as health status, water/food intake, rectal temperature and skin lesions at the inoculation were determined for 21 days. Findings revealed that lethargy or a decrease in food consumption and hyperthermia were evident during the first six hours, while abscesses were form in all rabbits within 48-96 hours. Results also showed that invasive suppurative phlegmons persisted until the 7th and 14th days in four rabbits.

In this paper we present a detailed structural study of epitaxial TiN thin films deposited on biaxially textured Ni- 5%at.W (NiW) substrates by reactive magnetron sputtering. NiW substrates are used as a base material in coated conductors manufacturing. TiN is used as a buffer layer between NiW and YBCO. Structural investigations were carried out using X-ray diffraction. Based on X-rays diffraction analysis it was concluded that the TiN film grew epitaxially on NiW substrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this study the presence of aroma compounds in grapes of Brancellao (Vitis vinifera L.) was investigated in order to obtain its aroma potential fingerprint. It is well known that differences exist in aromatic compounds amongst grapevine varieties at ripening stages. Within the framework of an increasingly competitive market, the chance of obtaining different wines from vines of the same variety grown at the same vineyard is becoming of increasing importance. This can be done through the managing of the vineyard, but also some wineries have assayed the separation of the tip and shoulder berries of the clusters of a specific variety with this objective. In this work it is evaluated that, in the final stages of maturation, differences exist in the probable alcoholic degree, total acidity of the must, as well as in the aromatic composition of skin and flesh of berries coming from the tips and shoulders of the clusters. Gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC–MS) was used to determine the aromatic composition, in the skin and flesh of each sample, either tip or shoulder berries from the clusters. The obtained results showed that there was not variability for the probable alcoholic degree and total acidity between the shoulders and tips, whereas there was variability for their aromatic composition. For the berries from the tips of the clusters most of volatiles were found in the flesh (except aldehydes) and spicy and floral nuances (with the only exception of β-ionone) were in higher proportions. For the berries from the shoulders of the clusters, most of volatiles were found in the skin (monoterpenes, norisoprenoids, aldehydes, and C6 alcohols), where the flesh was slightly richer in aromatic alcohols, volatile phenols and pantolactone; β-ionone and herbaceous nuances were in higher proportions. These results are promising for those wineries that are considering the chance of separating berries from tips and shoulders of the clusters for the elaboration of different quality wines. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Although the winemaking process could allow the dissipation of residues of fungicides applied under critical agricultural practices (CAP), their residual levels could alter the biosynthesis of volatile compounds. The purpose of this work is to look for changes in the aroma profile of those wines in comparison with wines treated under good agricultural practices (GAP). Four new fungicides (mandipropamid, valifenalate, cyazofamid and famoxadone), used to control downy mildew (Plasmopara viticola), were applied under CAP in an experimental vineyard producing white grapes (Vitis vinifera) of Godello var. Once grapes were harvested, single vinifications were performed. Possible modifications of sensorial properties of wines were evaluated by a trained sensorial testing panel constituted of 7 experts. The fungicide residues induced an increment of typical fermentative odours associated with esters in treated wines. The critically treated wine was moved to a sweeter balance with a ripe fruit taste, associated with higher viscosity and greater cloudiness. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Tebuconazole is a triazole fungicide used in the treatment of diseases of vinification grapes. In this work, Mencía red grapes harvested in Valdeorras (Ourense, NW Spain) were used in three vinification experiments performed in an experimental cellar. Experiment A was conducted on uncontaminated crushed, destemmed grapes and involved inoculation with commercially available yeasts at the beginning of alcoholic fermentation. In experiments B and C, crushed, destemmed grapes were spiked with a pure standard of tebuconazole and inoculated with commercial yeasts (experiment B) or endogenous yeasts (experiment C). The main volatile compounds responsible for the aroma composition of the resulting wines were determined in order to evaluate the influence of tebuconazole residues on the outcome of the winemaking process. Terpene and higher-alcohol concentrations were essentially similar in the three wines; by contrast, C6-alcohol, ester and aldehyde concentrations differed significantly between them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This study focus on the development of a headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) method coupled to gas chromatography–ion trap mass spectrometry (GC–ITMS) to identify and quantify simultaneously 32 characteristic volatile compounds. A mixed level factorial 3×23 design was performed to asses the influence of several factors and their interactions (extraction temperature, fibre coating, salt addition and sample volume) on the extraction efficiency. The evaluation of the design showed that temperature and fibre coating were the most significant variables. The method showed good linearity (r2 > 0.990) and repeatability (RSD⩽16%) for all compounds, with detection limits ranging from 0.0024μg/L for limonene to 238μg/L for ethyl 3-hydroxybutyrate, in general below their odour threshold limits. Matrix effects were thoroughly studied. The method was after applied to the first aroma characterisation of the monovarietal young red wine Mencía from the Galician (NW Spain) designation of origin “Valdeorras DO”. To achieve the identification of the major would-be impact odourants, the odour activity value (OAV) was also calculated. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) virus (PRRSV) is the etiologic agent of PRRS, one of the most important diseases in swine worldwide. In the present work, the effects of different PRRSV strains were tested on a piglet experimental model to study the induced acute phase response. For this purpose, pigs ( n = 15 for each group) were intranasally inoculated with one of five PRRSV strains (isolates EU10, 12, 17, 18 from genotype 1 and isolate JA-142 from genotype 2). The acute phase response was monitored by measuring acute phase proteins (APPs). Specifically, the serum concentration of haptoglobin (Hp), C-reactive protein (CRP) and Pig-Major Acute Protein (Pig-MAP) was determined at 0, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18 and 21 days p.i. Clinical signs and growth performance were also monitored during the experiment. All animals became viremic after inoculation during the study period. The APP response was heterogeneous and dependent on the strain, being strains EU10, EU 18 and JA-142 those that induced the highest response and the strongest clinical signs. In general, Hp was the most sensitive biomarker for PRRSV infection, CRP behaved as moderate and Pig-MAP was the less responsive during the course of PRRSV experimental infection. Hp and CRP were significantly discriminatory between infected and control pigs, but not Pig-MAP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land-use change processes present a variety of trajectories depending on local conditions, the regional context and external influences. This study is an in-depth analysis of spatial and temporal land-use change in a rural mountain area for the data period 1965-2010. It concerns a rural area with partially mountainous characteristics and a high prevalence of forest land, in which both the processes of peri-urbanisation and a common land management system involving the state and the community can be observed. Supported by a collection of five periods of image analysis (the 1965, 1974, 1983, 1995, and 2010 maps), the transformation indicators were analysed in terms of the stability grade (SG), which expresses the total proportion of the landscape that has not experienced any transition, the rate of forest transformation (FS) and artificialisation processes (AS). In the area as a whole, the spatial and temporal transitions involve a significant increase in urban areas with a discontinuous fabric, a reduction in agricultural areas, and significant routing of forest occupation with typology and pattern transition. In the common lands, the major transformations occur between forests and semi-natural areas, with a general temporal increase in broad-leaved forest and degraded forest areas and a decrease in agricultural and agro-forestry areas, showing improvements to forest land through the introduction of new species and forest maintenance reflected in smaller subdivisions of patterns of land use. The methods enabled four periods to be identified revealing a distinctive evolution in land use, in which urban consolidation is present consistently, together with rotation of the forest typology - involving forest degradation, gains from agro-forest land or sparsely vegetated areas and the appearance of burnt areas. The results highlight the importance of public policies in the dynamics of land-use change, either in the form of planning or regulatory instruments closely linked to local communities and based on agriculture and forest resources. The management of common land, even in an informal way, introduces differences to land-use trajectories and forest maintenance and greater benefits for the communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]