Complexity and Uniqueness of the Aromatic Profile of Smoked and Unsmoked Herreno Cheese

In this work, the volatile fraction of unsmoked and smoked Herreno cheese, a type of soft cheese from the Canary Islands, has been characterized for the first time. In order to evaluate if the position in the smokehouse could influence the volatile profile of the smoked variety, cheeses smoked at two different heights were studied. The volatile components were extracted by Solid Phase Microextraction using a divinylbenzene/carboxen/polydimethylsiloxane fiber, followed by Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry. In total, 228 components were detected. The most numerous groups of components in the unsmoked Herreno cheese were hydrocarbons, followed by terpenes and sesquiterpenes, whereas acids and ketones were the most abundant. It is worth noticing the high number of aldehydes and ketones, and the low number of alcohols and esters in this cheese in relation to others, as well as the presence of some specific unsaturated hydrocarbons, terpenes, sesquiterpenes and nitrogenated derivatives. The smoking process enriches the volatile profile of Herreno cheese with ketones and diketones, methyl esters, aliphatic and aromatic aldehydes, hydrocarbons, terpenes, nitrogenated compounds, and especially with ethers and phenolic derivatives. Among these, methylindanones or certain terpenes like a-terpinolene, have not been detected previously in other types of smoked cheese. Lastly, the results obtained suggest a slightly higher smoking degree in the cheeses smoked at a greater height.

Linefish resources annual report for the year 2000. Part 2: species profile

This work refers to the same biological aspects of Chrysoblephus puniceus (marreco), Polysteganus coeruleopunctatus (cachucho) and Cheimerus nufar (robalo). It shows the progress in the biological study of the three species, pointing out at the same time the few discrepancies, which still need to be resolved.

Changes in body composition and fatty acid profile during embryogenesis of quillback rockfish (Sebastes maliger)

We investigated developmental changes in the body compositions and fatty acid (FA) profiles of embryos and preparturition larvae of the quillback rockfish (Sebastes maliger). Comparisons of proximate composition data from early-stage embryos with data from hatched preparturition larvae taken from wild-caught gravid females indicated that embryos gain over one-third their weight in moisture while consuming 20% of their dry tissue mass for energy as they develop into larvae. Lipid contributed 60% of the energy consumed and was depleted more rapidly than protein, indicating a protein-sparing effect. Oil globule volume was strongly correlated with lipid levels, affirming its utility as an indicator of energetic status. FA profiles of early embryos differed significantly from those of hatched larvae. Differences in the relative abundances of FAs between early embryos and hatched larvae indicated different FA depletion rates during embryonic development. We conclude that some metabolically important FAs may prove useful in assessing the condition of embryos and preparturition larvae, particularly 20:4n-6, which cannot be synthesized by many marine fish and which is conserved during embryogenesis. Variability in body composition and energy use among rockfish species should be considered when interpreting any measures of condition.

The ecology of Atlantic white cedar wetlands: a community profile

This monograph on the ecology of Atlantic white cedar wetlands is one of a series of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service profiles of important freshwater wetland ecosystems of the United States. The purpose of the profile is to describe the extent, components, functioning, history, and treatment of these wetlands. It is intended to provide a useful reference to relevant scientific information and a synthesis of the available literature. The world range of Atlantic white cedar (Chamaecyparis thyoides) is limited to a ribbon of freshwater wetlands within 200 km of the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States, extending from mid-Maine to mid-Florida and Mississippi. Often in inaccessible sites and difficult to traverse, cedar wetlands contain distinctive suites of plant species. Highly valued as commercial timber since the early days of European colonization of the continent, the cedar and its habitat are rapidly disappearing. This profile describes the Atlantic white cedar and the bogs and swamps it dominates or codominates throughout its range, discussing interrelationships with other habitats, putative origins and migration patterns, substrate biogeochemistry, associated plant and animal species (with attention to those that are rare, endangered, or threatened regionally or nationally), and impacts of both natural and anthropogenic disturbance. Research needs for each area are outlined. Chapters are devoted to the practices and problems of harvest and management, and to an examination of a large preserve recently acquired by the USFWS, the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge in North Carolina.

FishBase species profile: Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822) North African catfish

In this issue NAGA introduces a new page on profiles of fish species. This page will be a permanent feature of the NAGA and will be based on information derived from FishBase (http://www.fishbase.org), the world’s premier information system on fishes and a global public good. FishBase is being developed by the WorldFish Center and an International Consortium. The first species selected is the North African catfish Clarias gariepinus, one of the most important freshwater fish species in Africa. It has been chosen in honor of Prof Dr Guy Teugels of the Musée Royal de l’Afrique Centrale (MRAC) of Tervuren, Belgium, who recently passed away and who spent many years investigating this species.

A Demographic Profile of Participants in Two Gulf of Mexico Inshore Shrimp Fisheries and Their Response to the Texas Closure

A social study of the shrimp fisheries of Galveston Bay, Tex., and Calcasieu Lake, La., was made during the summer of 1987 to examine the impacts of the seasonal closure of the Federal waters off Texas and to understand the infrastructure and demographic processes of these two diverse fisheries. Survey instruments were administered to 159 shrimp boat captains: 89 from Galveston Bay and 70 from Calcasieu Lake. Shrimp-house owners were interviewed in each region as well. The results suggest that the inshore fisheries (i.e., shrimpers and shrimp houses) are distinct from the offshore fisheries. The infrastructure of the two inshore fisheries examined differ in that the market distribution of shrimp from Galveston Bay was more diffuse than from Calcasieu Lake. Much more of the shrimp harvested from Galveston Bay was channelled into the surrounding community than from Calcasieu Lake. The distribution of age,years as a commercial fisherman, and family involvement in fishing suggest that participation in Calcasieu Lake's and Galveston Bay's inshore fisheries have expanded concurrent with declining economies. While overall the Texas closure had little impact on either of the inshore fisheries, the Galveston Bay shrimpers experienced more of a direct impact on their livelihood than Calcasieu Lake shrimpers.

Correlação do perfil lipídico e do quadro clínico de pacientes portadores de doença falciforme no Estado do Rio de Janeiro-RJ

A doença falciforme é uma síndrome hematológica genética que faz parte das hemoglobinopatias de grande abrangência na população mundial. Estima-se que 4,5% da população apresente algum tipo de hemoglobinopatia, cujos aspectos clínicos oscilam de leve à grave. O principal fator que pode influenciar o fenótipo das doenças falciformes é o genótipo da doença; homozigose para HbS ou genótipos compostos do tipo HbSC, HbS/beta-talassemia, HbSD. Este pode desenvolver distúrbios como dislipidemia, colelitíase e transtornos cardiovasculares que podem causar o óbito. O presente estudo visa correlacionar o perfil lipídico de pacientes portadores de doença falciforme. Foram avaliados 52 pacientes do Serviço de Hematologia Clínica do Hospital Universitário Pedro Ernesto HUPE-UERJ, portadores da doença falciforme confirmada pela técnica de HPLC realizada no Laboratório de Análises Clínicas da Faculdade de Farmácia (LACFAR)-UFRJ. As análises hematológicas compostas pelo hemograma completo e dosagens bioquímicas do perfil lipídico formado pela dosagem de triglicerídeos, colesterol total, colesterol HDL, colesterol LDL e colesterol VLDL. A população estudada é composta por 52 pacientes, sendo 22 pacientes do sexo masculino, representando 42% do total de pacientes e 30 do sexo feminino, definindo 58% do total. E com objetivo comparativo, foi constituído um grupo controle de 52 pessoas com média de idade 26 anos, variando entre 5 e 63 anos. A população de Doença Falciforme apresenta grupos etários que oscilam entre 6 e 60 anos de idade, tendo média de 28 anos. Baseada nas características fenotípicas definidas por HPLC, a classificação de hemoglobina demonstra um grupo de 83% de portadores de Hemoglobina SS (n=43), 13% portadores de Hemoglobina SC (n=7) e 4% com Hemoglobina SB0 (n=2). Em relação às dosagens bioquímicas, a análise do perfil lipídico demonstra hipocolesterolemia, cuja média da população é definida por 122mg/dL quando comparada com o grupo controle (GC) com média de 201mg/dL (p<0,001). A taxa do colesterol-HDL situa-se na média de 29mg/dL e do GC 54 mg/dL (p<0,001) e do colesterol-LDL 69mg/dL enquanto o GC 120mg/dL (p<0,001). A sistematização dos resultados hematológicos define uma média de hematimetria de 2,7. 106/mm3. Na dosagem de hemoglobina obteve-se média de 8,4g/dL. Tais resultados caracterizam que é predominante neste grupo a hipocromia sem expressão de microcitose. Dentre os processos patológicos mais comuns, a litíase biliar se destacou nos pacientes com doença falciforme, onde 25% dos pacientes estudados (n=13) apresentaram este comprometimento hepatobiliar, na qual grande parte desses pacientes foram submetidos à colecistectomia. A doença Falciforme cursa com hiperplasia medular principalmente às custas da hiperproliferação dos precursores eritróides na medula óssea. O estado hiperproliferativo nessa doença possivelmente causa redução do colesterol plasmático para atender à maior demanda deste elemento para síntese de novas membranas. Esta redução na produção endógena de colesterol pode ser entendida pela disfunção hepática que habitualmente está presente em pessoas com doença falciforme. Logo se concluiu que existe uma correlação de hipocolesterolemia total e de HDL-c baixo em pacientes com doença falciforme.