A NOVEL TIME-SHARED FLUOROMETER GIVES THE MITOCHONDRIAL REDOX STATE AS THE RATIO OF TWO COMPONENTS OF THE RESPIRATORY CHAIN OF THE ANIMAL AND HUMAN BUCCAL CAVITY WITH QUANTITATIVE MEASURES OF THE REDOX ENERGY STATE

The source of energy for life is the tissue mitochondria and they demand a complex chain of biochemicals to ensure proper physiological function.Classically,the blood levels,and not the tissue levels of these metabolites,are determined by expensive and time-consuming biochemical analyses.Since the tissue mitochondria are the consumers of the substrates of glycolysis and of fatty acid metabolism,their redox state is a unique accessible monitor of tissue metabolism and its blockade due to toxins.

Optical Fiber Fluorometer for Algae Detection and Mapping

A simple instrument for the real-time measurement of algae concentration and mapping is described. The instrument uses a pulsed short arc xenon flashlamp as the excited light sources. Both the exciting light and the fluorescence from algae chlorophyll are transmitted along a fiber bundle. The measurement sensitivity is analyzed and the experiment result is given. The instrument is practical to in-situ measurement at sea.

Preliminary investigations on Arctic microalgae by jointapplication of fluorescent instruments

In vivo fluorescence has a wide application in analyzing microalgae, including assessing phytoplankton biomass, rates of primary production and physiological status. This study describes a preliminary investigation on the joint application of the three kinds of fluorescence analysis in the physiological study of microalgae. Flow cytometry and fluorescence spectrometry were used to obtain the in vivo static fluorescence information of pigments, and a Pulsed-Amplitude-Modulation chlorophyll fluorometer was used to detect the dynamic fluorescence of chlorophyll. The validity of the joint application was proved by analyzing two labora- tory cultured Arctic microalgae, Pseudo-nitzschia delicatissima （Bacillariophyceae） and Thalassiosira sp. The higher value of minimum fluorescence yield in dark-adapted state （Fo）, actual photochemical efficiency of PSll （ФPSII）, and electron transport rate （ETR） exhibited positive results in a higher cell abundance and chlorophyll a content of P. delicatissima; whereas higher fl-carotene content of Thalassiosira sp. played an important role in the protection of photosynthesis.

Response of Chlorophyll a, SPAD Values and Chlorophyll Fluorescence Parameters in Leaves of Apricot Affected Some Abiotic Factors

Experimental trail conducted in Jasenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina have showed apricot （Prunus persica L） leaf injures especially on the edges in the middle of the season. Leaf edges show chlorosis starting from the tip due to lack of Chlorophyll. Affected leaves start falling and renew leaves masse as respond to stress conditions which also delay fruits maturation. Technological development in detecting the stress of high plants trough the leaf fluorescence and Chlorophyll concentration have led to the introduction of instruments which utilize fluorescence as a basis for determining stress level. The paper was aimed to show whether the productivity values calculated from Chlorophyll fluorescence Fv/Fm were comparable to those produced by spectrophotometric method in detecting Chlorophyll a concentration and SPAD values detected by Chlorophyll meter （SPAD-502）. Measurements of nitrogen content were also provided in order to obtain accuracy of SPAD meter since Chlorophyll molecules contain nitrogen in their structure. To test the relationship between these three technique regression relationship was obtained. Regression coefficient between Fv/Fm values and Chlorophyll a concentration mg g-t was high. Also, strong regression coefficient was observed between Chlorophyll a and SPAD values indicating a good accuracy of this device which was also confirmed by good regression between nitrogen content and SPAD values. Fluorometer measurements on injured leaves samples of apricot have also reviled the Fv/Fm values below 0.83 which is in according with numerous authors who considered a line for indicating stress factors.

Prevalence of Aflatoxins in Smoked-Dried and Fresh Fish in Zambia

The food contamination is a critical public health concern at the global level. The aflatoxins are considerable food contaminants and health menace to a sizable world population. Aflatoxins originate from fungi as their toxic secondary metabolites. This study aimed to probe the contamination level of aflatoxins in smoked-dried fish and the extent of the threat it might pose on human health. The study considered five of the regularly consumed species of smoked-dried fish. The study also considered two species of fresh fish. The investigation was carried out using VICAM Series-4EX Fluorometer. The Buka fish sample had the lowest concentration of 1.3 ppb for total aflatoxins, and Bream fish was analyzed to have the highest as 3.84 ppb. As such, the total aflatoxin concentration in this study was found to be between 1.3 and 3.84 ppb. These concentrations can be considered to be a matter of concern. Prolonged intake of the aflatoxins in this range may result in a health hazard to humans. As expected, there was no trace of aflatoxins detected in fresh fish samples.