Lichens are traditionally divided into short “crustose”, intermediate “foliose” and tall “fruticose” types, a practice that hides a growth continuum. Substrate, temperature and water are thought to affect vertical growth, but such factors are difficult to measure, because, for example, the water actually available to lichens does not match rainfall patterns or even ground water levels. To reliably assess the effect of those factors, I recorded temperature, moisture, and substrate in and under individual terricolous lichen colonies in 60 fixed quadrats on April, August, October, and December of 2015 (Cerro de la Muerte, Costa Rica, 9°33′N; 83°45′W). The measurements were taken inside the colonies themselves (rather than on the general environment), covering an annual cycle of the relatively simple páramo habitat, where animals and vegetation have less impact than in lower ecosystems. The hypotheses were that lichens would grow taller on softer, warmer, and moister ground; on the Caribbean versant; and on the rainy season. Results matched the hypotheses, with one exception: lichens on soft ground were not taller than those on rock. Caribbean colonies were, on the average, 7 cm taller than those on the drier Pacific versant. Physiologically available water seems to be the main determinant of lichen vertical growth: more water means taller lichens and greater protection from climatic change for both the lichens and their microcommunities.

The composition, structure and functionalities of prolamins from highland barley was investigated. These parameters of was compared with the widely applied prolamins (zein). There are more charged and hydrophilic amino acids in prolamins from highland barley than zein. The molecu-lar weight of prolamins from highland barley were between 30 to 63 kDa, which was larger than zein (20 to 24 kDa). β-turn helices is the main secondary structure in prolamins from highland barley, while α-helical structure is the main secondary structure in zein. The water holding capacity, thermal stability, emulsifying capacity and stability of prolamins from highland barley is quite lager than zein, while opposite results can be observed for oil absorption capacity. The diameter of fibers prepared with prolamins from highland barley was almost 6 times that of zein, while ribbon structures rather than fibers were formed by prolamins from highland barley. The results would provide the guidance for application of prolamins from highland barley.

This study assessed the impact of climate change on water availability and variability in two subbasins in the Upper Blue Nile Basin of Ethiopia. Downscaled future climate data from HadCM3 of A2 (medium-high) and B2 (medium-low) emission scenarios were compared to the observed climate data for a baseline period (1961 to 1990). The emission scenario representing the baseline period was used to predict future climate and as input to a hydrologic model to estimate the impact of future climate on the streamflow at three future time horizons 2020 - 2045, 2045 - 2070 and 2070 - 2100. Results suggest that medium-high emission scenario best represents the local rainfall and temperature pattern. With A2 scenario, daily maximum/minimum temperature will increase throughout the future time horizons. The minimum and maximum temperature will increase by 3.6^oC and 2.4^oC, respectively, towards the end of the 21st century. Consequently, potential evapotranspiration is expected to increase by 7.8%, though trends in annual rainfall do not show statistically meaningful trends between years. A notable seasonality was found in the rainfall pattern such that dry season rainfall amounts are likely to increase and wet season rainfall to decrease. The hydrological model indicated that the local hydrology of the study watersheds will be significantly influenced by climate change. Overall, at the end of the century, streamflow will increase in both rivers by up to 64% in dry seasons and decrease by 19% in wet seasons.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the glycemic index and the satiety response of three Mexican kinds of honey. The values of fructose ranged from 272.40-395.10 g/kg, while the glucose value ringed 232.20-355.50 g/kg. The ratio F/G of sample honey was 1.45, 1.00, and 1.17 for Highland, Multifloral, and Avocado honey, respectively. Twenty-six participants completed this study, which was previously approved by the ethics committee of the Facultad de Salud Pública y Nutrición (CE 2/2018-19). Highland and Avocado honey is classified as medium-GI (69.204.07 and 66.365.74, respectively), while Multifloral honey is classified as high-GI (74.245.98). The Highland honey presented the best satiety response. The difference in IG values and the effect of the satiety response of Highland honey could be explained by the different fractions of carbohydrates in samples and other components such as phytochemicals.