Mechanical damage to fruit is a major source of postharvest losses in many fruit including avocado. Although avocado fruit are harvested when green and hard, bruising can be a major cause of quality loss at the retailer. A study was conducted to determine the cumulative effects of handling at harvest on fruit quality after storage. A second study was carried out to characterise the relationship between drop height and fruit quality of freshly harvested fruit. Harvesting avocado fruit with an elevated work platform and passing the fruit across a commercial grader increased ripe rots after storage. Dropping freshly harvested avocado fruit from as little as 0.1m may increase the area of external bruising. This bruising may act as an infection pathway, increasing the incidence of brown patches. However, dropping from a height of up to 0.3m will lead to only minor increases in ripe rots. Empting avocado fruit from harvesting bags on elevated work platform into field bins may pose the greatest risk of exceeding the 0.3m drop height, so care is recommended to minimise the drop height when empting bags from elevated work platforms into field bins.

The harvest season for ‘Hass’ avocados in New Zealand is from August to March. Typically after storage, fruit harvested in January to march tend to develop more disorders such as stem end rots, body rots and diffuse flesh discoloration than fruit harvested in October and November. The increase in disorders presents a problem to exporters of New Zealand avocados where they can be forced to exit a market prematurely due to poor quality fruit. By identifying poor quality fruit at harvest, it should be possible to prevent it from being exported. To do this, a physiological or morphological marker of advanced maturity that relates to when disorder levels are likely to be commercially unacceptable is needed. While the dry matter content of the fruit is a useful measure of the minimum maturity required for harvest, it appears less useful for determining when fruit can be considered to be over-mature. In this study, changes in carbohydrates in the flesh and water content of the seed of ‘Hass’ avocados during the December to March period were determined. These fruit characteristics measured at harvest were correlated with the ripe fruit quality of fruit from the same harvests after 4 weeks of storage. In general, a decrease in the incidence of sound fruit after storage was associated with a decrease in carbohydrates as fruit matured. The potential for compositional changes in late season fruit to be used as markers of increased susceptibility to postharvest disorders and rots will be discussed.

Good avocado orchard profitability in New Zealand depends on obtaining consistent high yields of large fruit. A good understanding of how the fruit grow and are retained is required to determine the best orchard management techniques to overcome alternate bearing. Little information exists for New Zealand 'Hass' avocado fruit on fruit growth and patterns of fruit drop. To determine the patterns of fruit set, fruit growth and interaction between fruit growth and fruit drop the growth of individual fruit were followed closely over one season. Large numbers of fruit are set initially but most of these fruit fall off by December in an apparently random pattern. The fruit that were retained were not in any single identifiable position within the panicle. The fruit increased in size in an S-shaped pattern as described by earlier

SUMMARY Greenwaste mulches affect avocado tree growth and roots through small incremental changes in phenology and the soil from mulch to mulch. Trees growing under greenwaste mulches had a tendency for greater trunk growth, more roots, and an increase in some minerals and for more earthworms in the soil than the minimal mulch, leaf litter and post peelings mulches. The greenwaste mulches had considerable quantities of nutrients and may act as slow release fertilizers. The mulches evaluated did not prevent or slow down the drying of soil and cannot be considered as a substitute for irrigation. We believe mulches made from greenwaste make suitable mulches for avocado trees.

The influence of storage temperature and duration of storage was previously investigated in two trials in the 2002/2003 season. The month during which 'Hass' avocado fruit were harvested affected fruit quality with the lowest levels of rots and chilling injury occurring in mid season harvested fruit. In the 2003/2004 season a study combining storage temperature and duration was conducted on avocado fruit harvested early, mid and late season. For fruit stored at 5°C for 4 weeks the month of harvest where the incidence of sound fruit was greatest was about the same in 2003/2004 as in 2002/2003. The pattern of rot development also differed from one season to the next where February harvested fruit had better quality than December harvested fruit in 2003/2004 in contrast to fruit harvested in 2002/2003 where February harvested fruit had the poorest quality. This study confirmed results from the previous season where storage for longer than 4 weeks greatly reduced fruit quality. Similarly, fewer quality problems were found in fruit stored at 5°C compared to fruit stored at 2°C. It is suggested that for optimum quality during the export harvest season storage temperature and duration should be maintained according to harvest maturity appropriate to each season.

Understanding the role of water loss during ripening and storage on the quality of New Zealand 'Hass' avocado fruit will help the New Zealand avocado industry to improve its' post-harvest handling systems. Reduced water loss has been implicated as an important factor for the increased expression of post-harvest rots by increasing the ripening time of the fruit. The effects of reducing fruit water loss during storage and/or during subsequent ripening on the rate of ripening and rot development was investigated using polyethylene bags to generate high humidity storage conditions. There were four treatments: control (no bags in storage or ripening), high humidity during storage (bags in storage then ripened out of bags), high humidity during ripening (no bags in storage then in bags during ripening), high humidity during storage and ripening (bags in storage and in ripening). The fruit stored and/or ripened in high humidity (polyethylene bags) had the least weight loss and the most rots despite having no difference in ripening time between treatments. The expression of stem-end rots was equally enhanced by storage in bags either during cool storage or ripening while the expression of body rots was most affected by high humidity during ripening. Avoiding high humidity conditions during storage and/or ripening should result in fruit with the least amounts of post-harvest rots.

The influence of storage temperature and duration of storage was previously investigated in two trials in the 2002/2003 season. The month during which 'Hass' avocado fruit were harvested affected fruit quality with the lowest levels of rots and chilling injury occurring in mid season harvested fruit. In the 2003/2004 season a study combining storage temperature and duration was conducted on avocado fruit harvested early, mid and late season. For fruit stored at 5°C for 4 weeks the month of harvest where the incidence of sound fruit was greatest was about the same in 2003/2004 as in 2002/2003. The pattern of rot development also differed from one season to the next where February harvested fruit had better quality than December harvested fruit in 2003/2004 in contrast to fruit harvested in 2002/2003 where February harvested fruit had the poorest quality. This study confirmed results from the previous season where storage for longer than 4 weeks greatly reduced fruit quality. Similarly, fewer quality problems were found in fruit stored at 5°C compared to fruit stored at 2°C. It is suggested that for optimum quality during the export harvest season storage temperature and duration should be maintained according to harvest maturity appropriate to each season.

A pre-harvest dry matter (DM) test is used by the New Zealand avocado industry as a measure of fruit maturity. The current peel method requires fruit to be cut into quarters before slices are peeled from the length of one quarter. The current testing method is time consuming and potentially more hazardous than an alternative method developed by the Californian avocado industry. This new core method takes a plug of tissue from the centre of the fruit using a coring machine. Individual fruit were subjected to both the core and peel methods to evaluate the suitability of the core method for determining DM content in New Zealand Hass avocados. The core method was found to underestimate DM content relative to the peel method by 0.4% on average. Adjusting the mean DM content obtained using the core method by adding a correction value of 0.4% would bring the adjusted value to within ± 0.6% DM content compared with the peel method (for 95 out of 100 samples). The difference between the two methods can in part be related to the extent to which they capture the internal variation in DM content within an individual fruit. There was a consistent pattern of DM distribution within fruit, with a core taken from the middle of the fruit having the lowest DM content. It is suggested that the core method may be suitable for use as an alternative to the current peel method.

A pre-harvest dry matter (DM) test is used by the New Zealand avocado industry as a measure of fruit maturity. The current peel method requires fruit to be cut into quarters before slices are peeled from the length of one quarter. The current testing method is time consuming and potentially more hazardous than an alternative method developed by the Californian avocado industry. This new core method takes a plug of tissue from the centre of the fruit using a coring machine. Individual fruit were subjected to both the core and peel methods to evaluate the suitability of the core method for determining DM content in New Zealand Hass avocados. The core method was found to underestimate DM content relative to the peel method by 0.4% on average. Adjusting the mean DM content obtained using the core method by adding a correction value of 0.4% would bring the adjusted value to within ± 0.6% DM content compared with the peel method (for 95 out of 100 samples). The difference between the two methods can in part be related to the extent to which they capture the internal variation in DM content within an individual fruit. There was a consistent pattern of DM distribution within fruit, with a core taken from the middle of the fruit having the lowest DM content. It is suggested that the core method may be suitable for use as an alternative to the current peel method.

The use of polyethylene bags to investigate humidity effects on storage and ripening may introduce a confounding effect due to the possible development of a modified atmosphere that inhibits ripening. Potential modified atmosphere effects were separated from the influence of humidity using Freshaway™ modified atmosphere bags. These bags were perforated with small holes to allow free gas exchange but still maintain a high humidity. There were three treatments: control (no bags in storage and ripening), high humidity modified atmosphere (intact Freshaway™ bags), high humidity (Freshaway™ bags perforated with 6mm diameter holes). Storing fruit in intact Freshaway™ bags reduced weight loss during storage and ripening compared to control fruit and increased the average ripening time by 3 days. Adding holes to the bags only slightly increased total weight loss during storage and ripening compared to intact bags and did not increase the ripening time relative to the control. These results suggest that perforating plastic bags used to generate high humidity storage environments removes a likely modified atmosphere effect of storage in plastic bags.

SUMMARY The New Zealand (NZ) avocado industry has implemented an annual quality assurance programme in the USA in partnership with importers of NZ avocados. Information collected from quality ins- pections has been used to identify factors that influence fruit quality of exported avocados. The factor with the most influence on fruit quality was fruit age (the number of days from harvest until the fruit are assessed). The relationship between fruit age and fruit quality was non-linear with an appreciable deterioration in quality occurring after 32 days. In a series of controlled experiments the relationship between fruit quality and duration of storage and fruit maturity was investigated. Optimal storage time decreased as fruit maturity increased with 21 days at 4°C maximising fruit quality in September reducing to 7 days in March. Manipulation of fruit age could be used as a management tool to achieve consistent fruit quality in export markets over the harvest season by reducing fruit age on arrival into the market.

Exercise limitation in hemodialysis patients (HD) has been attributed to anemia. We report the effects of normalization of hematocrit (HCT) and exercise training (EX) on VO2 peak and self-reported physical functioning (PF). 65 patients were randomized into one of 4 groups: HCT 30–33% with no EX; HCT 30–33% plus EX; HCT 40–42% with no EX; and hct 40–42% plus EX. HCT was increased using EPO. VO2 peak was measured and SF-36 questionnaires completed at baseline and after 5 months of the interventions. 2x2 ANOVA was used to test differences over time and between HCT and EX. 48 HD completed testing. Significant effects of EX were found in VO2 peak (p = .028) and in self-reported PF (p = .015). HCT effects were not significant. The VO2 peak remained lower than age-predicted values, suggesting other physiological limitations to exercise that may not be overcome by EX or normalization of HCT.

A total of 50 consecutive adult patients with newly diagnosed aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma were treated with a weekly alternating combination chemotherapy schedule, BEMOP/CA, including bleomycin, etoposide, methotrexate, vincristine, cyclophosphamide and Adriamycin. Two-thirds of the patients were over 60 years old or had stage 4 disease. Clinical remission was achieved in 56% of cases. The 3-year survival is 53% (95% confidence interval, 39-66%). The presence of B symptoms and a serum albumin value of <33 g/l at presentation were poor prognostic indicators for survival in a multivariate proportional-hazards model. Overall, the response rate and survival for this group of patients with intermediate- and high-grade lymphomas is similar to results previously reported. The BEMOP/CA treatment was brief (16 weeks) and associated with a low fatal toxicity (one early death and one late fatality from Pneumocystis pneumonia), and the drug costs are equivalent to those for eight cycles of CHOP.

SUMMARY We present profiles of the vertical distribution of bromine in cores of the late Permian (Zechstein) Boulby Halite Formation (EZ3 Na) from lower Teesside and from the potash field around Boulby Mine, Staithes, North Yorkshire. The profile for the Teesside core shows that the bromine content of the halite there (and therefore the salinity of the originating brine) lies in the lower part of the range regarded as normal for marine-derived brines throughout deposition of the formation and increases only slightly near the top. The bromine content of the Boulby Halite in the potash field core is generally slightly greater than that in the Teesside core, but, as predicted by conventional theory, increases sharply in the Boulby Potash Member near the top of the formation. Comparison of the two bromine concentration profiles suggests a close correlation. This suggested correlation needs to be tested against other bromine profiles but, if correct, implies (a) that closely sampled bromine profiles are a useful tool in the correlation of salt deposits, and (b) the Boulby Potash is entirely, or almost entirely, younger than the Boulby Halite of Teesside, possibly indicating basin-shrinkage.

A recent review of the literature has supported the concept of dose intensification in the treatment of patients with testicular germ cell tumours [3]. We devised a high dose intensity weekly chemotherapy schedule comprising bleomycin 15 mg intramuscular (i.m.), etoposide 100 mgim’ intravenous (i.v.), vincristine 1.0 mgim’ i.v. (maximum 2 mg) and cisplatin 75 mg/m2 i.v. (BEOP) for patients with resistant or relapsed germ cell tumours. In an initial cohort of 13 patients, treatment was given weekly provided that the white blood cell count (WBC) was 2 2.0 x lo911 and the platelet count was 2 50 x 109/1. If myelosuppression occurred, treatment was delayed until blood counts had recovered to these levels. Cisplatin dose was reduced if significant deterioration in renal function occurred. In a pilot study, all 9 patients who received four or more cycles of BEOP experienced treatment delays an&or dose reductions. There were a total of 14 delays in treatment either due to neutropenia ? thrombocytopenia (n = 11) or thrombocytopenia alone (n = 3). In addition, cisplatin dose was reduced in 40 (48%) courses. Having defined the toxicity of BEOP without colony stimulating factor support, we then treated a second cohort of patients using filgrastim (G-CSF), kindly supplied by Amgen, in conjunction with BEOP. Patients received weekly BEOP until the WBC was <2.0 x 109/1. Treatment was then delayed until haematological recovery and patients subsequently received filgrastim 5 pg/kg subcutaneous daily for 5 days between cycles of BEOP.

D. B. Smith writes:By combining an analysis of wireline log profiles with direct observation of borehole cores, Dr D. W. Holliday presented welcome new evidence supporting the view of earlier workers that late Permian sedimentation patterns became increasingly uniform with time as relief diminished and depositional basins gradually merged. There is reasonable agreement, strengthened by the new evidence, that this increasing uniformity became a major sedimentary influence after the deposition of basin-filling halite at the end of Cycle EZ2 (and its supposed equivalent in the East Irish Sea Basin), and increasingly uniform log responses over ever-widening areas are an accepted corollary in strata from the base of Cycle EZ3 onwards. However, in claiming (p. 353) that a close correspondence in geophysical log patterns of the late Permian rocks of the Vale of Eden and on the margins of the Southern North Sea Basin suggests that there was a persistent cross-Pennine connection from EZ1 time onwards, Dr Holliday implies a firmer correlation between pre-EZ3 strata across the Pennines than the facts as presented appear to warrant. His conclusions may be correct, but much stronger and less equivocal evidence is surely required to justify them.The postulation of a pre-EZ3 cross-Pennine connection between the Vale of Eden Basin and the Southern North Sea Basin rests partly on slight similarities of the two rock sequences, but mainly on the persuasive similarity of some wireline log responses to strata penetrated in the Hilton Borehole in the west and the Harlsey (or East Harlsey) ...

SUMMARY Scattered delicate, unusually alate crystals of displacive halite occur in the late Permian Rotten Marl of north-east England. Where they intersect, they locally give rise to complex networks of thin vein-like halite sheets. The alate halite appears to have been formed after compaction of the host sediment was complete or nearly so, but before it became brittle enough to fracture.