Validation of MODIS retrieval aerosol optical depth and an investigation of aerosol transport over Mohal in north western Indian Himalaya

This study deals with the optical properties of aerosols during 2007 over Mohal (31.9º N, 77.12º E) in north western Indian Himalaya, investigated using ground-based measurements and multi-satellite data. The daily average (mean ± standard deviation) aerosol optical depth (AOD) at 500 nm, Ångström exponent and turbidity coefficient values were 0.2 ± 0.1, 1.1 ± 0.3 and 0.1 ± 0.1, respectively. About 84% of AOD values retrieved from satellites were found to be within an uncertainty limit with a significant correlation coefficient around 0.70. The present study suggests that AOD retrieval using the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) is able to characterize AOD distribution over Mohal. However, to eliminate systematic errors, the existing MODIS algorithm needs to be modified in view of the changing aerosol optical properties, especially during the biomass-burning period. To investigate the influence of aerosol transport, a multi-sensor approach in conjunction with back-trajectory analysis was used. The observed higher values of AOD during dust-loading days with simultaneous study of the space-borne lidar measurements as well as back-trajectory analysis suggest the influx of desert aerosols. Transport of dust aerosols on 12 April, 27 April and 1 June caused a significant reduction in surface-reaching solar irradiance by 43, 40 and 39 W m^–2, respectively. Atmospheric forcing during these days increased by 33.8, 33.0 and 33.2 W m^–2, which translates into atmospheric heating rates of 0.95, 0.93 and 0.93 K day^–1, respectively. This indicates significant climatic implications due to arriving aerosols in north-western Indian Himalaya.     

Influence of molecular structural characteristics on pasting and thermal properties of acid-methanol-treated rice starches

Rice starches from TKW1, TNG67 and TCS17 varieties, differing widely in amylose contents (0.1, 18.3 and 29.2%) were treated at 45 °C for 1 h in methanol containing various amounts of HCl. The recovery, pasting properties, thermal behaviors, molecular size and chain length distribution of starch were observed. Starches exhibited widely different pasting and thermal behavior upon acid-methanol treated (AMT). Degradation of starches upon AMT affected the leaching extent and chain length of amylose. No obvious changes were found on chain length and content of chain fractions of amylopectin. The pasting viscosity of rice starch decreased with increasing concentration of HCl, and the pasting profiles depended on the variety of rice. The pasting profile of AMT-TNG67 starch showed a two-step increasing pattern during heating, while TKW1 and TCS17 starches showed smoothly increasing pasting curves. The relationship between pasting patterns of AMT-TNG67 starches with amylose leaching and two stages of swelling behavior of starch granules was investigated. Results indicated that the pasting of starch granules depend on the amount, as well as the chain length, of amylose in granules.     

Flow behavior and functional properties of barley and oat water‐soluble β‐D‐glucan rich extractions

Flow characteristics and functional properties of water‐soluble β‐glucan rich extractions prepared from hulled barley, hulless barley and oats were investigated. Rheological behavior was studied using a coaxial viscometer over shear rates of 3.0‐ 1312s^?1. The shear rate‐shear stress data followed the power law and Herschel‐Bulkley models. The flow behaviour index values varied from 0.31‐0.97, indicating mildly to highly pseudoplastic nature of the aqueous solutions of β‐glucan rich extractions. The pseudoplasticity for the aqueous solutions increased with increasing concentration of extractions. The hulless barley β‐glucan rich extractions showed higher pseudoplasticity, consistency index, and yield stress values; absorbed less water and exhibited higher fat absorption and oil emulsifying properties than those of the hulled barley and oats. There was no discernible influence of fat contents on functional properties of the concentrates. Dough development time, arrival time, stability and softening of the dough were negligibly affected with addition of various β‐glucan rich extractions to the flours. Supplementation of β‐glucan rich extractions desirably increased the baking absorption of the flours. Bread with improved loaf quality could be obtained using various β‐glucan rich extractions upto a level of 1.00% (w/w), especially, from those of hulless barley cv. PNB 5.     

Localisation of antinutrients and qualitative identification of toxic components in Jatropha curcas seed

BACKGROUND: Jatropha curcas seed oil is a promising feedstock for biodiesel production. The seeds contain major toxic (phorbol esters, PEs) and antinutritional (phytate and trypsin inhibitor) factors. In the present study the localisation of antinutrients and a rapid qualitative method for detecting the presence of PEs were investigated. RESULTS: Kernels were separated into cotyledon, hypocotyl, kernel coat and endosperm. The majority of phytate (96.5%), trypsin inhibitor (95.3%) and PEs (85.7%) were localised in the endosperm. Based on PEs, a qualitative method was developed to differentiate between toxic and non‐toxic Jatropha genotypes. In this method, PEs were easily detected by passing methanol extracts of kernels (Jatropha toxic and non‐toxic genotypes) through a solid phase extraction (SPE) column and measuring the absorption of the resulting eluates at 280 nm. For raw kernels, SPE eluates with absorbance ≥ 0.056 were considered as toxic and those with absorbance ?0.032 as non‐toxic. For defatted kernel meals, SPE eluates with absorbance ≥ 0.059 were considered as toxic and those with absorbance ?0.043 as non‐toxic. CONCLUSION: The majority of antinutrients/toxic compounds are localised in the endosperm of the kernel. The qualitative method developed for rapid identification of toxic PEs could be useful in screening the toxicity of Jatropha‐based products in the biodiesel industry. Further confirmation of PEs should be established by high‐performance liquid chromatography. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

Grafting of a styrene–acrylonitrile binary monomer mixture onto cellulose extracted from pine needles

In an attempt to develop new reactive membrane materials, we graft‐copolymerized styrene (Sty) and acrylonitrile (AN) onto cellulose extracted from pine needles by a chemical initiation method. The optimum grafting reaction conditions for Sty onto cellulose were earlier evaluated as [Sty] = 656.25 mmol/L and [potassium persulfate–ferrous ammonium sulfate] = 146.3:12.75mmol/L in 20 mL of H₂O with a reaction time of 3 h and a reaction temperature of 60°C for 1 g of cellulose. Under these conditions, Sty was graft‐copolymerized with AN at five different concentrations of the latter. Grafting parameters and different rates of concentration were evaluated. The effects of additives such as ZnCl₂, LiNO₃, and Cu(NO)₃ were studied at the best comonomer concentration of Sty–AN. In the presence of ZnCl₂, Sty–AN graft‐copolymerized in an alternate way, thus, making it evident that ZnCl₂ coordinated to form a “complexomer,” or complex of monomers [Sty^?AN⁺…ZnCl₂], of two monomers. Evidence of the structural characteristics of grafted chains were provided by characterization with elemental analysis, thermal analysis, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 83: 2000–2007, 2002     

Tannin levels in leaves of some oak species at different stages of maturity

Total phenolics, condensed tannins, degree of polymerisation, protein precipitation capacity, protein precipitable phenolics and specific activity (protein bound per unit tannins) were determined in the leaves of four oak species at different stages of maturation (4 days old to 1 year old). The content of total extractable phenols was higher in younger leaves in Quercus ilex Linn, Quercus semecarpifolia Sm and Quercus serrata Roxb, whereas in Quercus glauca Thumb the content was higher in the mature leaves. In all species studied, condensed tannins increased with maturation. Protein precipitation capacity had a trend similar to that of total phenols. In Q serrate and Q semecarpifolia the apparent degree of polymerisation increased, and the content of protein precipitable phenolics and specific activity decreased as the leaves matured. The decrease in protein precipitation capacity with maturation in these two species may be explained by both the decrease in the content and the change in the nature of phenols capable of binding proteins. Protein precipitation capacity was not detectable in Q ilex leaves. Protein precipitation capacity in the mature leaves decreased in the order of Q serrata > Q semecarpifolia > Q glauca > Q ilex.     

Chemical composition,protein fractionation,essential amino acid potential and antimetabolic constituents of an unconventional legume,Gila bean (Entada phaseoloides Merrill) seed kernel

Physical characteristics of pods and seeds, proximate composition, different protein fractionation, SDS‐PAGE analysis of proteins, amino acid composition, starch content, fatty acid profiles and various antimetabolic substances of Gila bean (Entada phaseoloides Merrill) were studied. The pod length and the number of seeds per pod ranged from 55 to 90 cm and from 5 to 11 respectively. The kernel comprised 66.1% of the seed weight (18.41 ± 1.14 g). The seed kernels contained 256.7 g kg^?1 crude protein, 108.1 g kg^?1 lipid, 27.3 g kg^?1 ash and a high content of carbohydrate (585.7 g kg^?1). The levels of potassium, phosphorus, zinc and iron were similar to those in conventional pulses. Among the different protein fractions of seed kernels, albumins constituted the major storage proteins (69.7%). The kernel proteins were rich in essential amino acids, particularly sulphur‐containing amino acids, and their values appeared to be higher than the FAO/WHO (1990) reference protein for a 2–5‐year‐old growing child and soybean, and comparable to hen egg. Seed kernel lipids contained high levels of unsaturated fatty acids, oleic and linoleic acids, which accounted for 83% of the total fatty acid recovered. The kernel exhibited high trypsin and chymotrypsin inhibitor activities (96.65 mg TI g^?1 and 30.02 CIU mg^?1 sample respectively) in addition to containing phenolics, phytic acid, lectins and oligosaccharides. Another major toxic constituent was identified as a group of triterpenoid saponins (3.21%), which had high haemolytic activity (HeU) against cattle erythrocytes and caused high mortality in fish. The in vitro digestibility of the kernel protein was low (67%). © 2001 Society of Chemical Industry     

Single-Nucleotide Variations,Insertions/Deletions and Copy Number Variations in Myelodysplastic Syndrome during Disease Progression Revealed by a Single-Cell DNA Sequencing Platform

Simple SummaryMyelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) is a myeloid neoplasm associated with complex clonal architecture. The application of single-cell sequencing is capable of revealing the clonal dynamics of MDS during disease progression and treatment resistance. This has advantages over bulk-tumor sequencing which is limited by its resolution. In this study, we evaluated two patients with MDS for the clonal dynamics of pathogenic mutations at the single-cell level of disease progression and resistance to hypomethylating agents (HMAs). There were two key observations. First, changes in the clonal heterogeneity of the pathogenic FLT3-ITD, IDH2, EZH2, or GATA2 mutations was associated with disease progression and resistance to HMA. Secondly, disease progression and resistance to HMA was accompanied by the acquisition of copy number variations of DNMT3A, TET2, and GATA2.AbstractMyelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) is a clonal myeloid neoplasm characterized by ineffective hematopoiesis, cytopenia, dysplasia, and clonal instability, leading to leukemic transformation. Hypomethylating agents are the mainstay of treatment in higher-risk MDS. However, treatment resistance and disease transformation into acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is observed in the majority of patients and is indicative of a dismal outcome. The residual cell clones resistant to therapy or cell clones acquiring new genetic aberrations are two of the key events responsible for drug resistance. Bulk tumor sequencing often fails to detect these rare subclones that confer resistance to therapy. In this study, we employed a single-cell DNA (sc-DNA) sequencing approach to study the clonal heterogeneity and clonal evolution in two MDS patients refractory to HMA. In both patients, different single nucleotide variations (SNVs) or insertions and deletions (INDELs) were detected with bulk tumor sequencing. Rare cell clones with mutations that are undetectable by bulk tumor sequencing were detected by sc-DNA sequencing. In addition to SNVs and short INDELs, this study also revealed the presence of a clonal copy number loss of DNMT3A, TET2, and GATA2 as standalone events or in association with the small SNVs or INDELs detected during HMA resistance and disease progression.