Rheology of different hydrocolloids-rice starch blends. Effect of successive heating-cooling cycles

10 pages, 3 figures, 5 tables.-- Available online 25 November 2010.Hydrocolloids are frequently used for modifying starch functionality. In the present study the possible interaction of three different hydrocolloids – guar gum, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC) and xanthan gum – with rice starch was explored by determining the pasting, viscoelastic and swelling properties of the rice starch–hydrocolloids mixtures. The impact of successive heating–cooling cycles on the pasting, viscoelasticity and swelling was also determined. Hydrocolloids tested in the range 0.2–0.8% (w/w) significantly modified the pasting, viscoelastic and swelling properties of rice starch–hydrocolloid pastes (8%, w/w) and the extent of the effect was dependent on hydrocolloid concentration. Guar and xanthan gum mixtures with rice starch had the greatest effect on the pasting properties, whereas HPMC mixtures only changed the viscosity during cooling. The starch–hydrocolloids pastes formed weaker gels compared to those of the starch alone. Rheological results suggested the formation of composite network structures with high frequency dependence. Successive multiple-heating cycles allowed the gel to rearrange resulting in altered gel viscoelasticity and release of water soluble compounds that favour phase separation at the highest hydrocolloid level tested.Financial support from University of California-Davis, Ministry of Education and Science, Spanish Research National Council (CSIC) and Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (Project AGL2008-00092/ALI) is gratefully acknowledged. Dr. Rosell thanks the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science for her grant.Peer reviewe

Management of Potato Leafhopper, Empoasca fabae (Homoptera: Cicadellidae), on Alfalfa with the Aid of Systems Analysis

Efficient management of the potato leafhopper (Homoptera: Cicadellidae) on alfalfa requires a procedure for dealing with the complexities of the ecological and economic system. We developed a mathematical model to represent this agroecosystem and demonstrated how systems analysis can help to make management more efficient and less risky. Our management policies were based on two criteria: annual income calculated from the nutrient yields of three harvests, and level of carbohydrate reserve in the taproots at the end of the season, We determined the dynamic economic thresholds for controlling the leafhoppers as immigrants on each of the cuttings of alfalfa. During development of the thresholds we tested a variety of control tactics, including timing of harvests, We found that, for adult immigrants on the second crop, the economic thresholds increase exponentially as stem height increases, Tactics associated with these thresholds included insecticide treatments and early cutting of the second harvest. The results indicated that temperature pattern has an important effect on the economic thresholds and risk. Evaluation of the model and its results through sensitivity analysis, validation, and a comparison with current recommendations showed that the model can be a useful tool in research and managemen

Altered cortical activation patterns associated with baroreflex unloading following 24 h of physical deconditioning

Cardiovascular arousal is associated with patterned cortical activity changes. Head-down-tilt bed rest (HDBR) dimishes the baroreflex-mediated cardiac control. The present study tested the hypothesis that HDBR deconditioning would modify the forebrain organization for heart rate (HR) control during baroreflex unloading. Heart rate variability (HRV), blood pressure and plasma hormones were analysed at rest, whereas HR and cortical autonomic activation patterns (functional magnetic resonance imaging) were measured during graded and randomly assigned lower body negative pressure treatments (LBNP, -15 and -35 mmHg) both before (Pre) and after (Post) a 24 h HDBR protocol (study 1; n= 8). An additional group was tested before and following diuretic-induced hypovolaemia (study 2; n= 9; spironolactone, 100 mg day-1 for 3 days) that mimicked the plasma volume lost during HDBR (-15% in both studies; P \u3c 0.05). Head-down bed rest with hypovolaemia did not affect baseline HR, mean arterial pressure, HRV or plasma catecholamines. Head-down bed rest augmented the LBNP-induced HR response (P \u3c 0.05), and this was associated with bed-rest-induced development of the following changes: (i) enhanced activation within the genual anterior cingulate cortex and the right anterior insular cortex; and (ii) deactivation patterns within the subgenual regions of the anterior cingulate cortex. Diuretic treatment (without HDBR) did not affect baseline HR and mean arterial pressure, but did reduce resting HRV and elevated circulating noradrenaline and plasma renin activity (P \u3c 0.05). The greater HR response to LBNP following diuretic (P \u3c 0.05) was associated with diminished activation of the right anterior insula. Our findings indicate that 24 h of HDBR minimized the impact of diuretic treatment on baseline autonomic and cardiovascular variables. The findings also indicate that despite the similar augmentation of HR responses to LBNP and despite similar pre-intervention cortical activation patterns, HDBR and diuretic treatment produced different effects on the cortical responses, with HDBR affecting anterior cingulate cortex and right insula regions, whereas diuretic treatment affected primarily the right insula alone, but in a direction that was opposite to HDBR. The data indicate that physical deconditioning can induce rapid functional changes within the cortical circuitry associated with baroreflex unloading, changes that are distinct from diuretic-induced hypovolaemia. The results suggest that physical activity patterns exert a rapid and notable impact on the cortical circuitry associated with cardiovascular control. © 2012 The Physiological Society

Transition Probabilities for Trichoplusia ni (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Larvae on Cabbage as a Function of Microclimate

To identify factors affecting the spatial dynamics of Trichoplusia ni (Hübner) on cabbage, the movements of individual larvae were monitored. Larvae were marked with 32p and released individually, one per plant, on cabbage plants in research plots. Their movements were monitored by recording their position on the plant daily, locating them with a Geiger counter. In the same plots, hourly measurements of temperature and relative humidity were recorded in three different parts of the crop canopy. Transition probabilities for the larvae from and to each of five vertical plant strata were modeled as definite integrals of the Beta probability density function (pdf). The shape parameters for these Beta pdf's were modeled as a function of microclimate, and the necessary parameters to do so were estimated by the method of maximum likelihood. This model predicted the data well and was more efficient than logistic regression. The model predicts that under high temperatures and low vapor pressure deficit (vpd), larvae move down to the shaded, cooler, lower parts of the plant; whereas under low temperatures and high vpd, they moved upward toward the economically important wrapper leaves and cabbage head

Effect of Intraplant Insect Movement on Economic Thresholds

A simulation model was constructed to examine the effects of intraplant spatial dynamics of the lepidopteran pest complex of cabbage on direct damage to the marketable parts of the plant. Diurnal fluctuations in microclimate for different parts of the crop canopy were simulated with sine functions. Larval development rates for each species were simulated with logistic functions of temperature, the development process with time-varying distributed delays, and feeding rates with exponential functions of temperature and larval age. Larval transition probabilities within the crop canopy were modeled with either constants or definite integrals of the Beta probability density function, the shape parameters of which were modeled as functions of temperature. The model provided a good fit to data on changes in intraplant distribution of these larvae and intraplant distribution of feeding damage. Evaluation of model predictions suggests that a threshold population density used for management decisions should not be static, but should be a complex function of species, larval age distribution, and forecast temperatures. A model like the one presented here could serve as that complex functio

Molecular Mapping of a Male-Sterile Gene in Soybean

A newly identified genie male-sterile mutant in soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] has high seed set under natural field conditions and is potentially useful in breeding programs. Meiosis is normal in the mutant line. Sterility in this mutant is caused by failure of cailose dissolution at the tetrad stage, which results in microspore abortion; however, little is known about the male-sterile gene at the molecular level. The objective of this study was to identify molecular markers linked with the male-sterile gene (ms) and to place the ms gene onto the soybean molecular genetic map. An F2 population of 107 individuals was constructed from a cross between the mutant msMOS (ms ms) and the cultivar Minsoy (Ms Ms). Two hundred seventy markers, including 219 RFLP and 51 SSRs, were evaluated. Of these, 102 RFLP probes and 31 SSR markers detected polymorphisms between the parents. The F2 population was screened for segregation of these polymorphic molecular markers. Analyses revealed that the male-sterile locus, designated ‘ms’, was located on linkage group D1b of the USDA/ISU soybean molecular genetic map. The availability of linked DNA markers will facilitate the genetic analysis of this male-sterility gene in relation to soybean breeding programs, and will be a starting point for the isolation of the ms gene by map-based cloning

Fr1 (root fluorescence) locus is located in a segregation distortion region on linkage group K of soybean genetic map

We report the use of bulked segregant SSR analysis for rapid identification of DNA markers linked to the Fr1 locus in soybean. Pooled DNA extracts from 10 homozygous Fr1 Fr1 and 10 fr1 fr1 F2 plants, derived from a msMOS x Minsoy cross, were analyzed using 65 SSR markers. Five SSRs produced repeatable polymorphisms between paired bulks. Linkage with the Fr1 locus was tested using these five SSR primers and DNA from individual plants of each bulk. DNA polymorphisms generated by these five primers were linked to the Fr1 locus. Linkage of SSR loci with the Fr1locus was verified by using an F2 population segregating for Fr1. The five SSR markers and Fr1 are on linkage group K of the USDA ARS/ISU molecular genetic map. The markers flanking Fr1 are Satt337 (11.0 cM) and Satt044 (0.6 cM). Fr1 previously was mapped on linkage group 12 of the classical genetic map. Thus classical genetic linkage group 12 has been correlated to linkage group K of the molecular genetic map. Six SSR markers were chosen on linkage group K to test the segregation ratio. All six SSRs tested were skewed toward the Minsoy genotype, one chi-square value was statistically significant. This suggested that a gametophyte factor may lie in the region close to Fr1 and most likely close to Satt046

Analysis of ``Gauge Modes'' in Linearized Relativity

By writing the complete set of $3 + 1$ (ADM) equations for linearized waves, we are able to demonstrate the properties of the initial data and of the evolution of a wave problem set by Alcubierre and Schutz. We show that the gauge modes and constraint error modes arise in a straightforward way in the analysis, and are of a form which will be controlled in any well specified convergent computational discretization of the differential equations.Comment: 11pages LaTe

Locating Boosted Kerr and Schwarzschild Apparent Horizons

We describe a finite-difference method for locating apparent horizons and illustrate its capabilities on boosted Kerr and Schwarzschild black holes. Our model spacetime is given by the Kerr-Schild metric. We apply a Lorentz boost to this spacetime metric and then carry out a 3+1 decomposition. The result is a slicing of Kerr/Schwarzschild in which the black hole is propagated and Lorentz contracted. We show that our method can locate distorted apparent horizons efficiently and accurately.Comment: Submitted to Physical Review D. 12 pages and 22 figure