Global coffee market influence on land‐use and land‐cover change in the Western Ghats Of India

In this study, we used image‐processing techniques to examine the spatial pattern of land‐use and land‐cover (LULC) change that occurred in the coffee growing area in the Western Ghats of India during the international coffee crisis in the 1990s. The study also ascertains the driving forces of these changes using qualitative research methods that include archival studies and interviews of knowledgeable individuals. We analyzed Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) for 1991 and Landsat ETM+ for 2002 to quantify LULC. Historical land‐use changes in different land ownership regimes were also analyzed. Global coffee market fluctuations were found to be the major cause of landscape change in the study region. When the global coffee prices increased, more forested areas were cleared for coffee cultivation. Failure of global coffee market forced farmers to convert land from subsistence farming (rice) to short‐period commercial crops like ginger. This also resulted in land degradation in rice paddies. For the farmers in the Western Ghats, LULC decisions are one of the methods used to cope with the vulnerability created due to the international coffee crisis. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Development of a co-dominant SCAR marker linked to the Ph-3 gene for Phytophthora infestans resistance in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum)

Random amplified polymorphism DNA (RAPD) and bulk segregant analysis (BSA) approaches were used to characterize the molecular marker linked to the Phytophthora infestans resistance gene Ph-3 in tomato. A total of 800 RAPD primers were screened. One RAPD marker UBC#602 was identified to be tightly linked to the Ph-3 gene. The marker was successfully converted into a co-dominant sequence characterized amplified region (SCAR) marker. The SCAR marker SCU602 was used to analyze 96 F₂ progenies and fitted the expected 1:2:1 Mendelian segregation ratio. Forty one tomato inbred lines were screened using the SCAR marker in comparison with a reference marker linked to the Ph-3 gene and both markers gave the same results. SCU602 was further validated for association to resistance and its potential in MAS in 72 tomato lines and cultivars. The marker identified three genotypes harbouring the resistance allele. This SCAR marker can be used in breeding programs for the selection of the Ph-3 gene for Phytophthora infestans resistance.     

Metabolomic plasticity in GM and non-GM potato leaves in response to aphid herbivory and virus infection

An important aspect of ecological safety of genetically modified (GM) plants is the evaluation of unintended effects on plant-insect interactions. These interactions are to a large extent influenced by the chemical composition of plants. This study uses NMR-based metabolomics to establish a baseline of chemical variation to which differences between a GM potato line and its parent cultivar are compared. The effects of leaf age, virus infection, and aphid herbivory on plant metabolomes were studied. The metabolome of the GM line differed from its parent only in young leaves of noninfected plants. This effect was small when compared to the baseline. Consistently, aphid performance on excised leaves was influenced by leaf age, while no difference in performance was found between GM and non-GM plants. The metabolomic baseline approach is concluded to be a useful tool in ecological safety assessment.     

Growth-Inhibitory Effects of Pigmented Rice Bran Extracts and Three Red Bran Fractions against Human Cancer Cells: Relationships with Composition and Antioxidative Activities

We determined the phenolic, anthocyanin, and proanthocyanidin content of three brown, purple, and red rice brans isolated from different rice varieties using HPLC-PDA with the aid of 27 standards of known structure and matching unknown peaks to a spectral library of known compounds. Antioxidative capacities were determined by DPPH and ORAC and cell-inhibiting effects using an MTT assay. Based on the calculated IC(50) values, the light-brown bran had no effect, the purple bran exhibited a minor effect on leukemia and cervical cancer cells, and the red bran exhibited strong inhibitory effects on leukemia, cervical, and stomach cancer cells. High concentrations of protocatechuic acid and anthocyanins in purple bran and proanthocyanidins in red bran were identified. The red bran was further fractionated on a Sephadex column. Fraction 3 rich in proanthocyanidin oligomers and polymers had the greatest activity. Red bran has the potential to serve as a functional food supplement for human consumption.     

Development of an Environmentally Friendly Adsorbent for the Removal of Toxic Heavy Metals from Aqueous Solution

An effective adsorbent for the removal of heavy metals was manufactured by immobilization of jujube powder. The adsorptions of Cd, Zn and Cu from aqueous solutions by jujube complex beads (Type 1 and Type 2) were studied in a batch adsorption system. The adsorption data were fitted well with the Langmuir isotherm models. The adsorption capacities (β) for Cd, Zn and Cu were 4.23, 2.93 and 3.64 mg/g in Type 1 and 1.24, 0.70 and 1.35 mg/g in Type 2 beads. The removal efficiencies of the Type 2 beads, with a larger unit surface area, were lower than those of the Type 1 due to part of the casein or cyclic AMP being destroyed during the drying process of the Type 1. These values for Type 1 beads were higher than those of all other adsorbents for each heavy metal. A comparison of the kinetic models on the overall adsorption rate showed that the adsorption system was best described by pseudo-first-order kinetics. The removal efficiencies of Cd, Zn and Cu exhibited similar tendencies to those observed in the equilibrium tests. This indicates that the jujube complex beads developed in this study can be used as promising adsorbents for the removal of heavy metals from wastewater.     

Simultaneous Removal of Phosphate and Nitrate in Wastewater Using High-Capacity Anion-Exchange Resin

The removal of nutrients in wastewater is a critical issue in water treatment because released nutrients can cause serious adverse effects in water systems or the aquatic environment. In this study, a high-performing polymeric anion-exchange resin was developed for the removal of nutrients from wastewater. The resins were prepared by chloromethylation followed by amination under preferred conditions. The resins were investigated for the removal of nutrients such as phosphate, nitrate, and fluoride from water. The density of functional groups on the synthesized resin was approximately 33?% higher than on commercialized resins, and the specific surface area of synthesized resin was increased by approximately tenfold compared with commercialized resins. The adsorption capacity of synthesized resins (AMP16-FeCl₃) for anions was 285.8?mg/g, which was approximately three times higher than the capacity of commercialized resin (AMP16-OH). A study of the effects of the types of counterions and functional groups found that resins having hydroxide ion as a counterion showed higher capacity and selectivity for phosphate ion and that dimethylethanolamine as a resin functional group of resin was more efficient than trimethylamine.     

Epoxidized polybutadiene as a thermal stabilizer for poly(3-hydroxybutyrate). II. Thermal stabilization of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) by epoxidized polybutadiene

Epoxidized polybutadiene (EPB) was prepared by polybutadiene (PB) withm-chloroperbenzoic acid (MCPBA) in homogeneous solution. EPB was blended with poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) up to 30 wt% by solution-precipitation procedure. The thermal decomposition of PHB/EPB blends was studied by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and differential thermal analysis (DTA). The thermograms of PHB/EPB blends contained a two-step degradation process, while that of pure PHB sample exhibited only one-step degradation process. This degradation behavior of PHB/EPB blends, which have a higher thermal stability as measured by maximum decomposition temperature and residual weight, is probably due to crosslinking reactions of the epoxide groups in the EPB component with the carboxyl chain ends of PHB fragments during the degradation process, and the occurrence of such reactions can be assigned to the exothermic peaks in their DTA thermograms.     

Aroma finishing of PET fabrics with PVAc nanoparticles containing lavender oil

A durable aroma finishing for PET fabric was carried out by adopting poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc) nanoparticles containing lavender oil (LO) in core. Relatively small size of PVAc nanoparticles (ca. 244 nm of mean particle diameter) was expected to resist the frictional destruction of the particles, which is frequently observed in cases of microcapsules. PVAc nanoparticles containing LO in core were prepared by emulsification-diffusion method and their application as an aroma releasing agent for PET fabrics was assessed through the observation of releasing profiles of LO in ethanol for experimental acceleration. Melamine-formaldehyde (MF) microcapsules containing LO were also prepared and treated on fabrics for comparison. PVAc nanoparticles treated on PET fabric showed higher initial releasing amount, which was ascribed to the enhanced surface area. After 2 days of releasing, PET fabric treated with PVAc nanoparticles showed slower and more stable releasing profile and reached about 12 ppm of cumulative release after 16 days, which was under two thirds of that with MF microcapsules. PVAc nanoparticles can be used as an agent for durable aroma finishing of PET fabrics.     

Improvement of mechanical and electrical properties of poly(ethylene glycol) and cyanoresin based polymer electrolytes

Ionic conductivity and mechanical properties of a mixed polymer matrix consisting of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and cyanoresin type M (CRM) with various lithium salts and plasticizer were examined. The CRM used was a copolymer of cyanoethyl pullulan and cyanoethyl poly(vinyl alcohol) with a molar ratio of 1:1, mixed plasticizer was ethylene carbonate (EC) and propylene carbonate (PC) at a volume ratio of 1:1. The conductive behavior of polymer electrolytes in the temperature range of 298∼338 K was investigated. The PEG/LiClO₄ complexes exhibited the highest ionic conductivity of ∼10⁻⁵ S/cm at 25°C with the salt concentration of 1.5 M. In addition, the plasticized PEG/LiClO₄ complexes exhibited improvement of ionic conductivity. However, their complexes showed decreased mechanical properties. The improvement of ionic conductivity and mechanical properties could be obtained from the polymer electrolytes by using CRM. The highest ionic conductivity of PEG/CRM/LiClO₄/(EC-PC) was 5.33×10⁻⁴ S/cm at 25°C.     

Antimicrobial resistance, virulence-associated genes, and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis profiles of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Typhimurium isolated from piglets with diarrhea in Korea

Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Typhimurium was isolated from diarrheic piglets in 2 periods, 2000-2001 (n = 25) and 2005-2006 (n = 17). To compare the characteristics of the isolates collected during the 2 periods, all isolates were tested for antimicrobial resistance, the presence of virulence genes, and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) patterns. All 42 isolates were resistant to at least 1 of the 20 antimicrobials tested, and 39 (93%) were resistant to 2 or more antimicrobials. One isolate was resistant to 12 antimicrobials. Profiles of antimicrobial resistance revealed 20 resistance types. Several isolates were also resistant to quinolones and expanded-spectrum cephalosporins. Ten isolates (24%) were resistant to ampicillin, chloramphenicol, streptomycin, sulfonamides, and tetracycline (ACSSuT); only one isolate had been isolated in 2000-2001, indicating that this type of resistance has rapidly disseminated. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays revealed that all the isolates carried invA. Among the 25 strains isolated in 2000-2001, all carried the sipA, sopA, sopD, sopE2, and ssaR genes, and 96% carried sopB and sifA. Among the 17 strains isolated in 2005-2006, all carried sifA, and approximately 90% carried sipA, sopA, sopB, sopD, sopE2, and ssaR. However, only 6 (14%) of the 42 isolates carried spvC. By PFGE analysis, all 42 strains were classified into 4 major clusters, basically by collection period. The genetic similarity according to PFGE suggests that the strains isolated from diarrheic piglets of this region within the same period may be closely related.