Physicochemical Properties of Rice Endosperm Proteins Extracted by Chemical and Enzymatic Methods

Rice proteins are nutritional, hypoallergenic, and healthy for human consumption. Efficient extraction with approved food‐grade enzymes and chemicals are essential for commercial production and application of rice protein as a functional ingredient. Rice endosperm proteins were isolated by alkali, salt, and enzymatic methods and evaluated for extractability and physicochemical properties. Alkali (RP_A) and salt (RP_S) methods extracted 86.9 and 87.3% of proteins with 65.9 and 58.9% yield, respectively. The enzymatic methods with Termamyl (RP_ET) and amylase S (RP_EA) extracted 85.8 and 81.0% proteins with 85.2 and 86.2% yield, respectively. Enthalpy values of RP_A (1.79 J/g), RP_S (1.22 J/g), RP_ET (nondetectable), and RP_EA (0.17 J/g), determined by differential scanning calorimetry, demonstrated that the varying level of denaturation of proteins depends on the method of extraction. Surface hydrophobicity data supported this observation. Alkali‐ and salt‐extracted proteins had higher solubility and emulsifying properties than those of enzyme‐extracted proteins. Comparatively, more favorable protein composition, lower surface hydrophobicity, higher solubility, and a lower degree of thermal denaturation of alkali‐ and salt‐extracted proteins contributed to higher emulsifying and foaming properties than those of enzyme‐extracted proteins; therefore, alkali‐ and salt‐extracted proteins can have enhanced functional use and a potential starting material for preparing tailored rice protein isolates.     

A Large Drop in Atmospheric 14C/12C and Reduced Melting in the Younger Dryas, Documented with 230Th Ages of Corals

Paired carbon-14 ((14)C) and thorium-230((230)Th) ages were determined on fossil corals from the Huon Peninsula, Papua New Guinea. The ages were used to calibrate part of the (14)C time scale and to estimate rates of sea-level rise during the last deglaciation. An abrupt offset between the (14)C and (230)Th ages suggests that the atmospheric (14)C/(12)C ratio dropped by 15 percent during the latter part of and after the Younger Dryas (YD). This prominent drop coincides with greatly reduced rates of sea-level rise. Reduction of melting because of cooler conditions during the YD may have caused an increase in the rate of ocean ventilation, which caused the atmospheric (14)C/(12)C ratio to fall. The record of sea-level rise also shows that globally averaged rates of melting were relatively high at the beginning of the YD. Thus, these measurements satisfy one of the conditions required by the hypothesis that the diversion of meltwater from the Mississippi to the St. Lawrence River triggered the YD event.     

Strange magnetism and the anapole structure of the proton

The violation of mirror symmetry in the weak force provides a powerful tool to study the internal structure of the proton. Experimental results have been obtained that address the role of strange quarks in generating nuclear magnetism. The measurement reported here provides an unambiguous constraint on strange quark contributions to the proton's magnetic moment through the electron-proton weak interaction. We also report evidence for the existence of a parity-violating electromagnetic effect known as the anapole moment of the proton. The proton's anapole moment is not yet well understood theoretically, but it could have important implications for precision weak interaction studies in atomic systems such as cesium.     

Sr lattice clock at 1 x 10(-16) fractional uncertainty by remote optical evaluation with a Ca clock

Optical atomic clocks promise timekeeping at the highest precision and accuracy, owing to their high operating frequencies. Rigorous evaluations of these clocks require direct comparisons between them. We have realized a high-performance remote comparison of optical clocks over kilometer-scale urban distances, a key step for development, dissemination, and application of these optical standards. Through this remote comparison and a proper design of lattice-confined neutral atoms for clock operation, we evaluate the uncertainty of a strontium (Sr) optical lattice clock at the 1 x 10(-16) fractional level, surpassing the current best evaluations of cesium (Cs) primary standards. We also report on the observation of density-dependent effects in the spin-polarized fermionic sample and discuss the current limiting effect of blackbody radiation-induced frequency shifts.     

The great Sumatra-Andaman earthquake of 26 December 2004

The two largest earthquakes of the past 40 years ruptured a 1600-kilometer-long portion of the fault boundary between the Indo-Australian and southeastern Eurasian plates on 26 December 2004 [seismic moment magnitude (Mw) = 9.1 to 9.3] and 28 March 2005 (Mw = 8.6). The first event generated a tsunami that caused more than 283,000 deaths. Fault slip of up to 15 meters occurred near Banda Aceh, Sumatra, but to the north, along the Nicobar and Andaman Islands, rapid slip was much smaller. Tsunami and geodetic observations indicate that additional slow slip occurred in the north over a time scale of 50 minutes or longer.     

Impact-induced cleaving and melting of alkali-halide nanocrystals

Impact of nanocrystalline alkali-halide clusters against solid surfaces causes them to fission exclusively into low surface-energy fragments. In time-of-flight scattering experiments, this process appears at an impact energy so low that it must result from a single-step cleavage of the nanocrystal along low surface-energy cleavage planes. At higher energies (more than 1 electron volt per atom), a crossover occurs to an entirely different behavior-evaporative cascades that proceed irrespective of the structureenergetic properties of the fragments. These cascades, and the approximately linear scaling of the crossover energy with cluster size, are characteristic of impact-induced transformation of the cluster to a molten state. Collision with the high-rigidity surface of silicon gives a substantially greater cleavage probability than the soft basal-plane surface of graphite.     

Nuclear pore complex structure and dynamics revealed by cryoelectron tomography

Nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) are gateways for nucleocytoplasmic exchange. To analyze their structure in a close-to-life state, we studied transport-active, intact nuclei from Dictyostelium discoideum by means of cryoelectron tomography. Subvolumes of the tomograms containing individual NPCs were extracted in silico and subjected to three-dimensional classification and averaging, whereby distinct structural states were observed. The central plug/transporter (CP/T) was variable in volume and could occupy different positions along the nucleocytoplasmic axis, which supports the notion that it essentially represents cargo in transit. Changes in the position of the CP/T were accompanied by structural rearrangements in the NPC scaffold.     

Negative effects of energy supplementation at peak lactation of sheep can be offset by the addition of Lactobacillus-fermented plant extracts

Energy supplementation may reduce oxidative stress by correcting a negative energy balance, but in some contexts, it has been shown to increase oxidative stress, especially at peak lactation. The current experiment examined if a pelleted energy supplement with or without the addition of Lactobacillus-fermented seaweed or seaweed plus terrestrial plants extracts affected oxidative stress of ewes from late gestation through to weaning and ewe and lamb production from lambing to weaning. Treatments were either no supplement (CON−), a pelleted supplement only (CON+, 100 g/ewe per d), CON+ with seaweed extract only (SWO, 10 mL/ewe per day), or CON+ with seaweed plus an arrangement of terrestrial plant extract (SWP, 10 mL/ewe per d). Ewes (n = 160; mean initial BW = 72.3 ± 9.5 kg [mean ± SD]) were randomized to pastures (n = 4 pastures per treatment with 10 ewes each). After lambing, ewes with twins were reallocated to pastures (n = 3 pastures per treatment with 10 ewes each) according to lambing date. At 4 wk in milk, supplementation tended to reduce total antioxidant status (TAS; P = 0.10) and increased glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity compared with nonsupplemented ewes (P = 0.04). The addition of seaweed and terrestrial plants extracts to the concentrate, that is, SWO and SWP, increased TAS and reduced GPx activity compared with CON+ (P < 0.01). Supplementation increased milk yield at weeks 4, 6, and 8 of lactation, and protein, lactose, and total milk solids yield at peak lactation (week 4; P < 0.05). The CON− ewes had greater somatic cell count than the supplemented ewes at weeks 4, 8, and 10 of lactation (P = 0.03). Our results suggest that energy supplementation, alone, increases oxidative stress of lactating ewes, which may relate to increased oxidative phosphorylation. Most importantly, these results indicate that in situations where energy supplementation is needed to increase animal performance, negative effects of energy supplementation around peak lactation can be offset by the addition of Lactobacillus-fermented plant extracts (SWO and SWP) to improve antioxidant status.     

Distribution of Al,V, and Mn in lichens across Calcasieu Parish,Louisiana

The lichen Ramalina stenospora was collected from 16 location in Calcasieu Parish and from 2 locations in Cameron Parish in Southwestern Louisiana. The metals V, Mn, and Al were measured in lichen specimens collected during three seasons — fall 1983, winter and spring 1984. The metals were determined using thermal neutron activation analysis. Vanadium was found to range in concentration from 2.1 to 10 mg kg^?1; and Al from 900 to 4500 mg kg^?1. Metal concentration was found to decrease exponentially with distance outward from the industrial corridor. The major industries included were an Al plant, two refineries and five chemical plants mostly related to plastics production.