Inhibition Kinetics of Ammonia Oxidation Influenced by Silver Nanoparticles

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have significantly increased in production and use for anti-microbial propose. This agent, after used, is released into sewerage system resulting in possibility to inactivate non-targeted microorganisms in wastewater treatment plants. In this study, the inhibitory effect of AgNPs on ammonia oxidation was investigated using respirometric assay. The initial concentrations of AgNPs and ammonia ranged 0.25?C10.00 and 14?C280?mg/L, respectively. Half saturation constant (K _s) for ammonia oxidation was found to be 15.9?mg?N/L. Under the presence of AgNPs, the maximum oxygen uptake rate and K _s declined. The effect of AgNPs was proved to follow an uncompetitive-like inhibition kinetic type with the inhibition coefficients (K _i) of 5.5?mg/L. Increasing AgNPs from 0.25 to 10.00?mg/L inhibited 4 to 50?% of ammonia-oxidizing activities at the initial ammonia concentrations from 14 to 280?mg/L. Based on transmission electron microscopic observation, AgNPs could damage the microbial cells. All findings indicated that AgNPs substantially reduced ammonia-oxidizing microorganisms and their activities. Thus, special attention should be made to manage discharge of AgNPs into the environment.     

It’s a maze: The pore structure of bread crumbs

Bread has a foam-like structure, but to date there is little information about the morphology of void structure in breads in three dimensions. In this paper, permeability testing and analysis of computer aided micro-tomography data were used to investigate the structure of breads as a function of connectivity of voids in a range of breads. The findings were related to bread properties obtained via material testing. Results indicated that a single, massively interconnected, open cell was responsible for approximately 99% of bread’s total porosity. Closed pores are also present with the number and average volume of closed pores significantly affecting strengths of bread crumbs. Bread behaved similarly to foams described by Gibson and Ashby (1988). The role of open and closed pores in affecting bread toughness and texture requires further investigation via structural–mechanical models.     

Total and Soluble Oxalate Content of Some Indian Spices

Spices, such as cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander and turmeric are used all over the world as flavouring and colouring ingredients in Indian foods. Previous studies have shown that spices contain variable amounts of total oxalates but there are few reports of soluble oxalate contents. In this study, the total, soluble and insoluble oxalate contents of ten different spices commonly used in Indian cuisine were measured. Total oxalate content ranged from 194 (nutmeg) to 4,014 (green cardamom) mg/100?g DM, while the soluble oxalate contents ranged from 41 (nutmeg) to 3,977 (green cardamom) mg/100?g DM. Overall, the percentage of soluble oxalate content of the spices ranged from 4.7 to 99.1% of the total oxalate content which suggests that some spices present no risk to people liable to kidney stone formation, while other spices can supply significant amounts of soluble oxalates and therefore should be used in moderation.     

Study of Water in Dough Using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance

The amount and state of water play an important role in the preparation and properties of wheat flour doughs and their products. A new method for presentation and analysis of relaxation time measurements of protons in dough is described in this article. This new method acknowledges a continuous probability distribution of protons having different relaxation times in heterogeneous systems such as dough, which is dramatically different from the conventional discrete methods that rely on prior assumptions of a number of discrete relaxation components. In the present study, pulsed proton nuclear magnetic resonance was used to study the relaxation characteristics of dough systems at moisture levels of 12–45%. The relaxation curves obtained using a 90-degree pulse (Onepulse) sequence and the Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill pulse sequence were analyzed using a multiexponential discrete model and a continuum model. The discrete model produced three fractions of protons relaxing in three different time domains. The continuum model produced spectra of spin-spin relaxation time vs. amplitude, from which two to five peaks, depending on the moisture content, could be identified. At moisture contents of 23 and 35%, dramatic changes in relaxation time and amplitude were observed with both models. The continuum model provided additional information about the homogeneity of the morphology and physical state of the dough systems.     

QTL identification for molecular breeding of fibre yield and fibre quality traits in jute

In jute (Corchorus olitorius), quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis was conducted to study the genetics of eight fibre yield traits and two fibre quality traits. For this purpose, we used a mapping population consisting of 120 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) and also used a linkage map consisting of 36 SSR markers that was developed by us earlier (Das et al. 2011). The RIL population was derived from the cross JRO 524 (coarse fibre) × PPO4 (fine fibre) following single seed descent. Using single-locus analysis involving composite interval mapping, a total of 21 QTLs were identified for eight fibre yield traits whereas for fibre quality (fibre fineness), only one QTL was detected. The QTL for fibre fineness explained 8.31–10.56% of the phenotypic variation and was detected in two out of three environments. Using two-locus analysis involving QTLNetwork, as many as 11 M-QTLs were identified for seven fibre yield traits (excluding top diameter) and one M-QTL was identified for fibre fineness which accounted for 4.57% of the phenotypic variation. For six fibre yield traits, we detected 16 E-QTLs involved in nine QQ epistatic interactions. For fibre fineness, four E-QTLs involved in two QQ epistatic interactions and for fibre strength, six E-QTLs involved in three QQ epistatic interactions were identified. Eight out of the 11 M-QTLs observed for the fibre yield traits were also involved in QE interactions; for fibre fineness and fibre strength, no QE interactions were observed.