Climate change, monsoon failures and inequality of impacts in South India.

This article examines the structural aspects of climate vulnerabilities in the context of monsoon failures. The paper is based on a unique household survey, conducted in Tamil Nadu, India. The study uses a rural differentiation framework to interrogate unequal vulnerabilities to monsoon failures, based on measures such as Gini coefficients and Lorenz curves of monetary losses. Results show that negative consequences of climate change in general, and monsoon failures in particular, intensify pre-existing socio-economic disparities. When the rural differentiation theory is applied in a broader sense, the analysis shows that landed and farming households have greater exposure and losses. When we move beyond these aggregate categories, the revelation is that households with pre-existing disadvantages such as marginal landholders, subsistence farmers and agricultural workers are more vulnerable.

Effect of single and dual-modifications on stability and structural characteristics of foxtail millet starch.

Foxtail millet starch was modified by annealing (AS), ultra-sonication (US) and a combination of the two treatments (annealing and ultra-sonication (AUS) or ultra-sonication and annealing (UAS)) and they were characterized. Compared to the native starch (NS), modified starches particularly UAS contained the highest amylose (27.96%). Ultra-sonication prior to annealing had a predominant effect on resistant starch (RS) level (UAS-45.59%). Among the modified starches, UAS had exhibited superior resistance to acidic (0.94) and shear (0.68) stability. Sonication, when used as the second treatment (AUS) elevated the final viscosity compared to its counter ones possibly due to the effects of cavitation promoted by sonication treatment. UAS had showed an A-type diffraction pattern and dominant peaks in FT-IR spectra. It can be inferred that dual modification of starch by ultra-sonication followed by annealing had exhibited the most desirable properties such as high acid and shear resistance, high freeze-thaw stability and improved gel texture.

Effect of citric acid concentration and hydrolysis time on physicochemical properties of sweet potato starches.

Physicochemical properties of citric acid treated sweet potato starches were investigated in the present study. Sweet potato starch was hydrolyzed using citric acid with different concentrations (1 and 5%) and time periods (1 and 11 h) at 45 °C and was denoted as citric acid treated starch (CTS1 to CTS4) based on their experimental conditions. The recovery yield of acid treated starches was above 85%. The CTS4 sample displayed the highest amylose (around 31%) and water holding capacity its melting temperature was 47.66 °C. The digestibility rate was slightly increased for 78.58% for the CTS3 and CTS4. The gel strength of acid modified starches ranged from 0.27 kg to 1.11 kg. RVA results of acid thinned starches confirmed a low viscosity profile. CTS3 starch illustrated lower enthalpy compared to all other modified starches. All starch samples exhibited a shear-thinning behavior. SEM analysis revealed that the extent of visible degradation was increased at higher hydrolysis time and acid concentration. The CTS3 satisfied the criteria required for starch to act as a fat mimetic. Overall results conveyed that the citric acid treatment of sweet potato starch with 5% acid concentration and 11h period was an ideal condition for the preparation of a fat replacer.