Exponential Decay Pattern Research Articles

Microbial properties for the derivation of critical risk limits in cadmium contaminated soil

Soil microbial communities play essential roles in soil functioning. Therefore, soil microbial properties are increasingly being used as indicators of soil quality and ecological risk in contaminated soils. In this study, a variety of microbial parameters and indexes reflecting the activity, biomass and diversity of soil microbial communities were determined in two soils artificially contaminated with a gradient of cadmium (from 0 to 1000mg Cd kg−1 dry weight soil). From the soil microbial properties whose values decreased at increasing Cd concentrations following an exponential pattern, IC50 (IC=inhibitory concentration) values for Cd contamination, as well as ecological thresholds, were calculated in order to determine their suitability for the derivation of critical risk limits. The most cautious IC50 value obtained for the two soils of this study was 254mg Cd kg−1 dry weight soil. However, taking into account the hump-shaped exponential decay pattern observed as well as the calculated ecological thresholds, the safest risk limit was established at 44mg Cd kg−1 dry weight soil (from data of the dehydrogenase/WSOC index), a value close to the risk limits established by legislation in many European countries. It was concluded that, although certainly relevant from an ecological point of view, before using soil microbial properties to derive critical risk limits, it is essential to reach an agreement regarding which specific microbial properties to use and to establish different risk limits for specific soil types.

Degradation of the Urease Inhibitor NBPT as Affected by Soil pH

Soil pH is an important property affecting N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide (NBPT) inhibition of urease. Only a few studies have followed NBPT decay kinetics by making direct measurements of this molecule, and its oxygen analog (NBPTo) in soil or buffer mediums. This study characterized NBPT metabolism under biotic and abiotic conditions including the appearance of NBPTo and decay products under a pH gradient. Chemical buffer incubations were conducted at pH 4.0, 5.0, 6.0, and 7.2, and degradation was quantified using ¹H-NMR. Soil incubations were conducted at pH 5.1, 6.1, 7.6, and 8.2 with sterilized (autoclaved) and non-sterilized soil collected from an agricultural field; and NBPT degradation and metabolism products were measured with high-preformance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-mass spectroscopy (MS). We found NBPT and NBPTo followed pseudo first-order decay kinetics in chemical buffers, and NBPT exhibited exponential decay patterns in soil with n-butylamine being a primary reaction product. The NBPT decay constants in buffers and soil were larger under acidic conditions and became progressively smaller as pH rose. Calculated NBPT half-life in non-sterilized soil was 0.07, 0.59, 2.70, and 3.43 d at pH 5.1, 6.1, 7.6, and 8.2, respectively. Soil sterilization increased these half-lives by 0.13, 0.55, 1.03, and 4.07 d, respectively. We found NBPTo to be more sensitive than NBPT to hydrolysis as result of the greater electrophilicity of the P atom. Chemical hydrolysis will likely be a large contributing factor to NBPT and NBPTo degradation in acidic to slightly alkaline soils (pH 5.1–7.6), while microbial degradation will likely become more important under more strongly alkaline conditions (pH 8.2).

Structural and luminescence properties of Gd2Si2O7:Ce prepared by solution combustion followed by heat treatment

A method comprising solution combustion followed by a heat treatment has been employed to synthesize cerium doped gadolinium pyrosilicate (Gd2Si2O7:Ce, or GPS:Ce) compounds. The powder obtained after the combustion was annealed at 1200°C for 4h and 1600°C for 3h to synthesize triclinic and orthorhombic phases of the GPS, respectively. Structural and morphological characterizations of the synthesized compounds were carried out using X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy (SEM, TEM) techniques. A change in the enthalpy was observed in the differential thermal analysis data as a consequence of triclinic to orthorhombic phase transition in the GPS. Luminescence spectra and fluorescence decay time were measured at room temperature to characterize emission centers created in GPS compounds doped with trivalent rare earth ion (Ce3+). The triclinic GPS:Ce phase exhibited photoluminescence peaks at 379nm and 410nm while for the orthorhombic phase emissions at 353nm and 380nm were observed. A multi-component exponential decay pattern of the luminescence is observed for both the GPS:Ce phases. In addition, samples of the orthorhombic GPS:Ce were found to exhibit X-ray excited luminescence (XEL).

Renal Amyloidosis - Tempo of Proteinuria Resolution in Bortezomib Era

IntroductionAL amyloidosis is a systemic disease where the immunoglobin light chains produced by clonal plasma cells accumulate as insoluble fibrils causing end organ damage. In patients with AL amyloidosis, renal involvement is common, and proteinuria is frequently detected. Current treatment for AL amyloidosis aims at reducing production of these pathological immunoglobulin light chains by eliminating the clonal plasma cell population. Following treatment and normalisation of serum free light chains (SFLCs), improvement in end organ function, as demonstrated by reduction of proteinuria in patients with renal AL amyloidosis, occurs at a much slower rate. Although reduction in proteinuria has been linked to improved outcomes, the rate of this reduction has not been documented in detail in the literature. The purpose of this study is to analyse the tempo of proteinuria resolution in patients with renal AL amyloidosis following bortezomib based chemotherapy.MethodsCases were selected by retrospectively reviewing the hospital electronic database. All patients with biopsy confirmed renal AL amyloidosis were included. Induction chemotherapy was a combination of weekly bortezomib (1.6mg/m2), cyclophosphamide (300mg/m2) and dexamethasone (40mg) given in 4-weekly cycles. During the follow-up period, proteinuria was measured by urinary protein / creatinine ratio (PCR) from random urine samples. The results of the PCR over time were plotted on a scatter plot, and a best fit curve was fitted using IBM SPSS Statistics 20 software to determine the trend of PCR over time. Patients who did not complete bortezomib chemotherapy, or did not have follow-up urinary PCR were excluded.ResultsAfter applying the exclusion criteria, seven patients were analysed, and the baseline characteristics are listed in table 1. The median follow-up was 30.9 months (range: 13.2 – 44.1 months). The median age was 68.8 years (range: 52.5 – 80.5 years). Patients received a median of 6 cycles of chemotherapy (range: 2 – 9 cycles), and all patients received full doses of bortezomib based on their body surface area (average dose of 1.6mg/m2, range: 1.53 – 1.64mg/m2). Five of the 7 patients normalised their SFLCs after one cycle of chemotherapy, and the median time to normalisation was 26 days (range: 13 – 185 days).PCR was used to monitor the level of proteinuria following chemotherapy. One patient was excluded in this part of the analysis due to progressive diabetic and hypertensive nephropathy following an initial improvement in PCR after normalisation of SFLCs. Although there was marked fluctuation of PCR (figure 1), the PCRs followed an exponential decay pattern over time (R2 between 0.223 – 0.976). The median half-life of reduction was 6.2 months (range: 3.4 – 18.2 months).ConclusionsPCR from random urine samples is a useful and convenient way of assessing proteinuria in everyday outpatient setting. Although PCR fluctuates over time in patients with renal AL amyloidosis, there is a general downward trend following bortezomib based chemotherapy and normalisation of SFLCs. This downward trend appears to follow an exponential decay pattern, and most patients have a protracted delay between normalisation of SFLCs and improvement in proteinuria. In view of such delay, normalisation of SFLCs should be the goal of initial therapy, rather than reduction in proteinuria when treating patients with renal AL amyloidosis.Table 1Baseline patient characteristicsValue(range)Age (median)68.8 years(52.5 – 80.5 years)Male (%)55.6%Plasma cell burden (median)12.5%(6 – 25%)Kappa/Lambda light chain ratio (median)0.164(0.011 – 37.333)eGFR > 30ml/min (%)88.9%Protein / creatinine ratio at diagnosis (mean)698mg/L(243 – 1636mg/L) [Display omitted] DisclosuresSimpson:Onyx: Honoraria, Research Funding; Celgene: Honoraria; Janssen Cilag: Honoraria.

In situ decomposition of northern hardwood tree boles: decay rates and nutrient dynamics in wood and bark

The decomposition of coarse woody debris contributes to forest nutrient sustainability and carbon (C) balances, yet few field studies have been undertaken to investigate these relationships in northern hardwood forests. We used a paired-sample approach to study the decomposition of sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.), American beech (Fagus grandifolia Erhr.), and yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis Britt.) boles at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest in New Hampshire. Mass loss over 16 years followed a first-order exponential decay pattern with half-lives ranging from 4.9 to 9.4 years in bark and from 7.3 to 10.9 years in wood. Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) concentrations increased significantly during decomposition, resulting in sharp decreases in C:N and C:P ratios. We did not, however, observe significant net increases in the amount of N or P stored in decomposing boles, as reported in some other studies. Calcium (Ca) concentration decreased by up to 50% in bark but more than doubled in wood of all species. The retention of Ca in decomposing wood helps maintain Ca pools in this base-poor ecosystem. Together, the exponential model for mass loss and a combined power-exponential model for changes in nutrient concentrations were able to simulate nutrient dynamics in decomposing boles after clear-cutting in an adjacent watershed.

Strong two-photon absorption properties and ultrafast pump-probe studies of novel porphyrin derivatives

Herein we report strong two-photon absorption (2PA) properties and ultrafast pump-probe dynamics of five novel porphyrin derivatives. The investigated molecules were β-octamethoxyporphyrin (H2OMP), its Zn(II)-derivative (ZnOMP) and 3,8,13,18-tetrachloro-2,7,12,17-tetramethoxyporphyrin (H2TCTMP), and its Zn(II)- and Ni(II)-derivatives i.e. ZnTCTMP and NiTCTMP respectively. NLO coefficients were obtained from the Z-scan measurements using ∼2ps pulses at 800nm. Open aperture data confirmed 2PA whereas closed aperture data indicated positive nonlinearity. 2PA cross-sections in the range of 103–104GM were recorded. Femtosecond pump-probe results at 600nm of above compounds demonstrated triple exponential decay pattern indicating three lifetimes arising from high lying excited states.

A Comparison of Climate Signal Trend Detection Uncertainty Analysis Methods

Abstract Two climate signal trend analysis methods are the focus of this paper. The uncertainty of trend estimate from these two methods is investigated using Monte Carlo simulation. Several theoretically and randomly generated series of white noise, first-order autoregressive and second-order autoregressive, are explored. The choice of method that is most appropriate for the time series of interest depends upon the autocorrelation structure of the series. If the structure has its autocorrelation coefficients decreased with increasing lags (i.e., an exponential decay pattern), then the method of Weatherhead et al. is adequate. If the structure exhibits a decreasing sinusoid pattern of coefficient with lags (or a damped sinusoid pattern) or a mixture of both exponential decay and damped sinusoid patterns, then the method of Leroy et al. is recommended. The two methods are then applied to the time series of monthly and globally averaged top-of-the-atmosphere (TOA) irradiances for the reflected solar shortwave and emitted longwave regions, using radiance observations made by Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System (CERES) instruments during March 2000 through June 2011. Examination of the autocorrelation structures indicates that the reflected shortwave region has an exponential decay pattern, while the longwave region has a mixture of exponential decay and damped sinusoid patterns. Therefore, it is recommended that the method of Weatherhead et al. is used for the series of reflected shortwave irradiances and that the method of Leroy et al. is used for the series of emitted longwave irradiances.

On the decay of the inverse of matrices that are sum of Kronecker products

Decay patterns of matrix inverses have recently attracted considerable interest, due to their relevance in numerical analysis, and in applications requiring matrix function approximations. In this paper we analyze the decay pattern of the inverse of banded matrices of the form S=M⊗In+In⊗M where M is tridiagonal, symmetric and positive definite, In is the identity matrix, and ⊗ stands for the Kronecker product. It is well known that the inverses of banded matrices exhibit an exponential decay pattern away from the main diagonal. However, the entries in S−1 show a non-monotonic decay, which is not caught by classical bounds. By using an alternative expression for S−1, we derive computable upper bounds that closely capture the actual behavior of its entries. We also show that similar estimates can be obtained when M has a larger bandwidth, or when the sum of Kronecker products involves two different matrices. Numerical experiments illustrating the new bounds are also reported.

A New Method for Estimating Growth Behavior of Bacterial Population under Restrictive Culture Conditions

According to the changes in optical density ( A 600) of E. coli population in shake flask-culture and ferment culture and by using an improved data-smoothing method and then differential derivation, the two kinetic parameters, instantaneous rate ( v inst) and instantaneous increment ( v inc), as response variable were estimated and could be used to accurately characterize the kinetics of bacterial population growth. The v inst showed exponential decay pattern, while the kinetic pattern of v inc varied and depended on the inoculums size. In either case for v inst or for v inc, the kinetic curves appear neither delay period nor stable period. In fact, the pattern of kinetic growth curve were determined by the number of cells under division status, which was the result of the interaction between endogenous growth ability (which is from the continuous cell-cyclic division) and exogenous growth inhibitory force (caused by the decreased nutrients and increased metabolites). In addition, based on the dividing pattern of bacterial cell, another response variable, doubling time (Q), was also used to express the endogenous kinetic behavior. And then a bioengineering parameter, volumetric productivity, can be calculated according to the instantaneous increment ( v inc). This research can provide an effective mathematical analysis to resolve the problems of uncertainty in using logistic and Monod equation to fit the growth curve of E. coli .

Myosin filaments in smooth muscle cells do not have a constant length

Myosin molecules from smooth muscle and non-muscle cells are known to self-assemble into side-polar filaments in vitro. However, the in situ mechanism of filament assembly is not clear and the question of whether there is a unique length for myosin filaments in smooth muscle is still under debate. In this study we measured the lengths of 16,587 myosin filaments in three types of smooth muscle cells using serial electron microscopy (EM). Sheep airway and pulmonary arterial smooth muscle as well as rabbit carotid arterial smooth muscle were fixed for EM and serial ultra-thin (50-60 nm) sections were obtained. Myosin filaments were traced in consecutive sections to determine their lengths. The results indicate that there is not a single length for the myosin filaments; instead there is a wide variation in lengths. The plots of observation frequency versus myosin filament length follow an exponential decay pattern. Analysis suggests that in situ assembly of myosin filaments in smooth muscle is governed by random processes of linear polymerization and de-polymerization, and that the dynamic equilibrium of these processes determines the observed length distribution.

Time-Series Analysis of Supergranule Characteristics at Solar Minimum

Sixty days of Doppler images from the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) / Michelson Doppler Imager (MDI) investigation during the 1996 and 2008 solar minima have been analyzed to show that certain supergranule characteristics (size, size range, and horizontal velocity) exhibit fluctuations of three to five days. Cross-correlating parameters showed a good, positive correlation between supergranulation size and size range, and a moderate, negative correlation between size range and velocity. The size and velocity do exhibit a moderate, negative correlation, but with a small time lag (less than 12 hours). Supergranule sizes during five days of co-temporal data from MDI and the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) / Helioseismic Magnetic Imager (HMI) exhibit similar fluctuations with a high level of correlation between them. This verifies the solar origin of the fluctuations, which cannot be caused by instrumental artifacts according to these observations. Similar fluctuations are also observed in data simulations that model the evolution of the MDI Doppler pattern over a 60-day period. Correlations between the supergranule size and size range time-series derived from the simulated data are similar to those seen in MDI data. A simple toy-model using cumulative, uncorrelated exponential growth and decay patterns at random emergence times produces a time-series similar to the data simulations. The qualitative similarities between the simulated and the observed time-series suggest that the fluctuations arise from stochastic processes occurring within the solar convection zone. This behavior, propagating to surface manifestations of supergranulation, may assist our understanding of magnetic-field-line advection, evolution, and interaction.

Sectoral stock return sensitivity to oil price changes: a double-threshold FIGARCH model

We investigate the association between the stock return distributions of 10 major U.S. sectors and oil returns within a double-threshold FIGARCH model. This model nests GARCH, IGARCH and Fama–French specifications as its special cases and allows a test of their validity. This model also has the advantage of capturing not only the short-run dynamics (as in the standard GARCH model), but also the long-run persistence pattern of oil shock effects that may decay at a slower hyperbolic pace. We find that: (i) data reject the more restricted GARCH, IGARCH and Fama–French models in favor of FIGARCH, (ii) oil return is a significant determinant of every sector's return and/or return volatility, (iii) oil effects are asymmetric for oil returns above and below the thresholds, (iv) asymmetry is stronger when oil return volatility is greater, (v) volatilities of sectoral returns exhibit threshold-based regime shifts, and (vi) oil shock effects follow a hyperbolic, rather than an exponential decay pattern, establishing long-term persistence of shocks. Policy implications are drawn.

The longevity of constructed log pile fauna habitats in restored bauxite mines in relation to recurrent wildfire in the jarrah forest of Western Australia

Coarse woody debris (CWD) is often returned to rehabilitated areas after mining to provide specific habitat features for fauna that might otherwise take many decades to develop naturally. The CWD, typically constructed into log piles, is assumed to persist for comparable periods of time to fulfil their role. In the fire-prone jarrah forest in Western Australia, these structures will be subject to recurrent wildfire, but there is little information on their survival. In January 2006, a wildfire burnt through 310 ha of rehabilitation at Alcoa’s Willowdale bauxite mine, 140 km south east of Perth, enabling the first estimates of the longevity of log pile fauna habitats to be made. Reductions in numbers of logs were greatest for small (<30 cm diameter) logs (48%), intermediate for large (>30 cm diameter) logs (37%) and least for stumps (17%). Assuming an exponential decay pattern, half-lives of 1.1, 1.5 and 3.7 wildfires were calculated for small logs, large logs and stumps respectively, from which we estimate a useful ‘life’ of a typical log pile fauna habitat of 57–73 years. Increasing fire intensity was associated with greater reductions in the number of large logs, significantly greater surface charring and, at the highest intensity, significantly fewer crevices compared to unburnt log piles. Implications of these findings for the management of log piles in rehabilitation and CWD in the adjacent unmined forest, and of the role of prescribed fire, are discussed.

Trends of legacy and emerging-issue contaminants in Lake Simcoe fishes

The temporal trends of legacy contaminants (i.e., mercury, PCBs, and DDT) and the current status of both legacy and emerging-issue (polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs)) chemicals were examined in sport fishes from Lake Simcoe. Mercury concentrations decreased statistically significantly with time in lake trout, cisco, smallmouth bass, and yellow perch, consistent with assumed loading patterns. In contrast, mercury in largemouth bass, northern pike, and walleye showed a random relationship with time and increased statistically significantly with time in whitefish. Such differences among species suggest the influence of food-web processes (e.g., nutrient inputs and invasive species) in controlling temporal patterns of mercury in Lake Simcoe fishes. Concentrations of total-PCB and total-DDT in lake trout and whitefish generally followed an exponential decay pattern, with concentrations stabilizing during the 1990s. Current concentrations of legacy contaminants were, for the most part, below fish consumption guidelines for the general population. The risk associated with fish consumption to the sensitive population of women of child bearing age and children under 15 was of more concern for the larger, predatory fishes due to elevated mercury and PCBs. Recent measurements of PCNs and PBDEs were not of concern to Lake Simcoe sport fish consumers, although continued monitoring of fish contaminant levels is recommended in light of possible further loadings to this system. Contaminant related issues in Lake Simcoe sport fishes were of less or similar concern compared with the North American Great Lakes.

Dopaminergic function and progression of Parkinson's disease: PET findings

Recent PET studies in Parkinson's disease (PD) have shown that the progression of neurodegeneration follows an exponential decay pattern. Most of the damage to the nigrostriatal dopamine system occurs during the presymptomatic phase of the disease and the first few years following symptom onset. The progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons is accompanied by several functional adaptive changes in surviving nerve terminals, which lead to increased dopamine turnover and raise the risk of treatment-related motor complications. Younger PD patients seem to have more efficient compensatory mechanisms and a slower rate of progression of neurodegeneration.

Thin Layer Drying of African Breadfruit (Treculia africana) Seeds: Modeling and Rehydration Capacity

African breadfruit (ABF) seeds are underutilized plant resources, which have been reported to have high potential for novel food and industrial uses. The kinetics of moisture removal during air drying of the whole (WS) and dehulled (DS) seeds was studied at temperatures of 40–70 °C. Five empirical models were tested for predicting the experimental data. Drying of ABF seeds followed an exponential decay pattern, while drying predominantly took place during the falling rate periods. All the drying models predicted the experimental data above 90% accuracy while the Henderson–Pabis model gave the best fit (0.95 < r 2 < 0.99) at most of the experimental conditions. Effective moisture diffusivity, D eff, ranged from 3.65 to 7.15 × 10−9 m2/s and 3.95 to 6.10 × 10−9 m2/s for WS and DS, respectively. D eff showed significant dependence on the moisture content (p < 0.01). Rehydration capacity of DS was not significantly affected by drying temperature while that of WS increased with drying temperature.

Accidental gamma dose measurement using commercial glasses

Commercial glasses have been investigated for their application in accidental gamma dose measurement using Thermoluminescent (TL) techniques. Some of the glasses have been found to be sensitive enough that they can be used as TL dating material in radiological accident situation for gamma dosimetry with lower detection limit 1 Gy (the dose significant for the onset of deterministic biological effects). The glasses behave linearly in the dose range 1-25 Gy with measurement uncertainty +/- 10%. The errors in accidental dose measurements using TL technique are estimated to be within +/- 25%. These glasses have shown TL fading in the range of 10-20% in 24 h after irradiation under room conditions; thereafter the fading becomes slower and reaches upto 50% in 15 d. TL fading of gamma-irradiated glasses follows exponential decay pattern, therefore dosimetry even after years is possible. These types of glasses can also be used as lethal dose indicator (3-4 Gy) using TL techniques, which can give valuable inputs to the medical professional for better management of radiation victims. The glasses are easy to use and do not require lengthy sample preparation before reading as in case of other building materials. TL measurement on glasses may give immediate estimation of the doses, which can help in medical triage of the radiation-exposed public.

Dynamics of Reductive Genome Evolution in Mitochondria and Obligate Intracellular Microbes

Reductive evolution in mitochondria and obligate intracellular microbes has led to a significant reduction in their genome size and guanine plus cytosine content (GC). We show that genome shrinkage during reductive evolution in prokaryotes follows an exponential decay pattern and provide a method to predict the extent of this decay on an evolutionary timescale. We validated predictions by comparison with estimated extents of genome reduction known to have occurred in mitochondria and Buchnera aphidicola, through comparative genomics and by drawing on available fossil evidences. The model shows how the mitochondrial ancestor would have quickly shed most of its genome, shortly after its incorporation into the protoeukaryotic cell and prior to codivergence subsequent to the split of eukaryotic lineages. It also predicts that the primary rickettsial parasitic event would have occurred between 180 and 425 million years ago (MYA), an event of relatively recent evolutionary origin considering the fact that Rickettsia and mitochondria evolved from a common alphaproteobacterial ancestor. This suggests that the symbiotic events of Rickettsia and mitochondria originated at different time points. Moreover, our model results predict that the ancestor of Wigglesworthia glossinidia brevipalpis, dated around the time of origin of its symbiotic association with the tsetse fly (50-100 MYA), was likely to have been an endosymbiont itself, thus supporting an earlier proposition that Wigglesworthia, which is currently a maternally inherited primary endosymbiont, evolved from a secondary endosymbiont.

Photodissociation dynamics of CF3I investigated by two-color femtosecond laser pulses

We report an experimental study of the multiphoton dissociation dynamics of CF3I performed on a home-built femtosecond laser pump-probe system; with time-of-flight mass spectrometer. The first repulsive A band and the 5p pi(3)7s sigma v(2) = 1 Rydberg state of CF3I were accessed by one- and two-photon transitions at 267 nm, respectively; with the latter two-photon absorption followed by a further two-photon probe transition at 401 nm to the (B) over tilde state of the parent ion. The observed signals from the CF3+ and I+ fragments show similar multi-component exponential decay patterns but the former is 4 times stronger than the latter. However; the parent CF3I+ signal was observed to evolve in a very different manner; decreasing sharply when probed in the first 289 fs following excitation and subsequently rising again after 860 fs to a constant level below that measured at negative pump-probe delay times when the pump and probe pulses exchange roles. This dip observed in the parent ion profile; is very different from that previously reported at shorter pump wavelengths of 264 nm or 265 ran, and is interpreted as the competition between two different ionization channels. One from the vibrationally excited v(2) = 1 of the irradiated Rydberg state and the other from the dissociative vibrational origin of the same electronic state which is populated by internal vibrational relaxation.

Kinetic stability plays a dominant role in the denaturant-induced unfolding of Erythrina indica lectin

The urea-induced denaturation of dimeric Erythrina indica lectin (EIL) has been studied at pH 7.2 under equilibrium and kinetic conditions in the temperature range of 40–55 °C. The structure of EIL is largely unaffected in this temperature range in absence of denaturant, and also in 8 M urea after incubation for 24 h at ambient temperature. The equilibrium denaturation of EIL exhibits a monophasic unfolding transition from the native dimer to the unfolded monomer as monitored by fluorescence, far-UV CD, and size-exclusion FPLC. The thermodynamic parameters determined for the two-state unfolding equilibrium show that the free energy of unfolding (Δ G u, aq) remains practically same between 40 and 55 °C, with a value of 11.8 ± 0.6 kcal mol −1 (monomer units). The unfolding kinetics of EIL describes a single exponential decay pattern, and the apparent rate constants determined at different temperatures indicate that the rate of the unfolding reaction increases several fold with increase in temperature. The presence of probe like external metal ions (Mn 2+, Ca 2+) does not influence the unfolding reaction thermodynamically or kinetically; however, the presence of EDTA affects only kinetics. The present results suggest that the ability of EIL to preserve the structural integrity against the highly denaturing conditions is linked primarily to its kinetic stability, and the synergic action of heat and denaturant is involved in the unfolding of the protein.