Evaluation of Techniques Used for Parameters Estimation: an Application to Bioremediation of Grease Waste

In the present work, evaluation of different conventional techniques, i.e., chemical oxygen demand (COD), biological oxygen demand, elemental analysis, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and gas chromatography used for estimating biodegradation of grease waste was carried out. In this order grease waste was incubated with Penicillium chrysogenum for 7?C30?days and analyzed percentage of degradation. After 15?days of incubation, the percentages of reduction in COD, carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen content of grease waste were found 28, 53.5, 12.7, and 0, respectively. Further it was analyzed by FTIR and gas chromatography?Cmass spectroscopy (GC-MS) and observed that bifurcated peaks of grease waste at 2,926 and 2,855?cm^?1 had reduced remarkably, which corresponds to aliphatic hydrocarbons, while new broad peaks appeared at 3,400?cm^?1 indicating addition of oxygen molecule to reduced aliphatic hydrocarbon. GC-MS study also supports the results of FTIR, COD, and elemental analysis, but quantification of the percentage of degradation was difficult and limited to volatile organic content, while COD and elemental analysis were found more accurate and more informative. The current study would be helpful in the estimation of biodegradability not only of grease waste but also of other complex nonbiodegradable compounds polluting the environment.     

Synthesis and characterization of nanostructured (Pb1− x Sr x )TiO3 thin films by a modified chemical route

The coating solutions of nanostructured (Pb_{1– x} Sr _x )TiO₃ (PST) thin films have been prepared by the sol–gel combined metallo-organic decomposition method. The coating solutions were deposited on Pt/Ti/SiO₂/Si substrates using a spin-coating technique with spinning speed of 4300 rpm and annealed at 650°C. The effect of Sr content in reducing the grain size and tetragonal distortion of PST films has been studied. The optimum conditions for crystalline phase formation in the films have been analyzed by thermogravimetric, differential thermal analysis and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The phase and microstructure of the films were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The XRD pattern shows that the PST thin films are crystallized into tetragonal structures without any impurity phase and the distortion ratio reduces with increasing Sr concentration. The AFM results indicate an increase in grain size with increasing annealing temperature of the film and reduction in grain size with increasing Sr concentration.     

Octonionic Non-Abelian Gauge Theory

We have made an attempt to describe the octonion formulation of Abelian and non-Abelian gauge theory of dyons in terms of 2×2 Zorn vector matrix realization. As such, we have discussed the U(1) _e ×U(1) _m Abelian gauge theory and U(1)×SU(2) electroweak gauge theory and also the SU(2) _e ×SU(2) _m non-Abelian gauge theory in term of 2×2 Zorn vector matrix realization of split octonions. It is shown that SU(2) _e characterizes the usual theory of the Yang Mill’s field (isospin or weak interactions) due to presence of electric charge while the gauge group SU(2) _m may be related to the existence of ’t Hooft-Polyakov monopole in non-Abelian Gauge theory. Accordingly, we have obtained the manifestly covariant field equations and equations of motion.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Atropa belladonna</Emphasis> Hairy Roots: Orchestration of Concurrent Oxidation and Reduction Reactions for Biotransformation of Carbonyl Compounds

The biotransformation potential of a selected Atropa belladonna hairy root clone (AB-09) had been evaluated with regard to three different aromatic carbonyl compounds, i.e., 3,4,5-trimethoxybenzaldehyde (1), 3,4,5-trimethoxyacetophenone (2), and 3,4,5-trimethoxy benzoic acid (3). The results demonstrated for the first time the untapped potentials of the selected hairy root clone to perform simultaneous oxidation (34.49%) and reduction (32.68%) of 3,4,5-trimethoxy benzaldehyde (1) into 3,4,5-trimethoxy benzoic acid (3), and 3,4,5-trimethoxy benzyl alcohol (4), respectively, without any intermediate separation or addition of reagents. The same hairy root clone also demonstrated reduction (<5%) of a 3,4,5-trimethoxyacetophenone (2) into a secondary alcohol, i.e., 1-(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl) ethanol (5), while in the case of aromatic carboxylic acid substrate (3), no biotransformation could be obtained under the similar conditions. The current observations revealed oxidation and reduction of the formyl group of the aromatic ring, and only reduction of the carbonyl group of acetophenone through the specific hairy root clone. The concurrent oxidation and reduction reactions by the selected hairy root clone highlight the importance of this study, which, as per our observations, is the first of its kind relating the hairy root culture of A. belladonna.     

Quaternion Gravi-Electromagnetism

Defining the generalized charge, potential, current and generalized fields as complex quantities where real and imaginary parts represent gravitation and electromagnetism respectively, corresponding field equation, equation of motion and other quantum equations are derived in manifestly covariant manner. It has been shown that the field equations are invariant under Lorentz as well as duality transformations. It has been shown that the quaternionic formulation presented here remains invariant under quaternion transformations.     

A generalized delta derivative on time scale with applications

Inspired by a well-known “Hilger-derivative” on time scale introduced by Stephan Hilger, we introduce a new derivative on the time scale, called “black delta (or in notation $▴$)-derivative.” It is an adaptive unified approach of derivative of continuous and discrete calculus. Several important nontrivial results concerning this derivative are obtained. Also, a necessary and sufficient condition for the existence of this new derivative and its connection with Hilger-derivative are discussed. In addition, a new general a-exponential function (for fixed a ≥ 1) is introduced to obtain the unique solution of the initial value problem on time scales with this derivative. Furthermore, a relation between the a-exponential function with the existing exponential function on the time scale is obtained. We elucidate the results by considering some interesting examples. We expect that this derivative will be applicable for future investigations on various studies in the field of mathematical modeling, engineering applications.     

Quaternion Octonion Reformulation of Grand Unified Theories

In this paper, Grand Unified theories are discussed in terms of quaternions and octonions by using the relation between quaternion basis elements with Pauli matrices and Octonions with Gell Mann λ matrices. Connection between the unitary groups of GUTs and the normed division algebra has been established to re-describe the SU(5) gauge group. We have thus described the SU(5) gauge group and its subgroup SU(3) _C ×SU(2) _L ×U(1) by using quaternion and octonion basis elements. As such the connection between U(1) gauge group and complex number, SU(2) gauge group and quaternions and SU(3) and octonions is established. It is concluded that the division algebra approach to the theory of unification of fundamental interactions as the case of GUTs leads to the consequences towards the new understanding of these theories which incorporate the existence of magnetic monopole and dyon.     

Quaternion Octonion Reformulation of Quantum Chromodynamics

We have made an attempt to develop the quaternionic formulation of Yang–Mill’s field equations and octonion reformulation of quantum chromo dynamics (QCD). Starting with the Lagrangian density, we have discussed the field equations of SU(2) and SU(3) gauge fields for both cases of global and local gauge symmetries. It has been shown that the three quaternion units explain the structure of Yang–Mill’s field while the seven octonion units provide the consistent structure of SU(3) _C gauge symmetry of quantum chromo dynamics.     

Development, characterization and performance evaluation of oro-dispersible tablet containing aceclofenac hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin binary system

The purpose of this research was to mask the intensely bitter taste of aceclofenac (ACF) and to formulate oro dispersible tablet (ODT) of the taste-masked drug. Taste masking was done by complexing aceclofenac with Hydroxypropyl-β-Cyclodextrin (HPβCD) by different methods. Phase solubility studies indicated complex with possible stoichiometry of 1:1 and a stability constant of 221.11 M^?1. The complexes were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and differential scanning calorimetry studies. The characterization studies confirmed inclusion of the ACF within the nonpolar cavity of HPβCD in the neutralization method (NM). Remarkable improvement in the in vitro drug release profiles in pH 6.8 phosphate buffer was observed with all complexes, especially the neutralization. The complexes of ACF–HPβCD (1:1) was compressed into tablet and properties of tablets such as tensile strength, wetting time, in vitro disintegration time, and disintegration in the oral cavity were investigated to elucidate the wetting and disintegration characteristics of tablets. Polyplasdone XL-10 7% wt/wt gave the minimum disintegration time. Tablets of batch F4 containing Avicel 200 and 7% wt/wt Polyplasdone XL-10 showed faster disintegration, within 12 s, than the marketed tablet (128 s). Good correlation between in vitro disintegration with in-house developed method and in the oral cavity was recognized. Taste evaluation of ODT in human volunteers revealed considerable taste masking with the degree of bitterness below threshold value. Thus, results conclusively demonstrated successful masking of taste and rapid disintegration of the formulated tablets in the oral cavity.