Effect of gamma radiation on wheat plant growth due to impact on gas exchange characteristics and mineral nutrient uptake and utilization

The experiment was conducted to determine the effect of gamma radiation on plant growth and development, flag leaf gas exchange characteristics such as net photosynthetic rate (P _N), stomatal conductance (g _s), and transpiration rate (E) and activity of key carbon and nitrogen assimilating enzymes like Rubisco, starch synthase (SS) and nitrate reductase (NR) in field grown wheat. Grains of cultivar PBW-343 were exposed to a ⁶⁰Co (Cobalt-60) gamma source at a dose range from 0 to 500 Gy (Gray). Gas exchange characteristics of flag leaf were measured using Infrared Gas Analyzer (IRGA), while mineral nutrients were analyzed spectrophotometrically. Our results show that an irradiation treatment, in general, caused an improvement in plant growth and yield characteristics such as shoot and root mass, root length and surface area, leaf area and chlorophyll SPAD index, tiller number and grain yield. However, irradiation exceeding 5 Gy reduced the magnitude of radiation advantage for most of the investigated physiological and biochemical traits. No germination was recorded at 500 Gy irradiation dose. A dose-dependant increase in shoot Fe in radiated plants up to 25 Gy reflected its higher plant root to shoot translocation which may yield micronutrient rich grains. At higher dose of 100 Gy, there was a drastic reduction in flag leaf membrane stability index (MSI), photosynthesis, Rubisco, NR, and nutrients like K, P, Mg, Fe, and Zn. Starch synthase enzyme activity was unaffected by gamma irradiation indicating that the negative effect of high dose (100 Gy) on the grain yield were caused by the adverse effect of radiation on the gas exchange attributes particularly photosynthesis, carbon, and nitrogen assimilation efficiency and the plant uptake of mineral nutrients. The study concludes that gamma radiation at a low dose (25 Gy or lower) stimulates, while a high dose (100 Gy and above) inhibits plant growth and development of wheat. The adverse effect at 100 Gy and beyond could be attributed to the poor carbon and nitrogen assimilation efficiency and the plant uptake of mineral nutrients, all of which are the ultimate determinant of plant health.     

Suitable dose of 60Co γ-ray for mutation in Roegneria seeds

Seeds from six accessions of three species of Roegneria were radiated with ⁶⁰Co γ-ray at different doses (50, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300 and 400 Gy). Following these treatments, germination energy, germination rate, seedling height, plant height, plant survival, and seed set were observed. Plant survival was highly correlated with seedling height (R ² > 0.91, P < 0.01) and seed set (R ² > 0.82, P < 0.01). The semi-lethal dose of each accession, calculated using a ‘Multi-target single-hit’ model, ranged from 60 to 173 Gy. The most suitable absorbed doses for each accession were deduced from these data. The suitable doses for Roegneria kamoji, Roegneria ciliaris and Roegneria japonensis were 65–100 Gy, 63–150 Gy and 80–170 Gy, respectively. According to the range of suitable doses, R. kamoji (Pr87-88-353) was the most sensitive to radiation, and R. japonensis (88-89-267) was the most resistant to radiation. Suitable doses of R. ciliaris were close to that of R. kamoji (ZY1007). This research provides preliminary guidelines for radiation induced mutagenesis in Roegneria.     

Thermal analysis of contemporary glass-ionomer restorative materials

The thermal characteristics of four conventional glass-ionomer cement (GIC) dental restorative products as well as five resin-modified glass-ionomer (RMGI) materials over 1-year of storage were investigated. All materials were prepared following manufacturer’s recommendations and placed into 40 μL aluminum differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) crucibles. Samples (n = 5) were stored at 37 °C and 98 ± 2 % humidity until their appointed time of evaluation at which they were first subjected to specific heat analysis using DSC over 20–60 °C that was immediately followed by a 37–600 °C thermal scan at 10 °C min^?1. Samples were evaluated immediately after preparation, at 24 h, 1 week, 1 month, as well as at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. Mean thermal results were compared with analysis of variance and Scheffe post-hoc testing (p = 0.05). All materials absorbed water during storage. Conventional GIC materials demonstrated increased polyalkenoate polymer maturity over the 12-month storage. The paste–paste RMGI materials, absorbed more water during storage and had increased specific heat values compared to powder–liquid RMGI materials. Of the RMGI materials investigated, only two materials demonstrated evidence of a continuing polyalkenoate matrix maturity that was within the limitations of the technology used, indicating the resin component in some newer formulations of RMGI restorative materials may severely limit the polyalkenoate reaction.     

Studies on the ·OH Inactivation of Non-native Aquatic Organisms and Potential Disinfection Byproduct Formation for Oceanic Environmental Safety

This work was carried out based on the principles of biological effectiveness and environmental acceptability of the International Maritime Organization (IMO). The non-native red tide organisms Prorocentrum donghaiense and Scrippsiella trochoidea were selected to examine ·OH inactivation to meet the IMO standard of ballast water discharge (<?10 cells/mL). The effective quantum yield of photosystem II of algal chlorophyll rapidly decreased to zero within a contact time of only 6 s. Under scanning electron microscope (SEM) observation, the algal cells treated with the ·OH inactivation dose still had an intact shape and did not release cellular material, and thus, there are no risks associated with oceanic environmental safety. The potential disinfection byproducts (DBPs) from discharged ship’s ballast water at high salinity (33.7 PSU) treated at a maximum TRO dose of 2.41 mg/L were analyzed by 5-day storage experiments. The results indicated that the contents of bromate, trihalomethanes (THMs), haloacetic acids (HAAs) and haloacetonitriles (HANs) were below the WHO drinking water standards. Therefore, discharged ship’s ballast water with ·OH inactivation is safe for oceanic environments.     

Recycled de-Oiled Algal Biomass Extract as a Feedstock for Boosting Biodiesel Production from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Chlorella minutissima</Emphasis>

The investigation for the first time assesses the efficacy of recycled de-oiled algal biomass extract (DABE) as a cultivation media to boost lipid productivity in Chlorella minutissima and its comparison with Bold’s basal media (BBM) used as control. Presence of organic carbon (3.8 ± 0.8 g/l) in recycled DABE resulted in rapid growth with twofold increase in biomass productivity as compared to BBM. These cells expressed four folds higher lipid productivity (126 ± 5.54 mg/l/d) as compared to BBM. Cells cultivated in recycled DABE showed large sized lipid droplets accumulating 54.12 % of lipid content. Decrement in carbohydrate (17.76 %) and protein content (28.12 %) with loss of photosynthetic pigments compared to BBM grown cells were also recorded. The fatty acid profiles of cells cultivated in recycled DABE revealed the dominance of C16:0 (39.66 %), C18:1 (29.41 %) and C18:0 (15.82 %), respectively. This model is self-sustained and aims at neutralizing excessive feedstock consumption by exploiting recycled de-oiled algal biomass for cultivation of microalgae, making the process cost effective.     

Selective determination of selenium(IV) from environmental samples by UV-visible spectrophotometry using O-methoxyphenyl thiourea as a chelating ligand

A selective extraction–spectrophotometric method has been developed for determination of selenium(IV) using O-methoxyphenyl thiourea (OMePT) as a chelating agent. The basis of the proposed method is the spectrophotometric determination of selenium(IV)–OMePT complex obtained after extraction of selenium(IV) from 3.5 M hydrochloric acid media using OMePT in chloroform solvent. The complex shows maximum absorbance at 350 nm against the reagent blank. The Beer’s law was obeyed over the concentration range 5–60 µg mL^?1 of selenium(IV). The optimum concentration range was 20–50 µg mL^?1 as evaluated from Ringbom’s plot. The molar absorptivity and Sandell’s sensitivity of the selenium(IV)–OMePT complex in chloroform were 3.312 × 10² L mol^?1cm^?1 and 0.2384 µg cm^?2, respectively. The composition of selenium(IV)–OMePT complex was 1:2 established from slope ratio method, mole ratio method and Job’s continuous variation method. The complex was stable for more than 72 h. The interfering effect of various foreign ions was studied and suitable masking agents were used wherever necessary to enhance the selectivity of the developed method. The proposed method was successfully applied for the determination of selenium(IV) from real samples, viz. pharmaceutical formulations, shampoo, vegetable sample, synthetic mixtures and environmental samples. Repetition of the method was checked by finding the relative standard deviation (RSD) for 10 determinations which was 0.35%.     

Influence of temperature,pressure, nanotube’s diameter and intertube distance on methane adsorption in homogeneous armchair open-ended SWCNT triangular arrays

The physisorption of methane in homogeneous armchair open-ended SWCNT triangular arrays for the tubes of diameter of 10.85, 13.57, 16.28 and 19.00 Å [(8,8), (10,10), (12,12) and (14,14), respectively] at temperature of 273, 298, 323 and 373 K and at fugacity of 0.5–9.0 Mpa is evaluated by means of Grand Canonical ensemble Monte Carlo simulation. The applied intermolecular forces are modeled using Lennard-Jones potential model. The absolute, excess and delivery adsorption isotherms of methane in various carbon nanotube arrays are calculated. Besides, specific surface areas and the isosteric heats of adsorption, Q _st, are studied, also different isotherm models were fitted on the simulation adsorption data, and the model parameters are correlated. A novel geometrical relationship is introduced to calculate accessible interstitial and intratubular volumes. According to our simulation results, one can reaches to 96% of the US Department of Energy target for CH₄ storage of 180 v/v at 298 K and 35 bar by using the SWCNT array with nanotube’s diameter of 19 Å as adsorbent. For intertube distance equal 3.4 Å, no gas adsorption is observed in interstitial channel except for the arrays bigger than 15.4 Å in nanotube’s diameter, and multi-layer adsorption starts to form in nanotube’s diameter of 16.28 Å at the pressure of 2.0 MPa.     

In situ production of nanocomposites of poly(vinyl alcohol) and cellulose nanofibrils from Gluconacetobacter bacteria: effect of chemical crosslinking

Nanocomposites of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) reinforced with bacterial cellulose (BC) were bioproduced by Gluconacetobacter genus bacteria. BC was grown from a culture medium modified with water-soluble PVA to allow in situ assembly and production of a novel nanocomposite that displayed synergistic property contributions from the individual components. Chemical crosslinking with glyoxal was performed to avoid the loss of PVA matrix during purification steps and to improve the functional properties of composite films. Reinforcement with BC at 0.6, 6 and 14 wt% content yielded nanocomposites with excellent mechanical, thermal and dimensional properties as well as moisture stability. Young’s modulus and strength at break increased markedly with the reinforcing BC: relative to the control sample (in absence of BC), increases of 15, 165 and 680 % were determined for nanocomposites with 0.6, 6 and 14 % BC loading, respectively. The corresponding increase in tensile strengths at yield were 1, 12 and 40 %, respectively. The results indicate an exceptional reinforcing effect by the three-dimensional network structure formed by the BC upon biosynthesis embedded in the PVA matrix and also suggest a large percolation within the matrix. Bonding (mainly hydrogen bonding) and chemical crosslinking between the reinforcing phase and matrix were the main contributions to the properties of the nanocomposite.     

Polymorphism and solvation of indomethacin

Indomethacin crystallizes from solutions in tetrahydrofuran as a solvate exhibiting the mole ratio 1 indomethacin:2 tetrahydrofuran. Upon heating, desolvation into indomethacin phase I occurs through partial amorphization and transitory formation of a phase, which is different from the crystallographically known polymorphs. The X-ray powder diffraction pattern of the solvate was tentatively indexed on a triclinic lattice (a = 31.454(5) Å, b = 17.883(3) Å, c = 10.551(2) Å, α = 70.55(2)°, β = 105.31(2)°, γ = 136.70(1)°). Assuming Z = 6 (1 indomethacin + 2 tetrahydrofuran) formula units per unit cell, the solvate’s specific volume is similar to the value calculated using additivity.     

Liposomal honokiol, a potent anti-angiogenesis agent, in combination with radiotherapy produces a synergistic antitumor efficacy without increasing toxicity

Honokiol is an active compound purified from magnolia that has been shown to induce cell differentiation, apoptosis, and anti-angiogenesis effects, as well as an enhancement in tumor growth delay in combination with chemotherapeutic agents in several mouse xenograft models. Our goal was to investigate the radiosensitization effect of honokiol on lung carcinoma. The radiosensitization effect of liposomal honokiol in Lewis lung carcinoma cells (LL/2) was analyzed using an in vitro clonogenic survival assay. For an in vivo study, Lewis lung carcinoma-bearing C57BL/6 mice were treated with either liposomal honokiol at 25 mg/kg or 5 Gy of single tumor radiation, or a combination of both over 12 days of treatment. The tumor growth delay and the survival time were evaluated. In addition, histological analysis of tumor sections was performed to examine changes by detecting the microvessel density and apoptosis in tumor tissues. In the clonogenic survival assay, LL/2 cells treated with IC₅₀ Lipo-HNK for 24 h showed a radiation enhancement ratio of 1.9. After 12 days of combination treatment, the tumor volume decreased 78% and produced an anti-tumor activity 1.3-fold greater than a predicted additive effect of honokiol and radiation alone. This combination treatment also caused an 8.7 day delay in tumor growth. The cell cycle distribution and histological analysis demonstrated that liposomal honokiol has an anti-tumor effect via inducing apoptosis and inhibiting angiogenesis. Liposomal honokiol can enhance tumor cell radiosensitivity in vitro and in vivo, indicating that radiotherapy combined with liposomal honokiol can lead to greater anti-tumor efficacy.     

Development and Validation of an HPLC–UV–Vis Method for the Determination of Proparacaine in Human Aqueous Humour

A sensitive high performance liquid chromatographic method has been developed and validated for the determination of proparacaine in human aqueous humour. The procedure involved extraction of proparacaine from aqueous humour with cyclohexane. The separation was achieved using a Bondesil C₈ (250 × 4.6 mm i.d., particle size 5 μm) analytical column with a mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile and sodium dihydrogen phosphate (pH 3.0, 20 mM) (30:70, v/v). Proparacaine and lidocaine (internal standard, IS) detection was performed by UV–Vis detector at 220 nm. The retention times for proparacaine and IS were 12.01 and 5.58 min, respectively. HPLC–UV–Vis method was linear in the range of 75–4,000 ng mL⁻¹. The limit of detection (LOD) was 25 ng mL⁻¹ and the limit of quantification (LOQ) of proparacaine was found to be 75 ng mL⁻¹ (RSD ≤ 15%, n = 6). In intra- and inter-day precision and accuracy analysis, the relative standard deviation was found to be in the range of 0.96 and 7.98%, the bias values were 0.64 and 3.33%. Recovery of proparacaine from human aqueous humour was 99.98% at 500 ng mL⁻¹. Proparacaine solutions were stable at least 6 months at +4 and −20 °C. Proparacaine levels of aqueous humour in fifteen volunteers’ were in the range of 80.21 and 459.00 ng mL⁻¹. According to system suitability tests and Shewhart’s quality control charts the proparacaine responses were in the acceptance ranges. Developed method was providing a sufficient quality at least over 3 months for determination of proparacaine in human aqueous humour.

     

Preparation and characterization of composites from starch with sugarcane bagasse nanofibres

This paper reports on the results of using unbleached sugar cane bagasse nanofibres (average diameter 26.5 nm; aspect ratio 247 assuming a dry fibre density of 1,500 kg/m³) to improve the physico-chemical properties of starch-based films. The addition of bagasse nanofibres (2.5 to 20 wt%) to modified potato starch (i.e. soluble starch) reduced the moisture uptake by up to 17 % at 58 % relative humidity. The film’s tensile strength and Young’s modulus increased by up to 100 % (3.1 to 6.2 MPa) and 300 % (66.3 to 198.3 MPa) respectively with 10 and 20 wt% fibre addition. However, the strain at yield dropped by 50 % for the film containing 10 wt% fibre. Models for composite materials were used to account for the strong interactions between the nanofibres and the starch matrix. The storage and loss moduli as well as the glass transition temperature (T_g) obtained from dynamic mechanical thermal analysis, were increased with the starch-nanofibre films indicating decreased starch chain mobility due to the interacting effect of the nanofibres. Evidence of the existence of strong interactions between the starch matrix and the nanofibres was revealed from detailed Fourier transform infra-red and scanning electron microscopic evaluation.     

Schiff’s base derived from the pharmaceutical drug Dapsone (DS) as a new and effective corrosion inhibitor for mild steel in hydrochloric acid

The inhibition ability of Dapsone’s Schiff’s base with salicylaldehyde (1:2) for mild steel corrosion in 1 M HCl solution at 308 K was studied by means of potentiodynamic polarization, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy techniques, and gravimetric analysis. Results showed that Dapsone salicylaldehyde performed well as a good inhibitor for mild steel in 1 M HCl solution with maximum inhibition efficiency of 95 % at 500 ppm. The adsorption isotherm of the inhibitor followed the Langmuir adsorption. The value of free energy of adsorption showed that it is a spontaneous process and followed typical physical adsorption.     

On the combination of photodynamic therapy with ionizing radiation

Ehrlich ascites carcinoma growth and cell damage have been examined after photodynamic therapy (PDT), radiotherapy (RT) and combined treatment. Haematoporphyrin dimethyl ether (HPde) is used as a photosensitizer for PDT and tested as a radiosensitizer for RT. For PDT a non-coherent light source (370 < lambda < 680 nm) equipped with filters is used. gamma-Irradiation consists of 60Co irradiation at a dose of 2 Gy. Both PDT and RT induce a significant delay and inhibition in tumour growth (33 and 38%, respectively). Nevertheless cell damage after these treatments is different: after PDT the cell membrane integrity is damaged and no serious chromosomal aberrations are observed; whereas after gamma-irradiation there is no cell membrane integrity damage, but more significant DNA injuries are observed. It seems evident that HPde is able to act as a photosensitizer as well as a radiosensitizer. Combining PDT and RT produces an additive effect, not dependent on the sequence in which the two treatments are given, when a 1 h time window is used.     

Establishment of a microplate-formatted cell-based immunoassay for rapid analysis of nucleotide excision repair ability in human primary cells

DNA photolesions induced by UV, cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer (CPD) and (6-4) photoproduct (6-4PP), are repaired by nucleotide excision repair (NER) in human cells. Various immunoassays using monoclonal antibodies specific for the photolesions have been developed and widely used for the analysis of cellular NER activity. In this study, we have newly developed a microplate-formatted cell-based immunoassay, based on indirect immunofluorescence staining with lesion-specific antibodies combined with an infrared imaging system. Using this assay, we show the repair kinetics of CPD and 6-4PP in various fibroblasts from newborn and adult donors with no age-related difference. Furthermore, epidermal keratinocytes and melanocytes exhibit comparable NER activity, and calcium ion-induced differentiation of keratinocytes has no significant impacts on their NER activity. We also evaluated the effects of a proteasome inhibitor, MG132, and a histone deacetylase inhibitor, sodium butyrate, on NER efficiency using this assay. All these results suggest that the new assay is highly useful for the rapid and quantitative analysis of NER activity in various primary cells with limited growth activity and is applicable to a screening system for drugs affecting NER efficiency.     

Studies on tolonium chloride labeled with radioiodine

Tolonium chloride is a common reagent in the diagnosis of oral premalignant and malignant lesions. This study establishes the optimal preparation of radioiodinated tolonium chloride (RTC) and evaluate its radiochemical and biological characteristics. Instant thin layer chromatography (ITLC), ion exchange chromatography (IC), paper electrophoresis, and the effect of pH on labeling efficiency revealed the chemical characterization of RTC. Biodistribution, blood clearance, urinary excretion, toxic effect, and Lugol’s solution effect on the thyroid uptake of RTC revealed RTCs biological characteristics. The optimal labeling condition was pH = 2.96 after 15 h stirring, the labeling efficiency was 60%. After purification by IC, the radiochemical purity of RTC was 94%, and the shelf life of RTC was at least 90 days. In the biodistribution study, the liver was major target organs, approximated 6.11% of injected dose accumulate in per gram of tissue (6.11% ID/g) at 10 min after injection. The tissue-to-blood radioactivity ratio significant (p < 0.05) increased with reaction time. In liver, the tissue-to-blood radioactivity ratio was 2.2 ± 0.51 at 10 min after injection, and increased to 22.4 ± 4.52 at 120 min after injection. The blood clearance study showed a significant decrease in blood radioactivity. The radioactivity in the blood was about 2.76% of the injected dose per milliliter blood at 10 min post-injection, but decreased to 0.12% at 120 min post-injection. Lugol’s solution does not affect the thyroid uptake of RTC. Almost all the administered RTC recovered at 60 h after injection, with 79% recovered in feces and 17% recovered in urine. This study shows that RTC is non-toxic, and may be suitable as a liver imaging agent.     

Low voltage blue-phase liquid crystal display with insulating protrusion sandwiched between dual-layer electrodes

In order to lower the operating voltage of blue-phase liquid crystal display (BPLCD), a BPLCD with insulating protrusion, which is sandwiched between dual-layer electrodes, is proposed. There are four electrodes in this structure; thus, we investigate different driving methods to find a proper driving method. The effect of protrusion’s dielectric constant on operating voltage of the proposed BPLCD is explored under various electrodes’ parameters. As a result, the operating voltage of the proposed BPLCD with protrusion’s dielectric constant of 1,000 is 9.8 V, which is reduced by ~ 4.67× compared with that of conventional in-plane switching (IPS) BPLCD (45.8 V). Moreover, the zigzag electrode structure is adopted to reduce the large off-axis image distortion index. Besides, the azimuth distortion index is defined to describe the gamma shift between the minimum and maximum gamma shift curves at a certain polar angle. The results show that the off-axis image distortion index can be reduced to 0.0834, the azimuth distortion index is 0.0810 and the viewing cone of contrast ratio larger than 1,000:1 is over 50ºas the zigzag proposed BPLCD is used.     

CZE Determination of Quinolinic Acid in Rat Brain Tissue and Plasma

In this paper, a capillary zone electrophoretic method for the determination of the excitotoxic quinolinic acid in rat brain tissue (cerebellum, cortex, hippocampus, striatum) and plasma samples is described. Optimum separation of the excitotoxic quinolinic acid was achieved with a 14.4 mM boric acid/5.6 mM sodium tetraborate electrolyte solution at pH 8.84. The applied voltage was 30 kV and the capillary temperature was kept constant at 25 °C. The regression equations revealed a good linear correlation between the peak area and the concentration. The method was linear over the concentration range of 0.50 to 600 nM. All correlation coefficients were higher or equal to 0.9998. To optimize the analysis conditions, the effects of electrolyte solution pH, the concentration, and the use of methanol as an organic modifier were systematically studied. The amount of quinolinic acid in the rat brain tissue and plasma under control conditions were found to be: cerebellum 30.2 ± 1.7 nM (mean ± standard deviation); cortex 5.6 ± 0.7 nM; hippocampus 64.2 ± 9.4 nM; striatum 4.3 ± 0.6 nM, and plasma 40.1 ± 2.3 nM. The limits of detection and quantification were 0.47 nM (signal/noise = 3) and 1.58 nM, respectively. The method was successfully applied to quantify quinolinic acid in the rat brain striata under two neurotoxicity models with good repeatability (RSD < 10%) and recovery (98–102%). The proposed analytical method could be useful to clarify the role of quinolinic acid in neurodegenerative entities such as Alzheimer’s and Huntington’s diseases.     

Activated nitrogen-doped carbons from polyvinyl chloride for high-performance electrochemical capacitors

Activated nitrogen-doped carbons (ANCs) were prepared by carbonization/activation approach using aminated polyvinyl chloride (PVC) as precursor. ANCs exhibit larger porosities and higher specific surface areas than those of their nitrogen-free counterparts for the same KOH/carbon ratio. The specific surface area of ANC-1 is up to 1,398 m² g^?1 even at a low KOH/carbon ratio of 1:1. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy investigation of the nitrogen-enriched resin precursor indicates the efficient dehydrochlorination of PVC by ethylenediamine at a low temperature. The nitrogen content and the population of nitrogen functionalities strongly depend on the KOH/carbon ratios and decrease drastically after KOH activation as seen from the elemental and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis. The surface concentration of N-6 and N-Q almost disappears and the dominant nitrogen groups become N-5 after KOH activation. The highest specific capacitance of ANCs is up to 345 F g^?1 at a current density of 50 mA g^?1 in 6 M KOH electrolyte. ANCs also exhibit a good capacitive behavior at a high scan rate of 200 mV s^?1 and an excellent cyclability with a capacitance retention ratio as high as ～93 % at a current density of 2,000 mA g^?1 for 5,000 cycles.