Varying Track Etch Rates along the Fission Fragments＇ Trajectories in CR-39 Detectors

We determine the behavior of track etch rate VT along the tracks in CR-39 detectors exposed to fission fragments from ^252Cf source. CR-39 detectors are etched at 70℃ in different concentrations of Na2COa-mixed 6M NaOH solutions for different etching time intervals of 5-10min starting from 15 min up to 210min. Two values of track etch rate are determined along the fission fragment trajectories. The variation in VT is correlated with the energy loss rate of the fission fragment in the detector material.     

Transfer of radioactivity from soil to vegetation in Rechna Doab, Pakistan

In Rechna Doab, samples of the most common vegetation, perennial grass Desmostachya bipinnata (dab), were collected along with soil samples from 29 sites. Natural radioactivity of 22?Ra, 232Th/22?Ac and ??K was measured by using high purity germanium-based gamma ray spectrometer. Activity concentration levels of 22?Ra, 232Th/22?Ac and ??K in soil were found to be 46.8 ± 6.2 (36.0-57.6), 61.4 ± 5.9 (48.2-73.2) and 644.8 ± 73.9 (537.7-868.4) Bq kg?1 (dry mass), respectively, and those in vegetation were 2.74 ± 1.70 (1.00-6.39), 2.24 ± 0.59 (1.56-2.61) and 172.72±113.37 (53.14-469.24) Bq kg?1 (dry mass), respectively. The measured values of the activity concentration in vegetation are comparable with some other international data. Calculated soil to vegetation transfer factors of 22?Ra, 22?Ac and ??K were 0.06 ± 0.03 (0.02-0.14), 0.04 ± 0.01 (0.03-0.04) and 0.26 ± 0.16 (0.09-0.69). The mean outdoor absorbed dose rate in air for the area under study was determined as 8.22 nGy h?1 and the mean indoor absorbed dose rate in air was 11.52 nGy h?1. The total annual effective dose to the general public from the vegetation was found to be (0.02-0.16) mSv, which is below the recommended limit value of 1 mSv y?1 for the general public. The dab vegetation under study was found to be radiologically safe for the population and environment.     

Assessment of the polluting effects of the Iponri-Alaka Canal,Lagos State,Nigeria

ABSTRACT

The polluting effects of Iponri-Alaka Canal in Surulere area of Lagos State on the environment have been studied using six sampling points. The study aimed at assessing the effects of exposure to pollutants on humans and other life forms. The quality of air, wastewater and sediments was assessed between March and August 2017. The concentrations of SO₂ and H₂S were measured using MSA Altair 5X. Temperature, pH and DO were measured in-situ using Thermometer, pH meter and Winkler method, respectively. TSS, TDS, TS, TA, TH, BOD, chloride Cl^?, PO₄^3-, SO₄^2- and NO₃^? were determined using appropriate standard methods in the laboratory. EC and some heavy metals (Cr, Pb, Mn, Cd and Ni) concentrations were determined using conductivity meter and Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy, respectively. The results showed that pH, TS, DO and TH were well within the WHO and FEPA maximum limits. EC, SO₄^2- and TDS were observed to be higher than guideline values only at one sampling point. The TSS, BOD, TA, NO₃^? and PO₄^3- were higher than WHO and FEPA guideline limits at all sampling points. Cr was seen to be within, while Pb and Mn were higher than WHO and FEPA guideline values. Cd was higher than guideline values only at two sampling points. Ni was below detection concentration at all the sampling points.

The concentration of SO₂ was seen to be higher than WHO and NESREA guideline values at two sampling points, while H₂S concentration was higher than WHO limit at all the six sampling points.     

Ethyl Acetate—Propionic Acid as Green Mobile Phase System for Selective Densitometric Identification of Maltose with Preliminary Separation on Silica High-Performance Thin-Layer Chromatographic Plates

JPC – Journal of Planar Chromatography – Modern TLC - A mobile phase system comprising of ethyl acetate and propionic acid in 1:1 (v/v) ratio was identified as the most suitable green...     

Isolation and Identification of Bioactive Compounds from Bidens spp. Using HPLC-DAD and GC-MS Analysis and Their Biological Activity as Anticancer Molecules

The genus Bidens a member of family Compositae, is widely documented as an ethno-medicinally important genus of plants. In the present study, anticancer potential of three ethno-medicinally important species i.e., B. bipinnata, B. biternata and B. pilosa were tested. For in-vitro evaluation, an MTT (Thiazolyl blue tetrazolium bromide) assay was performed against cervical cancer cells (HeLa), hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG), and adenocarcinoma human alveolar basal epithelial cells (A549). For in vivo evaluation, Artemia salina, Danio rerio, and Caenorhabditis elegans were used. Among all the tested extracts, the ethanol extract of B. biternata appeared to have highest anticancer activity, and the compounds responsible for this activity were identified to be Tris (2,4-di-tert-butylphenyl), 4-hydroxy-2,4′-dimethoxychalcone, and 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol. This is the first report of the isolation of Tris (2,4-di-tert-butylphenyl) phosphate from the genus Bidens and the first report of 4-hydroxy-2,4′-dimethoxychalcone and 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol from B. biternata. Among the isolated compounds, 4-hydroxy-2,4′-dimethoxychalcone showed the highest anticancer activity with an LD50 value of 236.7 µg/mL. Therefore, this compound carries promising potential for being established as a pharmaceutical for chemoprevention and chemotherapy.     

Adaptation of dynamical properties of time series data and its applications in deep brain stimulation

Nonlinear Dynamics - The chaotic nature of the brain can be observed by electroencephalogram signals. This chaotic behavior can be affected by the progressive nature of neurodegenerative disorders...     

Spectroscopic and theoretical optical properties of indoleninyl-substituted dibenzotetraaza[14]annulenes

Two new macrocyclic dibenzotetraaza[14]annulene (DBTAA) compounds with indolenine ( 5 ) and pyridoindolenine ( 6 ) moieties were synthesized and characterized by spectroscopy. Both DBTAAs exhibit strong UV-Vis absorption properties in the Soret band region. The theoretical second-order nonlinear optical property, electric dipole moment (μ), dispersion-free dipole polarizability (α) and first hyper-polarizability values were calculated by density functional theory and time dependent density functional theory. The ab-initio quantum mechanical calculation by time-dependent Hartree-Fock method was utilized to investigate the dynamic dipole polarizabilities, dynamic second-order, static, and dynamic third-order (γ) hyper-polarizabilities of the DBTAAs. The configuration interaction technique of all doubly occupied molecular orbitals possesses theoretically defined single-photon absorption (OPA) specifications for the examined structures. The computed maximum OPA wavelengths on both macrocyclic compounds coincide with the preceding measurement outcomes.