Magnetic Field Treatments Improves Sunflower Yield by Inducing Physiological and Biochemical Modulations in Seeds

Magnetic seed enhancement has been practicing as a promising tool to improve germination and seedling growth of low vigor seeds stored under suboptimal conditions, but there is still ambiguity regarding the prospects for magnetism in oilseeds. Present study elucidates the potential of magnetic seed stimulation to improve sunflower germination, growth and yield. Germination and emergence tests were performed to optimize the strength of the magnetic field to sunflower seed enhancement. The seeds were directly exposed to magnetic field strengths of 50, 100 and 150 millitesla (mT) for 5, 10 and 15 min (min) and then standard germination tests were performed. Secondly, the emergence potential of untreated seeds was compared with seed exposed to hydropriming, priming with 3% moringa leaf extract (MLE), priming with magnetically treated water (MTW) for 10 min and priming with 3% MLE solution prepared in magnetically treated water (MTW + MLE). Germination, emergence, seedling growth and seed biochemical properties were used to select the best treatment for field evaluation. The results of the study revealed that magnetic seed treatment with 100 mT for 10 min and seed priming with 3% MLE solution in magnetically treated water (MTW + MLE) significantly improved emergence, crop growth rate and sunflower yield.     

Optimization of Culture Conditions for Enhanced Decolorization of Cibacron Red FN-2BL by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Schizophyllum</Emphasis><Emphasis Type="Italic">commune</Emphasis> IBL-6

The objective of this study was to exploit the decolorization potential of a newly isolated white-rot fungus Schizophyllum commune IBL-6 for the biodegradation of reactive textile dye Cibacron Red FN-2BL. In the initial decolorization study of 10 days, it was observed that S. commune IBL-6 was a better decolorizer of Cibacron Red FN-2BL. Various process parameters like composition of basal nutrient medium, pH, temperature, additional carbon and nitrogen sources, and initial dyestuff concentration were optimized to develop an economic decolorization process. The optimum dye decolorization was achieved in basal nutrient medium II containing 0.1% Cibacron Red FN-2BL and supplemented with 1% glucose after 3 days incubation at pH 4.5 and 30 degrees C. All the additional carbon sources were found to enhance decolorization process, whereas most of the nitrogen supplements caused fungal-growth inhibition. The pattern of enzymes involved in the biodegradation of this dye was studied, and manganese peroxidase was found to be the major peroxidase with minor lignin peroxidase and laccase activities.     

Recent progress in the development of polymers for white light-emitting polymer devices

Much effort has been devoted to the design and synthesis of polymers for use in flat panel display, solid state lighting, transistors, and photovoltaic devices. Especially, development of white light emitting polymeric materials has recently attracted much interest owing to their possible use in lighting application and backlights for flat panel displays. White emission has been obtained from polymeric molecules, small organic molecules, organometallic molecules, and phosphor-based or quantum dot-based inorganic molecules. Among materials used in white light emitting diodes, we summarize the white light emitting polymeric materials synthesized and published till December 2007.     

Measurements of photoionization cross sections from the 4p, 5d and 7s excited states of potassium

New measurements of the photoionization cross sections from the 4p ²P_1/2,3/2, 5d ²D_5/2,3/2 and 7s ²S_1/2 excited states of potassium are presented. The cross sections have been measured by two-step excitation and ionization using a Nd:YAG laser in conjunction with a thermionic diode ion detector. By applying the saturation technique, the absolute values of the cross sections from the 4p ²P_3/2 and 4p ²P_1/2 states at 355 nm are determined as 7.2±1.1 and 5.6±0.8 Mb, respectively. The photoionization cross section from the 5d ²D_5/2,3/2 excited state has been measured using two excitation paths, two-step excitation and two-photon excitation from the ground state. The measured values of the cross sections from the 5d ²D_5/2 state by two-photon excitation from the ground state is 28.9±4.3 Mb, whereas in the two-step excitation, the cross section from the 5d ²D_3/2 state via the 4p ²P_1/2 state and from the 5d ²D_5/2,3/2 states via the 4p ²P_3/2 state are determined as 25.1±3.8 and 30.2±4.5 Mb, respectively. Besides, we have measured the photoionization cross sections from the 7s ²S_1/2 excited state using the two-photon excitation from the ground state as 0.61±0.09 Mb.     

Self-Nanoemulsifying Drug Delivery System (SNEDDS) of Apremilast: In Vitro Evaluation and Pharmacokinetics Studies

Psoriatic arthritis is an autoimmune disease of the joints that can lead to persistent inflammation, irreversible joint damage and disability. The current treatments are of limited efficacy and inconvenient. Apremilast (APR) immediate release tablets Otezla^® have 20–33% bioavailability compared to the APR absolute bioavailability of 73%. As a result, self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery systems (SNEDDS) of APR were formulated to enhance APR’s solubility, dissolution, and oral bioavailability. The drug assay was carried out using a developed and validated HPLC method. Various thermodynamic tests were carried out on APR-SNEDDS. Stable SNEDDS were characterized then subjected to in vitro drug release studies via dialysis membrane. The optimum formulation was F9, which showed the maximum in vitro drug release (94.9%) over 24 h, and this was further investigated in in vivo studies. F9 was composed of 15% oil, 60% S_mix, and 25% water and had the lowest droplet size (17.505 ± 0.247 nm), low PDI (0.147 ± 0.014), low ZP (−13.35 mV), highest %T (99.15 ± 0.131) and optimum increases in the relative bioavailability (703.66%) compared to APR suspension (100%) over 24 h. These findings showed that APR-SNEDDS is a possible alternative delivery system for APR. Further studies are warranted to evaluate the major factors that influence the encapsulation efficiency and stability of APR-containing SNEDDS.     

Synthesis of stannic(IV) complexes: Their structural elucidation in solid and solution state and antimicrobial activity

A series of organotin(IV) thiocarboxylates have been synthesized with the general formula R₂SnL₂ and R₃SnL (R = Ph₂(I), Me₃(II), n‐Bu₃(III), Ph₃(IV), Cy₃(V), Me₂(VI), n‐Bu₂(VII), and L = piperidine‐1‐thiocarboxylic acid) in anhydrous toluene under the reflux conditions. The complexes were characterized by microanalysis, IR, ¹H and ¹³C NMR, mass spectrometry, and XRD. NMR data revealed that thiocarboxylic acid acts as bidentate, and complexes exhibit the four‐coordinated geometry in solution state. In solid state, diorganotin complexes exhibit the hexa‐coordinated geometry whereas the triorganotin(IV) compounds show the five‐coordinated geometry. These complexes were also tested for their antimicrobial activity along with the ligand against different animals, plant pathogens, and Artemia salina. All complexes with few exceptions show high activity as compared to the ligand. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heteroatom Chem 18:664–674, 2007; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/hc.20380     

Predictive Inference for the Elliptical Linear Model

This paper derives the prediction distribution of future responses from the linear model with errors having an elliptical distribution with known covariance parameters. For unknown covariance parameters, the marginal likelihood function of the parameters has been obtained and the prediction distribution has been modified by replacing the covariance parameters by their estimates obtained from the marginal likelihood function. It is observed that the prediction distribution with elliptical error has a multivariate Student'st-distribution with appropriate degrees of freedom. The results for some special cases such as the Intra-class correlation model, AR(1), MA(1), and ARMA(1,1) models have been obtained from the general results. As an application, theβ-expectation tolerance region has been constructed. An example has been added.     

A Report on Multi-Target Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Phytoconstituents from Monochoria hastata (Family: Pontederiaceae)

This study aims to investigate the potential analgesic properties of the crude extract of Monochoria hastata (MH) leaves using in vivo experiments and in silico analysis. The extract, in a dose-dependent manner, exhibited a moderate analgesic property (~54% pain inhibition in acetic acid-induced writhing test), which is significant (** p < 0.001) as compared to the control group. The complex inflammatory mechanism involves diverse pathways and they are inter-connected. Therefore, multiple inflammatory modulator proteins were selected as the target for in silico analysis. Computational analysis suggests that all the selected targets had different degrees of interaction with the phytochemicals from the extract. Rutin (RU), protocatechuic acid (PA), vanillic acid (VA), and ferulic acid (FA) could regulate multiple targets with a robust efficiency. None of the compounds showed selectivity to Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). However, regulation of COX and lipoxygenase (LOX) cascade by PA can reduce non-steroidal analgesic drugs (NSAIDs)-related side effects, including asthma. RU showed robust regulation of cytokine-mediated pathways like RAS/MAPK and PI3K/NF-kB by inhibition of EGFR and IKBα (IKK), which may prevent multi-organ failure due to cytokine storm in several microbial infections, for example, SARS-CoV-2. Further investigation, using in vivo and in vitro experiments, can be conducted to develop multi-target anti-inflammatory drugs using the isolated compounds from the extract.     

Kinetics and mechanism of chromic acid oxidation of oxalic acid in absence and presence of different acid media. A kinetic study

Kinetics and mechanism of the reaction of Cr(VI) with oxalic acid have been studied in presence and absence of H₂SO₄, HClO₄, and CH₃COOH by monitoring the formation of Cr(III)-oxalic acid complex at 560 nm. The effect of total [oxalic acid], [Cr(VI)], [H₂SO₄], [HClO₄], and [CH₃COOH] on the reaction rate was determined at 30°C. Formation of carbon dioxide was also confirmed. The oxidation rate increases with [oxalic acid] and [CH₃COOH] while it decreases with [H₂SO₄], [HClO₄], and pH. The rate law governing the oxidation of oxalic acid over a wide range of conditions is rate=k₁ K_es1 [oxalic acid]_T [Cr(VI)]_T 1+K_es1 [oxalic acid]_T, where only undissociated oxalic acid is kinetically active. Kinetic evidence for the formation of a Cr(VI)(SINGLEBOND)oxalic acid 1:1 complex has been obtained and the equilibrium constant for their formation has been determined. The 1:1 complex exists most likely in an open chain form. The rate-limiting step of the oxidation reaction involves the breaking of the C(SINGLEBOND)C bond in the 1:2 complex. Oxidizing ability of Cr(VI) species have been discussed. Mechanism with the associated reaction kinetics is assigned. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 30: 335–340, 1998     

Interactions of Cationic Surfactant Cetyl-trimethyl ammonium bromide with Ammonium nitrate: Surface and Thermodynamic Studies

The study of interactions between surfactant and salt in aqueous solutions has attracted significant interest in recent years because of their widespread applications and relatively complex behavior. This work reports the systematic study of surface phenomenon and self-aggregation behavior of cationic surfactant cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) with ammonium nitrate (NH\begin{document}$ _4 $\end{document}NO\begin{document}$ _3 $\end{document}) salt. Surface and thermodynamic properties of cationic surfactant CTAB with NH\begin{document}$ _4 $\end{document}NO\begin{document}$ _3 $\end{document} were investigated at different temperatures using different techniques such as conductometry and surface tensiometery. The surface tension measurement was carried out to find out the critical micelle concentration, free energy of adsorption, free energy of micellization, minimum area per molecule, and surface excess concentration. The study reveals that the process of micellization is spontaneous and exothermic in nature. Conductance measurement was carried out to determine critical micelle concentration, degree of ionization and degree of counter ion binding. Addition of NH\begin{document}$ _4 $\end{document}NO\begin{document}$ _3 $\end{document} to the surfactant solutions increase the values of degree of ionization and degree of counter ion binding, although it lowers the values of critical micelle concentration showing that the process of micellization is more favorable and spontaneous. The study is very helpful to develop better understanding about interaction between electrolyte and surfactant, which are used in many applications and in different processes (e.g., pharmaceutical, industrial foaming, drug solubilization, oil recovery, and medium for metal nanoparticle formation).