Document control: status of calibration/test certificate

The ISO/IEC 17025 standard requires that all documents that form part of the management system of the organization must be controlled. However, as customary, the certificates issued from testing or calibration laboratories do no bear any unique identity mark/number similar to other documents to announce control over the document. This leaves enough room for doubt to many in treating this document at par with other management system documentation. Some auditors had raised this question during accreditation visits.     

Design and synthesis of multidentate ligands via metal promoted C-N bond formation processes and their coordination chemistry

This presentation reports some novel examples of organic ring amination reactions via metal mediation. The organic transformations are highly regioselective and can be controlled by the proper selection of the mediator complex. The two isomeric organic ligands viz. HL¹ and HL² were isolated in their pure states by the removal of the metal ions. These were fully characterized. The ligand HL¹ has lowpKa, 8.5. Upon deprotonation, it behaves as a potentialbis chelating N,N,N-donors. The coordination chemistry of the HL¹ ligand involving some 3d-metal ions is described. Two unusual low-spin complexes of manganese(II) and iron(III) are reported. The ferric complex displayed a rhombic EPR while, the corresponding manganese compound showed a complex pattern due to hyperfine coupling. All the complexes displayed large number of redox responses. A brief mention about the future projection of this work is noted.     

Cytotoxic agents for KB and SiHa cells from n-hexane fraction of Cissampelos pareira and its chemical composition

Eleven constituents were characterised by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis, and five molecules were isolated using column chromatography. The in vitro study of the extract and isolated molecules against KB and SiHa cell lines revealed oleanolic acid (1) and oleic acid (2) as potent cytotoxic molecules with potential anticancer activity. The IC₅₀ values of n-hexane extract (CPHF), oleanolic acid (1) and oleic acid (2) were >300, 56.08 and 70.7 μg/mL (μM), respectively, against KB cell lines and >300, 47.24 and 80.2 μg/mL (μM), respectively, against SiHa cell lines.     

Torands Revisited: Metal Sequestration and Self‐Assembly of Cyclo‐2,9‐tris‐1,10‐phenanthroline Hexaaza Macrocycles

A series of novel toroidal cyclo‐2,9‐tris‐1,10‐phenanthroline macrocycles with an unusual hexaaza cavity are reported. Nickel‐mediated Yamamoto aryl–aryl coupling was found to be a versatile tool for the cyclotrimerization of functionalized 1,10‐phenathroline precursors. Due to the now improved processability, both liquid‐crystalline behavior in the bulk phase and two‐dimensional self‐assembly at the molecular level could be studied, for the first time, for a torand system. The macrocycles exhibited a strong affinity for the complexation of different metal cations, as evidenced by MALDI‐TOF analysis and spectroscopic methods. Experimental results were correlated to an extensive computational study of the cyclo‐2,9‐tris‐1,10‐phenanthroline cavity and its binding mode for metal cations. Due to the combination of several interesting features, toroidal macrocycles may find future applications in the field of ion and charge transport through molecular channels, as well as for chemical sensing and molecular writing in surface‐confined monolayers under STM conditions.     

Invariants of finite groups generated by generalized transvections in the modular case

We investigate the invariant rings of two classes of finite groups G ≤ GL(n, F _q) which are generated by a number of generalized transvections with an invariant subspace H over a finite field F _q in the modular case. We name these groups generalized transvection groups. One class is concerned with a given invariant subspace which involves roots of unity. Constructing quotient groups and tensors, we deduce the invariant rings and study their Cohen-Macaulay and Gorenstein properties. The other is concerned with different invariant subspaces which have the same dimension. We provide a explicit classification of these groups and calculate their invariant rings.     

Optimal control of harvest and bifurcation of a prey-predator model with stage structure

This paper describes a prey-predator model with stage structure for prey. The adult prey and predator populations are harvested in the proposed system. The dynamic behavior of the model system is discussed. It is observed that singularity induced bifurcation phenomenon is appeared when variation of the economic interest of harvesting is taken into account. State feedback controller is incorporated to stabilize the model system in case of positive economic interest. Harvesting of prey and predator population are used as controls to develop a dynamic framework to investigate the optimal utilization of the resource, sustainability properties of the stock and the resource rent earned from the resource. The Pontryagin’s maximum principle is used to characterize the optimal controls. The optimality system is derived and then solved numerically using an iterative method with Runge-Kutta fourth order scheme. Simulation results show that the optimal control scheme can achieve sustainable ecosystem.     

Ejection of massive black holes from galaxies

Gravitational recoil of a gigantic black hole (M∼10^8–9 M_⊙) formed in the nonspherical collapse of the nuclear part of a typical galaxy can take place with an appreciable speed as a consequence of the anisotropic emission of gravitational radiation. Accretion of gaseous matter during its flight through the galaxy results in the formation of a glowing shock front. The accompanying stellar captures can lead to the formation of an accretion disk-star system about the hole. Consequently, the hole can become “luminous” enough to be observable after it emerges out of the galaxy. The phenomenon seems to have an importance in relation to the observations of quasar-galaxy association in a number of cases.     

Studies on the nature of the reactions and species involved in potentiometric titrimetric determination of uranium

The species and reactions involved in the determination of uranium by the Davies and Gray method have been investigated through the behaviour of the various species when present alone or in various combinations in the reaction medium. The studies indicate the formation of Fe(II) and V(III) in the titration system. These two species appear easily prone to oxidation by the titration medium. Probable reasons for the negative bias found when the titration is not completed in the stipulated time period, and for the sharpening of the end-point by the presence of vanadium(IV), are discussed.