Liquid-Phase and Solventless Oxidation of Cyclohexane,Benzene, and Other Hydrocarbons by Cerium(IV) Catalyzed by Iridium(III) in Acidic Medium

Oxidation of some hydrocarbons dissolved in acetic acid by cerium(IV) sulphate at 100 °C in the presence of traces of iridium(III) chloride (catalyst-substrate 1:56818 to 151515) in the solution phase resulted in good to excellent yields of corresponding carbonyl compounds. In the cases of cyclohexane and benzene, 44% and 51.8% yields of corresponding carbonyl compounds were obtained, whereas in other cases, yield ranged from 34.9 to 99.8%. Yield decreased when reactions were performed in a microwave oven by adsorbing reactants (except acetic acid) on alumina. Decrease in the yield was probably due to the high temperature generated during the course of the reaction, resulting in the loss of organics from evaporation. Conditions were optimized for the highest yields under ambient conditions.     

Alkylation of Ethanolamines: An Approach to a Novel Class of Functional Surfactants

Some monomeric and dimeric surfactants with functional head groups have been synthesized from di- and triethanolamine synthons. The treatment of alkyl bromide with triethanolamine resulted in simultaneous N-alkylation and O-alkylation products. However, with diethanolamine, N-alkylated products were obtained, which were further used to synthesize various double-tailed surfactants and gemini surfactants.     

Synthesis of Some Novel bis‐Spiro[indole‐pyrazolinyl‐thiazolidine]‐2,4′‐diones

The reaction of 1H‐indol‐2,3‐diones with 1,6‐dibromohexane has resulted in the formation of new 1H‐indol‐2,3‐diones‐1,1′‐(1,6‐hexanediyl)bis in quantitative yields. These compounds have been used for the synthesis of novel [3′‐(2,3‐dimethyl‐5‐oxo‐1‐phenyl‐3‐pyrazolin‐4‐yl)spiro[3H‐indol‐3,2′‐thiazolidine]‐2,4′‐dione]‐1,1′‐(1,6‐hexanediyl)bis via bis Schiff's bases, [3‐(2,3‐dimethyl‐5‐oxo‐1‐phenyl‐3‐pyrazolin‐4‐yl) imino‐1H‐indol‐2‐one]‐1,1′‐(1,6‐hexanediyl)bis.     

An Efficient Method for Agrobacterium-Mediated Genetic Transformation and Plant Regeneration in Cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.)

Cumin is an annual herbaceous medicinally important plant having diverse applications. An efficient and reproducible method of Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation was herein established for the first time. A direct regeneration method without callus induction was optimised using embryos as explant material in Gamborg’s B5 medium supplemented with 0.5-μM 6-benzyladenine and 2.0-μM α-naphthalene acetic acid. About 1,020 embryos (a mean of 255 embryos per batch) were used for the optimisation of transformation conditions. These conditions were an Agrobacterium cell suspension of 0.6 OD₆₀₀, a co-cultivation time of 72 h, 300-μM acetosyringone and wounding of explants using a razor blade. Pre-cultured elongated embryos were treated using optimised conditions. About 720 embryos (a mean of 180 embryos per batch) were used for transformation and 95 % embryos showed transient β-glucuronidase expression after co-cultivation. Putative transformed embryos were cultured on B5 medium for shoot proliferation and 21 regenerated plants were obtained after selection and allowed to root. T₀ plantlets showed β-glucuronidase expression and gene integration was confirmed via PCR amplification of 0.96 and 1.28 kb fragments of the hygromycin-phosphotransferase II and β-glucuronidase genes, respectively. In this study, a transformation efficiency of 1.5 % was demonstrated and a total of 11 transgenic plants were obtained at the hardening stage, however, only four plants acclimatised during hardening. Gene copy number was analysed by Southern blot analysis of hardened plants and single-copy gene integration was observed. This is the first successful attempt of Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation of cumin.     

Assessment of inhalation exposure potential of broken uranium ore piles in low-grade uranium mine

This paper presents the assessment of inhalation exposure potential of broken uranium ore piles in different stopes of Jaduguda uranium mines of India. ²²²Rn emanation coefficient of broken uranium ore was measured in laboratory by collecting air sample from airtight glass jar containing ore sample. An attempt was also made to correlate the emanation coefficient with ²²⁶Ra content of the ore. The ²²²Rn progeny doses estimated based on radon activity concentration of broken ore, occupancy period and equilibrium ratio in different stopes were well below the prescribed limit of International Commission on Radiological Protection. The maximum ²²²Rn progeny dose contribution from broken ore piles was worked out to be 0.22 mSv year^?1. This suggests that the broken ore piles are not the significant contributor of inhalation exposure under the existing ventilation condition of Jaduguda uranium mine.     

Measurement of 222Rn and 220Rn decay product deposition velocities using SSNTD based passive detectors

In the present study, the deposition velocities of ²²²Rn/²²⁰Rn decay products were measured experimentally using SSNTD based passive detectors, direct radon progeny sensor (DRPS) and direct thoron progeny sensor (DTPS) and the results were compared with obtained values by Monte-Carlo simulations. In both cases, deposition velocities were found to be log-normally distributed and also the experimentally measured geometric mean (GM) and geometric standard deviation (GSD) of (0.12, 1.85) m h^?1 for radon decay products and (0.07, 1.75) m h^?1 for thoron decay products were found to be in good agreement with the simulated values.     

Molecular structural investigations of quinoxaline derivatives through 3D-QSAR,molecular docking,ADME prediction and pharmacophore modeling studies for the search of novel antimalarial agent

In the present article, a dataset of 63 quinoxaline derivatives were taken for antimalarial activity and pharmacophore were developed. Atom based method was used to develop a three dimensional quantitative structure activity relationship (3D-QSAR) model. On comparison of all statistical parameters, model AHRRR23 was found to be the most effective and predictive QSAR model as it satisfied all statistical parameters of a good model. The model AHRRR23 showed an adequate R² value for the training set 0.9446, good predictive power with Q² of 0.6409, good F- value, low SD 0.1218 value and outstanding Pearson-R values and low RMSE 0.2779 values of the model. The docking studies also gives very good results with good RMSD values. 3D QSAR, docking and ADME studies exhibits that the developed model could be employed as a potential lead for further study as antimalarial drug.     

Thermal radiation impact on magneto-hydrodynamic heat transfer micropolar fluid flow over a vertical moving porous plate: A finite difference approach

For this research, an examination on the magnetohydrodynamic flow of a micropolar fluid across a moving vertical porous plate for the presence of thermal radiation is achieved. It is necessary to translate the partial differential equations regulating the flow, heat, & mass transfer into dimensionless form employing proper non-dimensional variables, which are then cracked numerically by utilizing the Finite difference approach. Graphs are used to represent numerical values of various flow profiles; however, tables are used to represent the simulated values of rate coefficients. The velocity rises when the value of Grashof number, dimensionless viscosity ratio is raised, and the opposite effect is seen when the value of magnetic parameter, micro-gyration factor is raised. The result in skin friction coefficient improves when the values of magnetic parameter, micro-gyration factor, Prandtl number, and radiation are raised higher.     

Assessing the feasibility study of highly efficient and selective co-sequestration process for cesium and strontium utilizing calix-crown and crown-ether based combined solvent systems

Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry - Efficient and selective extraction of 137Cs and 90Sr from high level liquid waste (HLLW) is of utmost importance in the back end nuclear fuel...