Gamma-irradiated onions as a biological indicator of radiation dose.

Post-irradiation identification and dose estimation are required to assess the radiation-induced effects on living things in any nuclear emergency. In this study, radiation-induced morphological/cytological changes i.e., number of root formation and its length, shooting length, reduction in mitotic index, micronuclei formation and chromosomal aberrations in the root tip cells of gamma-irradiated onions at lower doses (50-2000 cGy) are reported. The capabilities of this biological species to store the radiation-induced information are also studied.     

Molecular Cloning and Characteristic Features of a Novel Extracellular Tyrosinase from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aspergillus niger</Emphasis> PA2

Biofertilizers have been widely used in many countries for their benefit to soil biological and physicochemical properties. A new microbial biofertilizer containing Phanerochaete chrysosporium and Bacillus thuringiensis was prepared to decrease nicotine content in tobacco leaves by regulating soil nitrogen supply. Soil NO₃ ^?-N, NH₄ ⁺-N, nitrogen supply-related enzyme activities, and nitrogen accumulation in plant leaves throughout the growing period were investigated to explore the mechanism of nicotine reduction. The experimental results indicated that biofertilizer can reduce the nicotine content in tobacco leaves, with a maximum decrement of 16–18 % in mature upper leaves. In the meantime, the total nitrogen in mature lower and middle leaves increased with the application of biofertilizer, while an opposite result was observed in upper leaves. Protein concentration in leaves had similar fluctuation to that of total nitrogen in response to biofertilizer. NO₃ ^?-N content and nitrate reductase activity in biofertilizer-amended soil increased by 92.3 and 42.2 %, respectively, compared to those in the control, whereas the NH₄ ⁺-N and urease activity decreased by 37.8 and 29.3 %, respectively. Nitrogen uptake was improved in the early growing stage, but this phenomenon was not observed during the late growth period. Nicotine decrease is attributing to the adjustment of biofertilizer in soil nitrogen supply and its uptake in tobacco, which result in changes of nitrogen content as well as its distribution in tobacco leaves. The application of biofertilizer containing P. chrysosporium and B. thuringiensis can reduce the nicotine content and improve tobacco quality, which may provide some useful information for tobacco cultivation.     

An approximate method of orthotropic photoelastic analysis

An approximate strain-optic law has been derived for photoelastic analysis of orthotropic model materials. Principal-strain difference and the direction of major principal strain can be obtained from only two photoelastic measurements (isochromatic-fringe order and isoclinic angle) by means of this strain-optic law. Limited experiments on models subjected to uniaxial and biaxial stresses indicate good agreement between the experimental results and predictions of the strain-optic law. A parametric study demonstrates that the direction of major principal strain can be predicted to within a few degrees of the exact value and that the principalstrain difference can be predicted within ±20 percent for most practical values of degree of orthotropy and ratio of principal strains. The error levels are quite acceptable considering the significant ease in analysis provided by the new law and the fact that such error levels are not uncommon in experimental investigations.     

Rheology of zirconium adipate sol

Summary Employing aStormer viscosimeter, cup and rotor type, the rheological behaviour of gel yielding zirconium adipate sol has been investigated. Application of Staudinger's viscosity relation _sp =K _m Mc, gives the extent of aggregation during sol-gel transformation. In the gelling region a sharp rise in specific viscosity, nearly forty fold is observed. Rheological data is used in determining the gelling time and compares favourably well with values obtained by other methods.

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Zusammenfassung Mit Hilfe einesStormer-Viskosimeters vom koaxialen Zylindertyp wurde das rheologische Verhalten von Zirkonium-Adipat-Sol, das gelieren kann, untersucht. Die Anwendung der Staudinger Beziehung _spez=K _m M. c gibt das Ausmaß der Aggregierung während der SolGel-Umwandlung wieder. Im Gelierungsgebiet wird eine starke Zunahme in der spezifischen Viskosität — beinahe auf das 40fache — beobachtet. Rheologische Daten werden verwendet, um die Gelierzeit zu bestimmen, und sie können mit den Resultaten anderer Methoden gut verglichen werden.

     

Liquid Chromatographic Resolution of the Enantiomers of Metoprolol and Carvedilol in Pharmaceutical Formulations by use of Marfey’s Reagent and its Variants

JPC – Journal of Planar Chromatography – Modern TLC - A simple and rapid method has been established for indirect separation of the enantiomers of (R,S)-metoprolol and (R,S)-carvedilol...     

Circular logic: nonribosomal peptide-like macrocyclization with a ribosomal peptide catalyst

A protease from ribosomal peptide biosynthesis macrocyclizes diverse substrates, including those resembling nonribosomal peptide and hybrid polyketide-peptide products. The proposed mechanism is analogous to thioesterase-catalyzed chemistry, but the substrates are amide bonds rather than thioesters.     

High-performance liquid chromatographic enantioseparation of (R,S)-fluoxetine using Marfey's reagent and (S)-N-(4-nitrophenoxycarbonyl) phenylalanine methoxyethyl ester as chiral derivatizing reagents along with direct thin-layer chromatographic resolution and isolation of enantiomers using L-tartaric acid as mobile phase additive

Chiral assay of enantiomers of fluoxetine was achieved in pharmaceutical formulations using direct and indirect methods. L-tartaric acid was used as a mobile phase additive in thin-layer chromatography; the enantiomers were separated and isolated and were used to determine the elution order in HPLC. (R,S)-flouxetine was derivatized with (S)-N-(4-nitrophenoxycarbonyl)phenylalanine methoxyethyl ester [(S)-NIFE], Marfey's reagent and 1-fluoro-2,4-dinitrophenyl-L-methionine amide (FDNP-L-Met-NH?. The diastereomers were separated using RP-HPLC. The effect of flow rate and TFA concentration on resolution was studied. The diastereomers obtained by derivatization with FDNP-L-Met-NH? were also separated by RP-TLC.     

Higher hydrogen uptake capacity of C2H4Ti+ than C2H4Ti: a quantum chemical study

Using density functionals theory, we show that gravimetric hydrogen uptake of C₂H₄Ti complex and its cation, C₂H₄Ti⁺, differ by about 2 wt%. Six and five hydrogen molecules are found to be adsorbed on C₂H₄Ti⁺ and C₂H₄Ti complexes thereby showing a hydrogen-uptake capacity of 13.74 and 11.72 wt%, respectively. All hydrogen molecules are adsorbed in molecular form on C₂H₄Ti⁺ ion with an increase in metal bond strength, whereas in some cases, the hydrogen molecules are found to be dissociated on C₂H₄Ti neutral complex. The uptake capacity of neutral C₂H₄Ti complex shown in this work is in excellent agreement with that reported experimentally, Phillips and Shivaram (Phys Rev Lett 100:105505, 2008). The H₂ adsorption energy and its dependence on exchange and correlation functions in density functionals method were illustrated. Even after the adsorption of maximum number of hydrogen molecules on C₂H₄Ti and C₂H₄Ti⁺ complexes, Ti and Ti⁺ remain strongly bound to C₂H₄ substrate.     

Novel ‘Nano in Nano’ Composites for Sustained Drug Delivery: Biodegradable Nanoparticles Encapsulated into Nanofiber Non‐Wovens

Novel ‘nano in nano’ composites consisting of biodegradable polymer nanoparticles incorporated into polymer nanofibers may efficiently modulate drug delivery. This is shown here using a combination of model compound‐loaded biodegradable nanoparticles encapsulated in electrospun fibers. The dye coumarin 6 is used as model compound for a drug in order to simulate drug release from loaded poly(lactide‐co‐glycolide) nanoparticles. Dye release from the nanoparticles occurs immediately in aqueous solution. Dye‐loaded nanoparticles which are encapsulated by electrospun polymer nanofibers display a significantly retarded release.