Interaction between cationic and conventional nonionic surfactants in the mixed micelle and monolayer formed in aqueous medium

Mixed micellization and surface properties of cationic and nonionic surfactants dimethyl decyl-, tetradecyl- and hexadecyl phosphineoxide mixtures are studied using conductivity and surface tension measurements. The models of Rubingh, Rosen, and Clint, are used to obtain the interaction parameter, minimum area per molecule, mixed micelle composition, free energies of mixing and activity coefficients. The micellar mole fractions were always higher than ideal values indicating high contributions of cationics in mixed micelles. Activity coefficients were less than unity indicating synergism in micelles. The negative free energies of mixing showed the stability of the surfactants in the mixed micelles

LABORATORY COMPARISON BETWEEN TWO COMMERCIAL FUNGI COMPOUNDS AND TWO ISOLATES OF ENTOMOPATHOGENIC FUNGI, ON PUPAE OF THE COTTON LEAFWORM Spodoptera littoralis (BOISD.) (LEPIDOPTERA: NOCTUIDAE)

The pupae of the cotton leafworm Spodoptera littoralis (Boise.) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), a pest affecting many economic crops were treated with two commercial fungi compounds and two isolates of entomopathogenic fungi, by applying the pupal dipping technique. Results showed that all of the tested entomopathogenic fungi adversely affected the adult emergence, Suspensions (1x108 spores /ml)    of conidia harvested from M. anisopliae isolate resulted in the highest mortality (62%) followed by B. bassiana isolate (60%) than M. anisopliae commercial (51%) and the lowest mortality (49%) with B. bassiana commercial, the treatment also led to reducing the egg-laying capacity and egg hatchability. Treatment with these entomopathogenic fungi also caused several malformations in pupae and adults resulting from the treatment of pupae. Conclusion of our results that the two tested entomopathogenic fungi isolate M. anisopliae and B. bassiana was efficient and can be recommended as bio-insecticides to control the cotton leafworm S. littoralis, within the integrated pest management (IPM) program

A COMPARATIVE STUDY FOR DROUGHT TOLERANCE AND YIELD STABILITY IN DIFFERENT GENOTYPES OF BARLEY (Hordeum vulgare L.)

ABSTRACT This comparative study was conducted to access the drought tolerance and yield stability in different genotypes of barley. Study was conducted in growing seasons of 2013-14 and 2014-15 by imposing two water regimes viz. optimal and water stressed. Result of study revealed sufficient genetic variability among the genotypes, substantial expression of genetic potential and the importance of selection was based on stress condition. The mean squares of irrigation regimes explained most of the variations for all the traits in both growing seasons, indicating the relative importance of the genotypes in drought tolerance. Water deficient conditions highly affect the various growth parameters, yield and yield traits in both the studied growing seasons. Among the studied genotypes, Line 2 genotype have minimum heading and maturity time so this genotype could be use as a source of earliness in breeding program. Further, Line 7 and Line 11 genotypes showed highest yield potential under water deficit condition in both seasons, possessed high values for MP, YSI, STI, GMP, YI, and least SSI values less than one indicating suitability of these genotypes for drought tolerance and desirability for both water deficit and non-deficit conditions

Antimicrobial Activity and Quantum Chemical Calculations of Pyrazol-2,3-Dihydrothiazole Sugar Derivatives

A number of new [(pyrazol-4-yl) methylene] hydrazono-2,3-dihydrothiazoles, sugar hydrazones, and their N-glycoside derivatives were synthesized. The chemical structures of the synthesized compounds were confirmed by 1H NMR technique. The newly synthesized compounds were tested for their antimicrobial activities and showed moderate to high inhibition activities. Quantum chemistry calculations were used to study the molecular geometry and electronic structure of the selected derivatives. The energy gap between the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO)and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) has been calculated using the theoretical computations to reflect the chemical reactivity and kinetic stability of compounds. Keywords: 1H-pyrazole, aminothiazole, ethylchloroacetate, quantum chemical calculations, antimicrobial activity

Salinity tolerance of black gram cultivars during germination and early seedling growth

A laboratory experiment regarding germination and seedling growth test was conducted with three black gram genotypes tested under three salinity levels (0, 75 and 150 mM), for 10 days, in sand culture within small plastic pot, to investi-gate the germination and seedling growth characteristics. Different germination traits of all black gram genotypes, like germina-tion percentage (GP), germination rate (GR), coefficient of velocity of germination (CVG) greatly reduced, as well as mean germination time (MGT) increased with increasing salt stress. At high salt stress, BARI Mash-3 provided the highest GP reduction (28.58%), while the lowest was recorded (15.79% to control) in BARI Mash-1. Salinity have the negative impact on shoot and root lengths, fresh and dry weights. The highest (50.32% to con-trol) and lowest reduction (36.39%) of shoot length were recorded in BARI Mash-2 and BARI Mash-1, respectively, under 150 mM NaCl saline conditions. There were signifi-cant reduction of root lengths, root fresh and dry weight, shoot length, shoot fresh and dry weight in all genotypes under saline condition. The genotypes were arranged as BARI Mash-1 > BARI Mash-3 > BARI Mash-2, with respect to salinity tolerance