Photocatalytic Degradation of Textile Dye (ACID Red 114) from Aqueous Solution using Immobilized Tube Reactor

In this study the Photocatalytic degradation of textile dye (Acid Red 114) from aqueous solution has been investigated using immobilized nano TiO2 photocatalyst under UV light. Nano sized Titanium dioxide (TiO2) powder was synthesized by sol-gel method using titanium tetra chloride (TiCl4) as the precursor. The prepared photocatalyst were characterized by scanning electron micrographs (SEM). The investigated nanoparticle of titanium dioxide was immobilized on Quartz surface using heat attachment method. Photocatalytic degradation experiments were carried in a circulation photo reactor with a 15 W UV lamp radiating around 365 nm. All the experiments were carried out as a function of irradiation time, pH, initial dye concentration, and Catalyst concentration. The optimum condition for AR 114 removal were found to be pH = 2, adsorbent dosage = 0.6 gm/l of solution and dye degradation equilibrium was rapidly attained after 80 minutes of the irradiation time and it was described by the Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherms over the entire concentration range from 20-100 mg/l. Adsorption data?s are used for modeling, from the first and second order kinetic equation

Larval rearing trials of the honeycomb grouper Epinephelus merra Bloch under laboratory conditions

Groupers being economically important food fishes are experimented widely for controlled breeding world over. In India, attempts were made on few species of the genus Epinephelus such as E. tauvina, E. malabaricus and E. polyphekadion at the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute and limited success was achieved. The present paper discusses on larval rearing trials of the honeycomb grouper E. merra up to juvenile stage. Larvae measuring 1.3 – 1.6 mm obtained from the captive spawning of broodstock of E. merra were used for the larval rearing studies. The feeding protocol, water exchange and larval rearing methods adopted are detailed. The larval mouth opening appeared on day 3 post-hatch. The larvae gradually metamorphosed into juvenile by day 60 and attained a size of 45 mm. The possible reasons for initial mortality, the advantage of HUFA rich feeding and effect of large volume of rearing tanks on the growth and survival of the larvae are discusse

Embryonic and larval development of honeycomb grouper Epinephelus merra Bloch

Spawning and successful rearing of larvae of honeycomb grouper Epinephelus merra Bloch 1793 upto juvenile stagewas accomplished at the ¢n¢sh hatchery of Mandapam Regional Centre of Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute during 2004. The fertilized eggs were free, spherical and buoyant with size ranging from 710 to 730 mm. Complete early embryonic development took place within 24^27 h and hatching occurred.The hatchlings measured1.5mm. Mouth opening (115 mm) appeared at 72 h when the larvae were 2.2mm in size. Pectoral ¢n developed on the ¢fth day. Complete metamorphosis took place and by the 60th day the larvae transformed into juveniles (45mm) and attained skin colouration and honeycomb pattern

Natural spawning of honeycomb grouper Epinephelus merra Bloch under captive conditions

The paper details the observations made on the natural spawning of honeycomb grouper (Epinephelus merra) achieved at the Regional Centre of Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), Mandapam Camp. The construction details of indoor maturation and spawning system developed for the captive maturation and natural spawning of small sized groupers are given. Sub-adults of this species were collected, maintained, developed into brood stock and transferred to indoor maturation tank for observations on natural spawning. The natural spawning occurred between August and October 2004 and corresponded to the lunar phase of each month. Number of eggs, percentage fertilization and hatching, the water quality parameters, feeding protocol adopted for sub-adults and brood stock are detailed. Disease occurrence and their control, importance of PUFA enriched feed are also discussed

A novel mutation in GRK1 causes Oguchi disease in a consanguineous Pakistani family

Contains fulltext : 76070.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the underlying molecular genetic defect in a large consanguineous Pakistani family with Oguchi disease who had been given a diagnosis of autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa. METHODS: The family was genotyped with the Affymetrix 10K single nucleotide polymorphism array. Fine-mapping of a common homozygous region on chromosome 13q was performed using fluorescent microsatellite markers. Mutation analysis was done by direct sequencing of the candidate gene GRK1 located in the region. The segregation of a novel mutation in the family and the frequency of the identified mutation in the Pakistani population were determined by StuI RFLP analysis. RESULTS: Genetic mapping supported the diagnosis of typical Oguchi disease in a Pakistani family and also resulted in the identification of a novel nonsense mutation (c.614C>A; p.S205X) in exon 1 of GRK1. This mutation is predicted to result in premature termination of the protein product, thereby affecting the phototransduction cascade. A clinical reappraisal of the family revealed that all patients homozygous for this variant had Oguchi disease. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first report to describe a mutation causing typical Oguchi disease in a large consanguineous Pakistani family. This mutation segregated in eight affected members.6 p

Identification of recurrent and novel mutations in TULP1 in Pakistani families with early-onset retinitis pigmentosa

Contains fulltext : 108208.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)PURPOSE: To identify the genetic defects underlying retinitis pigmentosa (RP) in Pakistani families. METHODS: Genome-wide high-density single-nucleotide-polymorphism microarray analysis was performed using the DNA of nine affected individuals from two large families with multiple consanguineous marriages. Data were analyzed to identify homozygous regions that are shared by affected sibs in each family. Sanger sequencing was performed for genes previously implicated in autosomal recessive RP and allied retinal dystrophies that resided in the identified homozygous regions. Probands from both families underwent fundus examination and electroretinogram measurements. RESULTS: The tubby-like protein 1 gene (TULP1) was present in the largest homozygous region in both families. Sequence analysis identified a previously reported mutation (c.1138A>G; p.Thr380Ala) in one family and a novel pathogenic variant (c.1445G>A; p.Arg482Gln) in the other family. Both variants were found to be present in a homozygous state in all affected individuals, were heterozygous present in the unaffected parents, and heterozygous present or absent in normal individuals. Affected individuals of both families showed an early-onset form of RP. CONCLUSIONS: Homozygosity mapping, combined with candidate-gene analysis, successfully identified genetic defects in TULP1 in two large Pakistani families with early-onset retinitis pigmentosa

Modelling and simulation of 1.2 MWpTenaga suria brunei photovoltaic power plant

The energy demand in Brunei Darussalam will increase in near future. The renewable energy is one of the alternative energy sources that could satisfy the increasing energy demands. Brunei Darussalam depends heavily on fossil fuel to generate its electricity needs. Fossil fuels are depleted and the main source of pollution. Photovoltaic (PV) systems generate electricity directly from the sunlight without any emission of global warming gases, and the fuel is free. In order to optimize the performance of PV systems their operation should be well understood. In this paper, we present the modelling of a real 1.2 MWp photovoltaic system. The PV power plant is tied to the grid. The PV array, the DC/DC converter and the DC/AC inverter are modelled and implemented in Matlab/Simulink. The controller of the grid-connected inverter is modelled to achieve constant voltage, constant frequency and to be synchronized with the grid. The system is simulated under Brunei weather conditions and the results are acceptable. © 2019 Mattingley Publishing. All rights reserved

Climate change impacts on Aotearoa New Zealand: A horizon scan approach

Many of the implications of climate change for Aotearoa (New Zealand) remain unclear. To identify so-far unseen or understudied threats and opportunities related to climate change we applied a horizon-scanning process. First, we collated 171 threats and opportunities across our diverse fields of research. We then scored each item for novelty and potential impact and finally reduced the list to ten threats and ten opportunities through a prioritisation process. Within the 20 items presented in this paper, we uncover a range of climate-related costs and benefits. Unexpected opportunities evolve from economic reorganisation and changes to perspectives. The threats we highlight include the overall failure to interconnect siloed policy responses, as well as those relating to extreme events and feedbacks, as well as pressures that undermine the coherence of society. A major theme of our work is that climate change effects in Aotearoa are likely to transgress the boundaries of research disciplines, industry sectors and policy systems, emphasising the importance of developing transdisciplinary methods and approaches. We use this insight to connect potential responses to climate change with Aotearoa’s culture and geography

Aqueous Solution Preparation, Structure, and Magnetic Properties of Nano-Granular ZnxFe3−xO4 Ferrite Films

This paper reports a simple and novel process for preparing nano-granular ZnxFe3−xO4 ferrite films (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.99) on Ag-coated glass substrates in DMAB-Fe(NO3)3-Zn(NO3)2 solutions. The deposition process may be applied in preparing other cations-doped spinel ferrite films. The Zn content x in the ZnxFe3−xO4 films depends linearly on the Zn2+ ion concentration ranging from 0.0 to 1.0 mM in the aqueous solutions. With x increasing from 0 to 0.99, the lattice constant increases from 0.8399 to 0.8464 nm; and the microstructure of the films changes from the non-uniform nano-granules to the fine and uniform nano-granules of 50–60 nm in size. The saturation magnetization of the films first increases from 75 emu/g to the maximum 108 emu/g with x increasing from 0 to 0.33 and then decreases monotonously to 5 emu/g with x increasing from 0.33 to 0.99. Meanwhile, the coercive force decreases monotonously from 116 to 13 Oe

Evolution through segmental duplications and losses : A Super-Reconciliation approach

The classical gene and species tree reconciliation, used to infer the history of gene gain and loss explaining the evolution of gene families, assumes an independent evolution for each family. While this assumption is reasonable for genes that are far apart in the genome, it is not appropriate for genes grouped into syntenic blocks, which are more plausibly the result of a concerted evolution. Here, we introduce the Super-Reconciliation problem which consists in inferring a history of segmental duplication and loss events (involving a set of neighboring genes) leading to a set of present-day syntenies from a single ancestral one. In other words, we extend the traditional Duplication-Loss reconciliation problem of a single gene tree, to a set of trees, accounting for segmental duplications and losses. Existency of a Super-Reconciliation depends on individual gene tree consistency. In addition, ignoring rearrangements implies that existency also depends on gene order consistency. We first show that the problem of reconstructing a most parsimonious Super-Reconciliation, if any, is NP-hard and give an exact exponential-time algorithm to solve it. Alternatively, we show that accounting for rearrangements in the evolutionary model, but still only minimizing segmental duplication and loss events, leads to an exact polynomial-time algorithm. We finally assess time efficiency of the former exponential time algorithm for the Duplication-Loss model on simulated datasets, and give a proof of concept on the opioid receptor genes