XRD and FT-IR investigations of sub-bituminous Assam coals

Two coal samples collected from Makum coal field, Assam, India were studied by XRD and FT-IR techniques. The X-ray diffractogram shows the existence of some crystalline carbons in Assam coals as proven by the appearance of peaks. The radial distribution functional (RDF) method was applied for the determination of structural aspects of the coals. The study indicates that the coals are lignite in type and there is no evidence of graphite-like structures. The maximum in the G(r) plots of function of radial distribution of atoms (FRDA) relates to different distances between carbon atoms of aliphatic chains. The first significant maximum relates to the C-C bond (type C-CH=CH-C), the second maximum relates to the distance between carbon atoms of aliphatic chains that are located across one carbon atom. The curve intensity profiles obtained from FRDA show quite regular molecular packets for this coal. The coals were found to be lignite in nature. FT-IR study shows the presence of aliphatic carbon, C=O and C-O stretching associated with -OH and -NH stretching vibrations. Kaolinite and quartz were also found to be major minerals in Assam coals by FTIR spectroscopy. The difference in intensities of carbonyl groups of the coal samples is likely to relate with the rank. © Indian Academy of Sciences

Achievability of Municipal Solid Waste Compost for Tea Cultivation with Special Reference to Cadmium

Not AvailableMunicipal solid waste compost (MSWC) is quite often used for soil amendment in agricultural crops and yet little is known about its effect on tea (Camellia sinensis L.) cultivation. This study investigates the effect of MSWC application on cadmium (Cd) concentrations in soil, tea plants, and infusions. Different doses of MSWC are added to soil with two Tocklai vegetative (TV) tea clones (TV1 and TV23) for 2 years in pot experiments. Several fractions of Cd in amended soils, biomass yield, and Cd content in different parts of tea plants and in tea infusions are measured. Several indexes related to risk assessment are also calculated. The geo‐accumulation index values of Cd in soil amended with MSWC ranges from −1.74 to 3.12, indicating class 0 (practically uncontaminated) to class 4 (heavily contaminated) contamination level. Average daily intakes (ADI) of Cd through tea infusion produced from tea plant amended with MSWC are 8.9 × 10−6 and 9.2 × 10−6 mg kg−1 per body weight and day for men and women, respectively. These values are much lower than those given in the Joint FAO/WHO Provisional Tolerable Monthly Intake Guideline for Cd. The non‐carcinogenic risk values (also called hazard quotient) for Cd, estimated from the ADI values, are found to be 1.78 × 10−2 and 1.94 × 10−2 mg kg−1 per day for men and women, respectively, suggesting no health hazard. The results suggested the possibility of management of MSW through composting and the feasibility of compost application for tea cultivation.Not Availabl

A thermal investigation on coals from Assam (India)

A thermal characterization of two coal samples from Ledo and Tikak collieries of Makum coalfield, Assam, India using XRD, FT-IR, and TGA was reported in this paper. The coal samples were heated for 20, 40 and 60 min in a 1000-watt heater (temperature ∼250 °C) in presence of air and characterized by XRD and FT-IR spectroscopy. Both the coals contain amorphous and crystalline phases. The raw coals also contain very small peaks due to quartz, calcite, gypsum, pyrite, and chlorite. The XRD patterns were found to change upon heating. In the coals heated for 20 and 40 min, it was observed that both amorphous and crystalline parts are common in them; crystalline part being the major one in the 40 min heated samples. The XRD patterns of the samples heated for 60 min indicate the presence of major quantities of α-quartz, hematite, and chlorite in them. They also show some new peaks, which are assigned to be kaolinite, illite, magnetite and very small in comparison to the amorphous portion in raw coals. α-quartz was found to be most stable crystalline phase of silica in the coals. The crystallinity % (X-ray) of the coals heat-treated for different times was determined and found to be increasing with time of heating. The FT-IR spectra of raw and heat-treated coal samples at 250 °C were also recorded and compared. The spectra were observed to be almost similar and it was observed that few functional groups disappear on heating at 250 °C. The same coal samples were also characterized by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential thermal analysis (DTA) techniques. On heat treatment in air atmosphere up to 800 °C, 20–27% weight loss occurs due to removal of various volatile materials. DTA results indicate the chemical reactivity of the coal sample initially at 80–110 °C due to loss of water, and two other major reactions at around 420 and 530 °C due to primary and secondary volatization

[4+2] Cycloaddition reaction: Synthesis and antifungal activities of 5-substituted-4-phenyl-1,3-thiazolo[3,2-alpha]pyrimidin-6-one derivatives

Syntheses and antifungal activities of 5-substituted-1,3-thiazolo[3,2-a] pyrimidin-6-one from 2-benzylidineamino-4-phenyl-1,3-thiazole and ketenes formed in situ is described

Determinants of impact : towards a better understanding of encounters with the arts

The article argues that current methods for assessing the impact of the arts are largely based on a fragmented and incomplete understanding of the cognitive, psychological and socio-cultural dynamics that govern the aesthetic experience. It postulates that a better grasp of the interaction between the individual and the work of art is the necessary foundation for a genuine understanding of how the arts can affect people. Through a critique of philosophical and empirical attempts to capture the main features of the aesthetic encounter, the article draws attention to the gaps in our current understanding of the responses to art. It proposes a classification and exploration of the factors—social, cultural and psychological—that contribute to shaping the aesthetic experience, thus determining the possibility of impact. The ‘determinants of impact’ identified are distinguished into three groups: those that are inherent to the individual who interacts with the artwork; those that are inherent to the artwork; and ‘environmental factors’, which are extrinsic to both the individual and the artwork. The article concludes that any meaningful attempt to assess the impact of the arts would need to take these ‘determinants of impact’ into account, in order to capture the multidimensional and subjective nature of the aesthetic experience

System of crop intensification for more productive, resource-conserving, climate-resilient, and sustainable agriculture: experience with diverse crops in varying agroecologies

With continually increasing demand for food accompanied by the constraints of climate change and the availability and quality of soil and water, the world’s farmers are challenged to produce more food per hectare with less water, and with fewer agrochemical inputs if possible. The ideas and methods of the system of rice intensification which is improving irrigated rice production are now being extended/adapted to many other crops: wheat, maize, finger millet, sugarcane, tef, mustard, legumes, vegetables, and even spices. Promoting better root growth and enhancing the soil’s fertility with organic materials are being found effective means for raising the yields of many crop plants with less water, less fertilizer, reduced seeds, fewer agrochemicals, and greater climate resilience. In this article, we review what is becoming known about various farmer-centred innovations for agroecological crop management that can contribute to agricultural sustainability. These changes represent the emerging system of crop intensification, which is being increasingly applied in Asian, African, and Latin American countries. More research will be needed to verify the efficacy and impact of these innovations and to clarify their conditions and limits. But as no negative effects for human or environmental health have been identified, making these agronomic options more widely known should prompt more investigation and, to the extent justified by results, utilization of these methodologies

Comparative Assessment of Copper, Iron, and Zinc Contents in Selected Indian (Assam) and South African (Thohoyandou) Tea (Camellia sinensis L.) Samples and Their Infusion: A Quest for Health Risks to Consumer

The current study aims to assess the infusion pattern of three important micronutrients namely copper (Cu), iron (Fe), and zinc (Zn) contents from black tea samples produced in Assam (India) and Thohoyandou (South Africa). Average daily intakes and hazardous quotient were reported for these micronutrients. Total content for Cu, Fe, and Zn varied from 2.25 to 48.82 mg kg−1, 14.75 to 148.18 mg kg−1, and 28.48 to 106.68 mg kg−1, respectively. The average contents of each of the three micronutrients were higher in tea leaves samples collected from South Africa than those from India while the contents in tea infusions in Indian samples were higher than in South African tea samples. Results of this study revealed that the consumption of 600 mL tea infusion produced from 24 g of made tea per day may be beneficial to human in terms of these micronutrients content. Application of nonparametric tests revealed that most of the data sets do not satisfy the normality assumptions. Hence, the use of both parametric and nonparametric statistical analysis that subsequently revealed significant differences in elemental contents among Indian and South African tea

Single domain antibody multimers confer protection against rabies infection

Post-exposure prophylactic (PEP) neutralizing antibodies against Rabies are the most effective way to prevent infection-related fatality. The outer envelope glycoprotein of the Rabies virus (RABV) is the most significant surface antigen for generating virus-neutralizing antibodies. The small size and uncompromised functional specificity of single domain antibodies (sdAbs) can be exploited in the fields of experimental therapeutic applications for infectious diseases through formatting flexibilities to increase their avidity towards target antigens. In this study, we used phage display technique to select and identify sdAbs that were specific for the RABV glycoprotein from a naïve llama-derived antibody library. To increase their neutralizing potencies, the sdAbs were fused with a coiled-coil peptide derived from the human cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP48) to form homogenous pentavalent multimers, known as combodies. Compared to monovalent sdAbs, the combodies, namely 26424 and 26434, exhibited high avidity and were able to neutralize 85-fold higher input of RABV (CVS-11 strain) pseudotypes in vitro, as a result of multimerization, while retaining their specificities for target antigen. 26424 and 26434 were capable of neutralizing CVS-11 pseudotypes in vitro by 90–95% as compared to human rabies immunoglobulin (HRIG), currently used for PEP in Rabies. The multimeric sdAbs were also demonstrated to be partially protective for mice that were infected with lethal doses of rabies virus in vivo. The results demonstrate that the combodies could be valuable tools in understanding viral mechanisms, diagnosis and possible anti-viral candidate for RABV infection