Bioadsorption of chromium resistant enterococcus casseliflavus isolated from tannery effluents.

Bioadsorption, bioaccumulation and enzymatic reduction are the processes by which the microorganisms interact with the toxic metals, enabling their removal or recovery. In the present study, a bacterial strain was isolated from tannery effluent and identified as Enterococcus casseliflavus. It showed a high level resistance of 800 µg/ml chromium. The minimal inhibitory concentration of chromium was found to be 512 µg/ml of potassium dichromate in Nutrient broth medium. The chromium adsorption was more significant by the live cells than killed cells at different time intervals. It was observed that, the inoculation of Enterococcus casseliflavus reduced the BOD and COD values of tannery effluent. The maximum adsorption of chromium was at a temperature of 35ºC to 45ºC and at a pH of 7.0 to 7.

Bioadsorption of Chromium Resistant Enterococcus casseliflavus Isolated from Tannery Effluents

AbstractBioadsorption, bioaccumulation and enzymatic reduction are the processes by which the microorganisms interact with the toxic metals, enabling their removal or recovery. In the present study, a bacterial strain was isolated from tannery effluent and identified as Enterococcus casseliflavus. It showed a high level resistance of 800 µg/ml chromium. The minimal inhibitory concentration of chromium was found to be 512 µg/ml of potassium dichromate in Nutrient broth medium. The chromium adsorption was more significant by the live cells than killed cells at different time intervals. It was observed that, the inoculation of Enterococcus casseliflavus reduced the BOD and COD values of tannery effluent. The maximum adsorption of chromium was at a temperature of 35ºC to 45ºC and at a pH of 7.0 to 7.5

Biochemical characterization of defense responses in rose genotypes in response to artificial inoculation with black spot pathogen Diplocarpon rosae

Resistance responses in the leaves of eight rose genotypes, Knock Out (highly resistant), Arka Nishkant (moderately resistant), R. multiflora (highly susceptible), Arka Swadesh (highly susceptible), IIHRR 13-4 (susceptible), Arka Parimala (susceptible), R. indica (susceptible) and IIHRR 4-15-12 (moderately susceptible), exhibiting varied levels of resistance against black spot were investigated post artificial inoculation with black spot pathogen, Diplocarpon rosae. There was consistent increase in the activities of defense related enzymes such as catalase, peroxidase, polyphenol oxidase, superoxide dismutase and phenylalanine ammonia lyase and other defense related secondary metabolites like phenols and flavonoids at different phases of black spot progression and increase was high in resistant genotypes Knock Out and Arka Nishkant. The peak activity of defense enzymes and high concentration of other metabolites was witnessed during early stages of infection in the resistant genotypes while it was during later phase in the susceptible genotypes. These results suggested that the faster and stronger activation of defense system is associated with the resistance against black spotin the rose genotypes

Synthesis of Hydrogen Getter Zr1-xCox (x=0-1) Alloy Films by Magnetron Co-Sputtering

The Zr1-xCox(x=0, 0.25, 0.53, 0.63, 1) thin films were deposited on quartz substrate using magnetron co-sputtering of Zirconium and Cobalt targets in confocal geometry. A constant pulsed direct current (PDC) on Zirconium and radio frequency (RF) of various powers on Cobalt target were applied to vary the concentration of Co in the Zr1-xCox film. The film composition was quantified using EDX measurements. The hydrogen storage capacity of these films was studied using an in-house developed hydrogen adsorption setup, in which the electrical resistivity of the film was monitored as a function of hydrogen partial pressure and temperature. The films' surface morphology and crystal structure before and after hydrogenation were characterized using atomic force microscopy and grazing incidence X-ray diffraction techniques using synchrotron radiation, respectively. An increase in the particle size after hydrogenation was observed for all the films. An increase in resistivity was also observed due to the absorption of hydrogen in all the compositions. The near stoichiometric film Zr0.47Co0.53 showed the highest hydrogen absorption level at 200 oC at all partial pressures. However, a decrease in the response at temperatures higher than 200 oC was observed in the film containing a Co concentration. The mechanism for the increase in resistivity of the film on hydrogenation is explained. Keywords: ZrCo alloy, hydrogen getter, magnetron co-sputtering, four-probe resistivity, thin film

Plant regeneration from embryogenic cell suspension cultures of wild sorghum (Sorghum dimidiatum Stapf.)

A simple and efficient protocol is described for regeneration of wild sorghum (Sorghum dimidiatum) from cell suspension cultures. Fast-growing cell suspensions were established from shoot-meristem-derived callus. Plating of the suspension on Murashige and Skoog agar medium supplemented with 2.5 mg 1-1 2,4-dichlorophen-oxyacetic acid (2,4-D) resulted in the formation of embryogenic calli. High-frequency (80%) somatic embryogenesis from small cell clusters (300-400 micrometer) was observed when the cultures were initially maintained in liquid medium with reduced levels of 2,4-D (0.25 mg l-1), followed by transfer to regeneration medium. Direct plating of these small clusters on regeneration medium or transfer to liquid regeneration medium containing kinetin and 6-benzylaminopurine resulted in the development of mature somatic embryos and plantlets. The regenerants developed to maturity and were all phenotypically and cytologically norma

IN VITRO ACTIVITY OF VARIOUS POTENCIES OF HOMEOPATHIC DRUG THUJA AGAINST MOLDS INVOLVED IN MYCOTIC KERATITIS

Objective: Isolation and characterisation of clinically isolated fungi from mycotic keratitis and exploration of the in vitro efficacy of various potencies of homeopathic preparations of Thuja occidentalis on the ocular fungal isolates. Methods: Clinical samples were collected from fungal keratitis patients attending a tertiary eye care hospital in Coimbatore, Tamilnadu state, India. The scrapings were also subjected to Gram staining and 10% KOH mount to detect the presence of fungal hyphae. The fungal isolates were subjected to lacto phenol cotton blue (LCB) mount employing cello tape flag method. Homeopathic drug Thuja occidentalis with various potencies viz., Q, 30 C, 200 C, 1 M, 10 M and 50 M were investigated for the growth inhibition of various fungal isolates by plate assay method. Further, a follow up analyses with varying dilutions of Q and 10 M homeopathic potencies of Thuja was carried out for the determination of minimum inhibitory concentration of both microdilution and minimum fungicidal concentration for the Biopolaris isolates. Results: Out of 35 samples analysed, Fusarium spp. (n=5), Aspergillus flavus (n=6), Bipolaris spp. (n=3), Exserohilum spp. (n=3) and Curvularia spp (n=3) were identified. All the potencies of Thuja had good inhibitory activity against Bipolaris spp., followed by Curvularia spp., Exserohilum spp. and Aspergillus flavus. Statistical analysis revealed significant inhibition of all the test isolates by Thuja Q and 50 M. Significant growth inhibition was exhibited by Thuja 30, 200 C, I M for Bipolaris, Exserohilum & A. flavus isolate and Thuja 10 M for all the isolates tested except Fusaria. It was revealed that for the Biopolaris isolates BS1, BS2, BS3 Thuja 10 M and Thuja Q had MIC and MFC of 0.125/10[20,00]0& 0.0625/10 and 0.25/10[20][00]0 & 0.125/10, respectively. Conclusion: The present investigation concludes that homeopathic drug Thuja has good inhibitory activity against the fungi causing keratitis, irrespective of the potencies. It is evident that no definite co-relation exists between various potencies of the same homeopathic drug with regard to their antimycotic properties

Lifetimes of states in 19Ne above the 15 O + alpha breakup threshold

The 15O(alpha,gamma)19Ne reaction plays a role in the ignition of Type I x-ray bursts on accreting neutron stars. The lifetimes of states in 19Ne above the 15O + alpha threshold of 3.53 MeV are important inputs to calculations of the astrophysical reaction rate. These levels in 19Ne were populated in the 3He(20Ne,alpha)19Ne reaction at a 20Ne beam energy of 34 MeV. The lifetimes of six states above the threshold were measured with the Doppler shift attenuation method (DSAM). The present measurements agree with previous determinations of the lifetimes of these states and in some cases are considerably more precise

Lifetime of 19Ne*(4.03 MeV)

The Doppler-shift attenuation method was applied to measure the lifetime of the 4.03 MeV state in 19Ne. Utilizing a 3He-implanted Au foil as a target, the state was populated using the 20Ne(3He,alpha)19Ne reaction in inverse kinematics at a 20Ne beam energy of 34 MeV. De-excitation gamma rays were detected in coincidence with alpha particles. At the 1 sigma level, the lifetime was determined to be 11 +4, -3 fs and at the 95.45% confidence level the lifetime is 11 +8, -7 fs.Comment: 6 pages, submitted to Phys. Rev.

Carbon Isotopes Near Drip Lines in the Relativistic Mean-Field Theory

We have investigated the ground-state properties of carbon isotopes in the framework of the relativistic mean-field (RMF) theory. RMF calculations have been performed with the non-linear scalar self-coupling of the $\sigma$ meson using an axially symmetric deformed configuration. We have also introduced the vector self-coupling of the $\omega$ meson for the deformed mean-field calculations. The results show that the RMF predictions on radii and deformations are in good agreement with the available experimental data. It is shown that several carbon isotopes possess a highly deformed shape akin to a superdeformation. The single-particle structure of nuclei away from the stability line has been discussed with a view to understand the properties near the neutron drip line. Predictions of properties of carbon isotopes away from the stability line are made.Comment: Revtex, 29 pages, 11 postscript figures include

Shell Effects in Nuclei with Vector Self-Coupling of Omega Meson in Relativistic Hartree-Bogoliubov Theory

Shell effects in nuclei about the stability line are investigated within the framework of the Relativistic Hartree-Bogoliubov (RHB) theory with self-consistent finite-range pairing. Using 2-neutron separation energies of Ni and Sn isotopes, the role of $\sigma$- and $\omega$-meson couplings on the shell effects in nuclei is examined. It is observed that the existing successful nuclear forces (Lagrangian parameter sets) based upon the nonlinear scalar coupling of $\sigma$-meson exhibit shell effects which are stronger than suggested by the experimental data. We have introduced nonlinear vector self-coupling of $\omega$-meson in the RHB theory. It is shown that the inclusion of the vector self-coupling of $\omega$-meson in addition to the nonlinear scalar coupling of $\sigma$-meson provides a good agreement with the experimental data on shell effects in nuclei about the stability line. A comparison of the shell effects in the RHB theory is made with the Hartree-Fock Bogoliubov approach using the Skyrme force SkP. It is shown that the oft-discussed shell quenching with SkP is not consistent with the available experimental data.Comment: 34 pages latex, 18 ps figures, replaced with minor corrections in some figures, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.