Inability of phanerochaete chrysosporium to degrade polychlorinated biphenyls in sand

The white rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium has been previously found to successfully degrade a wide spectrum of chlorinated aromatic hydrocarbons (some of them in soil or sand matrices). In this research, it was tested if the fungus could also degrade a very recalcitrant class of pollutant, i.e. Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) in sand at a concentration of 100 ppm (w/w PCB to sand). For this purpose, a number of experiments were performed, in which several operating parameters, such as nutrient concentrations (nitrogen and glucose), amount of initial biomass, aeration, and degree of chlorination of the PCBs were varied. The results obtained indicate that the fungus is unable to degrade the PCBs under the experimental conditions tested in this work. In order to further validate this conclusion a new set of experiments was carried out, in which the activity of the fungus was tested against PCBs as well as 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (TCP). The experiments with 2,4,6-trichlorophenol were run in parallel with those with PCBs, and under similar conditions. The fungus used to inoculate both the compounds came from the same batch. It was evident from these experiments, that the fungus was able to mineralize the TCP completely, but could not degrade the PCBs. From all the results obtained during this research, it can be concluded that the fungus is ineffective to degrade the PCBs

Patterns and bifurcations in low-Prandtl number Rayleigh-Benard convection

We present a detailed bifurcation structure and associated flow patterns for low-Prandtl number ($P=0.0002, 0.002, 0.005, 0.02$) Rayleigh-B\'{e}nard convection near its onset. We use both direct numerical simulations and a 30-mode low-dimensional model for this study. We observe that low-Prandtl number (low-P) convection exhibits similar patterns and chaos as zero-P convection \cite{pal:2009}, namely squares, asymmetric squares, oscillating asymmetric squares, relaxation oscillations, and chaos. At the onset of convection, low-P convective flows have stationary 2D rolls and associated stationary and oscillatory asymmetric squares in contrast to zero-P convection where chaos appears at the onset itself. The range of Rayleigh number for which stationary 2D rolls exist decreases rapidly with decreasing Prandtl number. Our results are in qualitative agreement with results reported earlier

A prospective randomised control trial to study the role of intra-peritoneal instillation of ropivacaine versus normal saline irrigation in reduction of post-operative pain in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

The study was done to compare the effect of intra-peritoneal instillation of ropivacaine versus normal saline irrigation on post operative abdominal pain and shoulder pain in laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Ninety patients with symptomatic gall stones disease undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy were randomized in three groups. In study group A (n=30 patients) 0.5% of 30 ml (150 mg) of ropivacaine was instilled at gall bladder bed, and in study group B (n=30) 0.9% of 25 – 30 ml/kg of normal saline irrigation was done at gall bladder bed and sub-diaphragmatic space or control group C (n=30) none of above two intervention was done. Pain abdomen is worse during first 24 hours after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. At 6 hours pain abdomen was significantly less in group A compared to group B (p<.035). At 12 hours pain abdomen was less in group A and group B compared to control group. Intensity of shoulder tip pain was almost similar in group A and group B. Group A experienced significantly reduced shoulder tip pain at 6hours and 12 hours as compared to group C. Group B experienced less shoulder tip pain during first postoperative day as compared to control group. Intra-peritoneal instillation of ropivacaine is more effective than normal saline irrigation at early post-operative hours in reducing post-operative pain abdomen after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. However, intra-peritoneal instillation of ropivacaine and normal saline irrigation are comparable in its effect on shoulder tip pain

The identity of Prakāśāditya

This presentation summarized recent research that has solved a long-standing puzzle in ancient Indian history: the identity of the king who identifies himself on the reverse of his gold coins with the epithet prakāśāditya. Most authors have assumed Prakāśāditya to be a Gupta king. In contrast, Göbl 1990 suggested on stylistic grounds that Prakāśāditya was not a Gupta at all, but a Hun. However, for reasons that are not at all clear, most authors have continued to treat Prakāśāditya as a Gupta king. In any case, Göbl was unable to establish Prakāśāditya’s identity more specifically, speculating without any real evidence that he might have been the Hun king Toramāṇa. Thus the issue of his identity was still an open question. Part of the reason for the uncertainty around the identity of Prakāśāditya is that the obverse legend on his coins had not yet been read. Gupta coins generally carry an epithet or biruda of the king on the reverse, but his name is typically revealed in the obverse legend. The parts of the legend so far read on the obverse of Prakāśāditya’s coins had not contained any parts of his real name. In Tandon 2015, in presenting the first near-complete reading of the obverse legend of the coin, I established that Prakāśāditya was in fact Toramāṇa, as Göbl had speculated