Influence of physical seed treatment on seed quality improvement in black gram (Vigna mungo L.)

Pelleting is a physical pre-sowing seed management technique, in which seeds are enclosed with biopromotive substances to improve the field stand. To evaluate the efficacy of plant herbal powders for seed pelleting, studies were initiated with blackgram cv. ADT 3, in which seeds were pelleted with the leaf powders of noni (Morinda citrifolia) and basil (Ocimum sanctum) and fruit powder of gallnut (Terminalia chebula) @ 200 g kg-1 of seed using Carboxy methyl cellulose @ 200 ml per kilogram of seed as an adhesive. The results revealed that seeds pelleted with the leaf powders of either basil improved the seed germination by 6% and seedling vigour (23%), seedling length (9%) and seedling dry weight (5%). In raised bed nursery, the seeds pelleted with basil leaf powder @ 200 g kg-1 of seed recorded improved field emergence (7%) with higher chlorophyll index (30%) and nodule number (28%) highlighting the efficacy of the treatment. While, the seeds pelleted with gallnut fruit powder recorded lowest germination, vigour and field emergence which is significantly lesser than control. The delayed emergence, germination and vigour was due to the increase in hardiness of gallnut powder pelleted seed. Thus, the seeds treated with basil leaf powder @ 200 g kg-1 using carboxy methyl cellulose @ 200 ml per kilogram of seed as an adhesive, enhanced seed germination, vigour, seedling length and dry weight

Fuzzy Interpretation of Absorption in Solar Cells

This paper caters feed for the issue of ‘Energy Conservation’ taking into consideration the ideology of enhancing the availability and the utility of ‘Non-Conventional’ energy resources, as this is the medium the future globe ought to dominantly depend upon. The solar energy identified as the one in sustaining the required features of energy conservation is taken as the key factor of whose industrial element is the solar cell. This paper deals with the quanta factor of sun light on to a solar cell which is termed as the absorption to its proportionate current density generated. For this study the fuzzy interpretation is used on the various generation solar cells. The cut factors of the solar cells are fuzzyfied and analyzed with the absorption rate to predict the current density generation. Keywords: Energy, Solar cells, Absorption, Reflectivit

Studies on DNA barcoding of sacred plant - Ficus religiosa L.

In the present investigation, DNA barcoding were made for the sacred trees of Main (Big) Temples in Cuddalore district, namely Ficus religiosa, to document their reliable identification, discrimination, similarities and evolutionary trend among them and with their related taxa for future use.  DNA isolation from leaf samples of present study species was carried out by using a modified CTAB method and good isolation was got for the species studied. Gradient PCR amplification was performed for the isolated DNA using matK gene and the primers matK472F & matK1248R.  The amplification success was 90-95%. PCR amplification was tested with 1 % agarose gel electrophoresis using ethidium bromide and the products were confirmed.  The PCR products were sent to Xcelris Labs Ltd. Sydney House, Premchand Nagar Road, Bodakdev, Ahmedabad 380054, India, for DNA sequencing and sequences were got for the species with the success rate of 95 %.  Pairwise sequence alignments were made with BLAST and multiple sequence alignments are made with ClustalW, and based on the sequence alignments, dentrograms were constructed using software Mega 5 and Neighbor joining method to study the phylogenetic aspects of the species studied and with their related taxa

Geometries, Electronic Structures and Electronic Absorption Spectra of Silicon Dichloride Substituted Phthalocyanine for Dye Sensitized Solar Cells

The geometries, electronic structures, polarizabilities, and hyperpolarizabilities of Silicon dichloride substituted phthalocyanine dye sensitizer were studied based on Density Functional Theory (DFT) using the hybrid functional B3LYP. Ultraviolet-Visible (UV-Vis) spectrum was investigated by using a hybrid method which combines the single-excitation configuration interactions (CIS) with DFT, i.e. CIS-DFT(B3LYP). Features of the electronic absorption spectrum in the visible and near-UV regions were assigned based on CIS-DFT calculations. The absorption bands are assigned to n→π* transitions. Calculated results suggest that the three lowest energy excited states of Silicon dichloride substituted phthalocyanine are due to photoinduced electron transfer processes. The interfacial electron transfer between semiconductor TiO2 electrode and dye sensitizer is due to an electron injection process from excited dye to the semiconductor’s conduction band. The role of Silicon dichloride in phthalocyanine geometries, electronic structures and electronic absorption spectra were analysed and these results were concluded that Silicon dichloride substituted phthalocyanine used in Dye Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSC) give a good conversion efficiency

Achieving Deep Cuts in the Carbon Intensity of U.S. Automobile Transportation by 2050: Complementary Roles for Electricity and Biofuels

Passenger cars in the United States (U.S.) rely primarily on petroleum-derived fuels and contribute the majority of U.S. transportation-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Electricity and biofuels are two promising alternatives for reducing both the carbon intensity of automotive transportation and U.S. reliance on imported oil. However, as standalone solutions, the biofuels option is limited by land availability and the electricity option is limited by market adoption rates and technical challenges. This paper explores potential GHG emissions reductions attainable in the United States through 2050 with a county-level scenario analysis that combines ambitious plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) adoption rates with scale-up of cellulosic ethanol production. With PHEVs achieving a 58% share of the passenger car fleet by 2050, phasing out most corn ethanol and limiting cellulosic ethanol feedstocks to sustainably produced crop residues and dedicated crops, we project that the United States could supply the liquid fuels needed for the automobile fleet with an average blend of 80% ethanol (by volume) and 20% gasoline. If electricity for PHEV charging could be supplied by a combination of renewables and natural-gas combined-cycle power plants, the carbon intensity of automotive transport would be 79 g CO2e per vehicle-kilometer traveled, a 71% reduction relative to 2013