The OPEC Oil-Pricing Policies

The capital-theoretic model suggested for determining the price- quantity combinations does not hold in the case of most natural resources, including petroleum, since the inelastic demand function would vitiate the optimal solution. The specification of a dynamic demand function, with necessary, attributes, no doubt, results in a valid optimal solution in period t, but that could be achieved only at the cost of sub-optimal solution in other periods. If the OPEC starts behaving as a discriminating monopoly, instead of as a pure monopoly, the optimal solution is assured in all markets and in all time periods

Natural Resource Pricing and Economic Development

In a competitive equilibrium the price of a natural resource will be increasing at a rate equal to the social time preference rate, but in a monopoly market, the price will be increasing at less than social time preference rate. If the producer countries utilise their monopoly of production and sale of a natural resource for the purpose of developing their economies, the price of the natural resource will be growing at the rate at which the producer countries\u27 economies are growing, whether or not the sales proceeds are used to finance their investment programmes, fully or partly

The Energy Needs of The Developing Countries

The energy needs of the developing countries are enormous. They will grow with the passage of time as the pace of economic development accelerates and those countries enter the industrial epoch. The sheer physical non-availability of coal and petroleum to most of them makes it obligatory to choose an unconventional resource as an energy-base. The nuclear fission is the only option now available which is feasible, less-expensive and plentiful. Solar and fusion may be the ultimate sources in the steady state, when appropriate technologies are developed

FUNCTIONAL CHARACTERIZATION OF FORMIN-DEPENDENT ACTIN POLYMERIZATION AT ADHERENS JUNCTIONS

Ph.DPH.D. IN MECHANOBIOLOGY (FOS

PRELIMINARY PHTOCEMICAL INVESTIGATION AND ANTI-VENOM ACTIVITY OF COIX LACRYMAJOBI ROOT EXTRACT AGAINST DABOIA RUSSELLI VENOM-INDUCED MYONECROSIS

Objective: The aim of the study was to carry out the preliminary phytochemical investigation and to evaluate the inhibition of Daboia russellivenom‑induced myonecrosis by root extract (RE) of Coix lacrymajobi.Methods: The roots of C. lacrymajobi were subjected to differential extraction by soxhlet extraction using petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate,and ethanol. The resultant extracts were subjected to the preliminary phytochemical investigation to identify the different chemical groups present inthe extracts. Myonecrotic activity was conducted, to assess the ability of ethanolic RE to inhibit the myonecrosis induced by D. russelli venom in rats.Results: The preliminary phytochemical investigation revealed the presence of triterpenoids, resins, steroids and fixed oils in petroleum ether extract,flavonoids, triterpenoids, saponins and fixed oils in chloroform extract and alkaloids, carbohydrates, flavonoids, glycosides, resins, saponins, steroids,and tannins. Ethanolic extract was found to have maximum number of phytochemicals, and hence, it was used for further study. The ethanolic REsignificantly inhibited the myonecrotic activity at dose level 200 and 400 mg/kg body weight.Conclusion: The screening of phytochemicals presents on the different fractions of the RE was studied successfully. Supporting the use of roots bytraditional healers, ethanolic extract successfully inhibited D. russelli venom‑induced myonecrosis in rats.Keywords: Coix lacrymajobi, Daboia russelli, Myonecrosis

INHIBITORY EFFECT OF ETHANOLIC ROOT EXTRACT OF COIX LACHRYMAJOBI ON HYALURONIDASE AND L-AMINO ACID OXIDASE OF NAJA NAJA AND DABOIA RUSSELLI VENOM

Objective: This study was carried out to investigate the efficacy of inhibitory effect of ethanolic root extract (ERE) of plant Coix lachrymajobi (Poaceae) on hyaluronidase and L-amino acid oxidase (LAAO) of Daboia russelii and Naja naja venom. Methodology: The ethanolic root extract of C. lachrymajobi is used to treat snake bite victims by traditional healers as folk medicine for centuries, was tested in-vitro to determine its ability to inhibit D. russelli and N. naja hyaluronidase and LAAO activities.  In-vitro studies were carried out with different doses of ERE.Results & Discussion: which effectively neutralized hyaluronidase and LAAO activities of both D. russelli and N. naja venom.  ERE at doses of 2000µg successfully inhibited D. russelli (50 µg) hyaluronidase activity by 67.04% and LAAO activity by 77.86%.  The hyaluronidase activity of N. naja venom (50 µg) was inhibited by 71.83% and LAAO activity was reduced by 74.83%.  From the results, It is evident that the ERE of Coix lachrymajobi effectively neutralizes important toxic enzymes of the D. russelli and Naja naja venoms.Keywords: Daboia russelii; Naja naja; Coix lacryma-jobi; Hyaluronidase; L-amino acid oxidas

High-frequency plant regeneration and histological analysis of callus in Cichorium intybus: An important medicinal plant

An efficient in vitro propagation and in vitro flowering protocols were developed for the medicinal plant Cichorium intybus (Asteraceae) using leaf disc explants. Media supplemented with the growth regulator naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) (1.5 mg/l) + 6-benzyle adenine (0.25 mg/l) was used for the initial induction of the callus and further subcultured to the same media for the proliferation of the callus. Pale yellow and green calli were noticed, which depends on incorporation of the growth hormones and their varying concentrations. Murashige and Skoog medium in addition with 2 mg/l kinetin+ 0.5 mg/l indole-3-acetic acid (IBA) + 500 mg/l casein hydrolysate resulted in maximum regeneration. Media supplemented via IBA (0.5 mg/l) and NAA (0.5 mg/l) (98%) was found to beoptimum for rhizogenesis for in vitro regenerated plants. For acclimatization 5-6 weeks mature in vitro regenerated plants were transferred into the greenhouse for acclimatization. The histological study revealed the presence actively dividing meristematic cells in callus. The occurrence of the peripheral meristematic zone associated with callus was noticed in after 20 days, which formed the shoot meristems after 45 days of incubation. To our knowledge, this is the first report on high-frequency plant regeneration which was carried out indirectly from theleaf explants which was grown in controlled environment with varying concentration of the growth regulators and histology of callus of different stages from leaf explants of C. intybus

RADIOPROTECTIVE ACTIVITY OF FICUS RACEMOSA ETHANOL EXTRACT AGAINST ELECTRON BEAM INDUCED DNA DAMAGE IN VITRO, IN VIVO AND IN SILICO

Objective: To investigate the radioprotective effect of Ficus racemosa (Fr) ethanol stem bark extract against electron beam radiation (EBR) induced DNA damage using in vitro, in vivo and in silico models.Methods: The extract of Fr was tested against radiation induced DNA damage by exposing pBR322 plasmid to different EBR dose rates. Comet assay was conducted using mice which were exposed at 6Gy EBR. In silico study was performed by inhibiting p53 protein C-chain (1TUP C) using phyto chemicals of Fr.Results: The in vitro results revealed that, Fr at lower concentration (50µg) showed inhibitory effect on radiation induced DNA damage compared with control. Exposure of mice to 6Gy EBR increased comet parameters like TL (Tail length), OTM (Olive tail moment) and %T (percentage of DNA in the tail) of blood lymphocytes. Fr ethanol extract given orally prior to irradiation at a dose of 400 mg/kg body weight protected the DNA from the radiation damage. The phytochemicals of Fr showed clear interaction with p53 protein chain C, specifically binding to Arginine 248 (ARG248) and Arginine 273 (ARG273) amino acid residues thereby inhibiting the p53 protein-DNA interaction upon radiation.Conclusion: The present study indicates that Fr ethanol extract significantly reduced radiation induced DNA damage in vivo and in vitro. It also showed that the biologically active compounds of Fr have ability to inhibit wild p53 protein which is responsible for apoptosis; these compounds can be used as radioprotectors during chemotherapy to protect normal tissues surrounding cancerous tissue.Â

PROCESS OPTIMISATION OF PILOT SCALE BIODIESEL PRODUCTION FROM PONGAMIA AND WASTE COOKING OIL FEEDSTOCK

Biodiesel is the most promising renewable alternative fuel for fossil diesel fuel, which can be produced even in rural settings of an economically backward sector of developing countries. Biodiesel can be produced from non-edible seed oils or used edible oil sources by a transesterification reaction. Biodiesel feedstock differ according to geographic location, therefore, it is essential to optimise the biodiesel production process at least in pilot scale for each source to obtain highest biodiesel yield to be used for domestic purpose. In the present study, biodiesel was produced from non-edible Pongamia seed oil and Waste Cooking Oil separately using the 50 L capacity pilot scale reactor. The crucial reaction parameters such as catalyst (NaOH) concentration, alcohol (Methanol) volume and reaction time were optimised through Box-Behnken Design (BBD) approach to maximise the biodiesel yield. In the optimised pilot study, the biodiesel yield of 89.1% from Pongamia oil and 96% from Waste Cooking Oil sources were obtained. Also, the biodiesels produced by pilot scale met the requisite quality standards of ASTM, EU and India

An optogenetic tool for the activation of endogenous diaphanous-related formins induces thickening of stress fibers without an increase in contractility: Photo-activation of Diaphanous-related Formins

We have developed an optogenetic technique for the activation of diaphanous related formins. Our approach is based on fusion of the Light-Oxygen-Voltage 2 domain of Avena sativa Phototrophin1 to an isolated Diaphanous Autoregulatory Domain from mDia1. This “caged” diaphanous autoregulatory domain was inactive in the dark, but in the presence of blue light rapidly activated endogenous diaphanous related formins. Using an F-actin reporter we observed filopodia and lamellipodia formation as well as a steady increase in F-actin along existing stress fibers, starting within minutes of photo-activation. Interestingly, we did not observe the formation of new stress fibers. Remarkably, a 1.9 fold increase in F-actin was not paralleled by an increase in myosin II along stress fibers and the amount of tension generated by the fibers, as judged by focal adhesion size, appeared unchanged. Our results suggest a decoupling between F-actin accumulation and contractility in stress fibers and demonstrate the utility of photoactivatable diaphanous autoregulatory domain for the study of diaphanous related formin function in cells