UVand visibly active photocatalysts forwater splitting reaction

UV and visibly active photocatalytic materials based on zeolites have been designed, wherein, a hybrid photocatalytic material comprising charge transfer complex namely, heteropolyacid, a semiconductor and transition metal have been incorporated in the zeolite matrix to facilitate its usage for photoreduction of water to hydrogen. The photocatalytic materials synthesized using zeolite, TiO2 and heteropolyacid (HPA) are active in the UV range and the hydrogen yield works out to be 3000 �mol/h/g of TiO2 catalyst in UV range, which is quite low as compared to that reported in literature. The photocatalytic materials developed by incorporation of HPA, TiO2 and Co+2 are visibly active and are performing well as compared to reported materials in terms of their photoreduction properties and show potential for water splitting reaction in visible light. The maximum hydrogen yield works out to be 2304.9 �mol//h/g of TiO2 in visible range which is substantially high as compared to other reported values for supported TiO2 based photocatalytic materials

"Antifungal Activity of Various Extracts of Blumea lacera (Burm.f.) DC. Against Different Aspergillus Species"

Blumea lacera of Asteraceae is widely distributed in India. It has anthelminitic, parasiticidal and insecticidal property. It is also used as analgesic, diuretic and diaphoretic. Aspergillus niger causes Aspergillosis. It also causes root diseases in fruits and spoils bread, jams and pickles etc. A. flavus and A. parasiticus produce mycotoxins, which is detrimental to human beings.Aflatoxin is demonstrated to be carcinogenic, hepatotoxic, teratogenic and imunosupperesive. Ethanol, methanol and distilled water hot extracts of leaves were investigated for their antifungal activity. The growth inhibition was determined using food poisoning method against different Aspergillus species. Over all, ethanolic extract of leaves showed more antifungal activity than methnolic and distilled water extract. A. parasiticus was more sensitive followed by A. niger, whereas A. flavus was resistant to ethanolic extract. A. niger was more sensitive to methonolic extract followed by A. parasiticus and A. flavus. A. parasiticus was resistant, whereas all other selected Aspergillus species were sensitive to distilled water extract. Standard antifungal agent was more active than all extracts tried

Penicillamine-induced elastosis perforans serpiginosa with abnormal "lumpy-bumpy" elastic fibers in lesional and non-lesional skin

Four types of elastosis perforans serpiginosa (EPS) have been described in literature: 1) idiopathic EPS, 2) reactive perforating elastosis associated with connective tissue disorders, 3) in some instances of pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE), disease-specific calcified elastic tissue is extruded, producing a clinical picture indistinguishable from other types, may also be seen in patients undergoing hemodialysis and 4) EPS induced by long-term treatment with D-penicillamine is observed in patients suffering from Wilson′s disease. Long term D-penicillamine therapy causes an alteration in the dermal elastic tissue. D-penicillamine induced EPS has a distinctive histopathologic feature - serrated appearance of elastic fibers due to perpendicular budding from their surface giving a "lumpy-bumpy" look. D-penicillamine induced elastic fiber alteration may not always manifest clinically as EPS. We report a case of D-penicillamine induced widespread alteration in skin elastic tissue with distinct histopathologic features

Study of the formation of perovskite type lanthanum ruthenates by heating their hydrous precursor

Emanation thermal analysis (ETA), differential thermal analysis (DTA), thermogravimetry (TG), evolved gas analysis with mass spectrometric detection (EGA-MS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to investigate the formation of perovskite type lanthanum ruthenates on heating their hydroxide precursor in argon from 20 to 1200 ◦C. The co-precipitated lanthanum–ruthenium mixed hydroxide containing a small amount of carbonates was used as a precursor. The mass loss corresponding to the release of water and CO2 from the precursor was determined by TG and EGA (MS), respectively. The ETA characterized the exposure of sample surface after release of water and CO2, as well as microstructure development corresponding to the crystallization and structure ordering of LaRuO3 and La3.5Ru4.0O13 perovskite phases. The obtained information on formation of phases and their transformation is useful for optimizing their synthesis protocols for achieving the desired physical properties, and to estimate the thermal stability of these materials to be used as catalysts