Effect of mutation on seed coat colour in groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.)

The seed material of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) variety namely TAG-24, is used in the present study. The mutagenized population showed significantly higher variability in the M2 and M3 generation. Mutation affecting seed coat colour were detected in M3 generation. Highest mutation frequency was induced by15 kR of gamma rays. The seed coat colour mutant showed diverse shades of colour

Synthesis and Characterisation of Bis-azido Methyl Oxetane and its Polymer and Copolymer with Tetrahydrofuran

Bis-azido methyl oxetane (BAMO) was synthesised from pentaerythritol in two steps. Pentaerythritol was chlorinated to yield a mixture of mono, di, tri and tetra chloro compounds. The trichloro compound on ring closure gives bis-chloro methyl oxetane (BCMO). It was reacted with sodium azide in aqueous medium to obtain BAMO. The latter was polymerised using BF3 etherate catalyst and 1,4-butanediol initiator. Similarly, the BAMO- THF copolymer was also synthesised. All the monomers and polymers were characterised by IR, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, and refractive index. The polymers were also characterised for molecular weight, hydroxyl value, etc. Thermal analysis showed that both polymers degrade exothermically with T max of 237 °C for poly BAMO and 241°C for BAMO- THF copolymer with activation energy of 39 kcal/mol and 40 kcal/mol, respectively. Explosive properties like impact and friction sensitivity of BAMO and the other polymers were also determined

Synthesis and Characterisation of Bis-(chloromethyl) Oxetane, its Homopolymer and Copolymer with Tetrahydrofuran

Bis-(chloromethyl) oxetane (BCMO) was synthesised from pentaerythritol by chlorination,followed by ring closure. It was polymerised using BF3-etherate and butanediol system, similarlythe BCMO–THF (tetrahydrofuran) copolymer was also synthesised. The monomers and thepolymers were characterised by IR, 1H-NMR and molecular weight. Flame retardant propertiesof the poly-BCMO were also investigated

Screening of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) genotypes for resistance to gram pod borer, Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner) and its relationship with malic acid in leaf exudates

Forty desi (local) early maturity chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) genotypes were screened for resistance to gram pod borer, Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner), under natural field conditions. ICC 506 exhibited 8% pod damage and harboured 10 larvae on 10 plants and was designated as least susceptible, whereas ICC 14665 showed 41.8% pod damage and 26 larvae on 10 plants and categorized as most susceptible. A low amount of acidity in the leaf exudates (21.1 and 41.9 meq./100 gm) of genotype (ICC 14665) was found to be associated with susceptibility to H. armigera, 60 and 75 days afer sowing. However, such a trend was not evident 90 days after sowing

Hydrogen peroxide and lime based oxidative pretreatment of wood waste to enhance enzymatic hydrolysis for a biorefinery: Process parameters optimization using response surface methodology

Response surface methodology (RSM) was adopted for the optimization of process variables in the alkaline peroxide oxidation (APO) pretreatment of Vitellaria paradoxa sawdust based on central composite design (CCD) experiments. A 23 five level CCD with central and axial points was used to develop a statistical model for the optimization of process variables. Maximum response for the pretreatment was obtained when applying the optimum values for temperature (150 �C), time (45 min), and 1% (v/v) H2O2. At the optimum conditions, up to 70% of the initial hemicellulose was removed in treatments, which also caused some delignification (up to 11% of the initial lignin was removed), whereas cellulose was almost quantitatively retained in the solid phase. Alkaline peroxide assisted wet air oxidation (APAWAO) pretreatment at the optimum conditions resulted in enrichment up to 60% cellulose content along with solubilization of 80% hemicellulose and 17% of lignin initially present in the raw sawdust. Reducing sugars yield after 72 h enzymatic hydrolysis of pretreated biomass at optimized APO conditions was 177.89 mg equivalent glucose g�1 dry biomass. Addition of 10 bar air pressure at the optimized pretreatment conditions increased the sugars yield to 263.49 mg equivalent glucose g�1 dry biomass

Formulation and in vitro evaluation of fast dissolving tablets of metoprolol tartrate

The demand for fast dissolving tablets has been growing during the last decade, especially for elderly and children who have swallowing difficulties. In the present work, fast dissolving tablets of metoprolol tartrate, were prepared using sodium starch glycolate, sodium croscarmellose and crospovidone as superdisintegrants, by the direct compression method. The tablets prepared were evaluated for various parameters including weight variation, hardness, friability, in vitro dispersion time, drug-polymer interaction, drug content water absorption ratio, wetting time, in vitro drug release, FTIR and DSC studies. The tablets prepared by the direct compression method had a weight variation in the range of 145 mg to 152 mg, which is below ± 7.5%, a hardness of 3.6 kg/cm² to 4.5 kg/cm², percentage friability of 0.46% to 0.73%, in vitro dispersion time of 18 s to 125 s, drug content uniformity of between 98.12% and 100.03%, a water absorption ratio of 67% to 87%, wetting time of 32 sec. to 64 sec., and an in vitro drug release of 53.92% - 98.82% within 15 min. The IR spectral analysis and DSC study showed no drug interaction with formulation additives of the tablet, and the formulations indicated no significant changes in hardness, friability, drug content or in vitro drug release. Fast dissolving tablets of metoprolol tartrate have enhanced dissolution and will lead to improved bioavailability and more effective therapy

Fast fluorescence microscopy for imaging the dynamics of embryonic development

Live imaging has gained a pivotal role in developmental biology since it increasingly allows real-time observation of cell behavior in intact organisms. Microscopes that can capture the dynamics of ever-faster biological events, fluorescent markers optimal for in vivo imaging, and, finally, adapted reconstruction and analysis programs to complete data flow all contribute to this success. Focusing on temporal resolution, we discuss how fast imaging can be achieved with minimal prejudice to spatial resolution, photon count, or to reliably and automatically analyze images. In particular, we show how integrated approaches to imaging that combine bright fluorescent probes, fast microscopes, and custom post-processing techniques can address the kinetics of biological systems at multiple scales. Finally, we discuss remaining challenges and opportunities for further advances in this field

Variety AHB 1269Fe (MH 2185)

Pearl millet Varietal Identification Committee in its annual meet on 22nd-24th March, 2018, during the 53rd Annual Pearl Millet Workshop at ARS, Jodhpur, identified MH 2185 as “biofortified pearl millet hybrid AHB 1269Fe” for its high grain Fe combined with high grain and stover yield. MH 2185 is a cross between male-sterile line ICMA1 98222 (female parent) and restorer AUBI 1105 (male parent). The line ICMA1 98222 is based on A1 source of cytoplasmic malesterility developed at ICRISAT, Patancheru. Hybrid MH 2185 was tested in the All India Coordinated Pearl Millet Improvement Project (AICRP-PM) trials during 2015-2017 seasons at 36 locations (12 locations each in 2015, 13 locations in 2016 and 11 locations in 2017) together with 6 controls, 86M86, 86M01, MPMH 17, HHB-67 Improved, Pratap, and Dhanashakti. While the first five controls are commercially released highyielding hybrid cultivars, Dhanashakti is an improved version of open pollinated variety (OPV) ICTP8203 with high grain Fe (71 ppm). AHB 1269Fe hybrid was jointly developed and sponsored to AICRP-PM for evaluation by National Agriculture Research Project Aurangabad, Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Krishi Vidyapeeth, Parbhani and International Crops Research Institute for Semi-Aric Tropics (ICRISAT), Patancheru, India

Altered Neurocircuitry in the Dopamine Transporter Knockout Mouse Brain

The plasma membrane transporters for the monoamine neurotransmitters dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine modulate the dynamics of these monoamine neurotransmitters. Thus, activity of these transporters has significant consequences for monoamine activity throughout the brain and for a number of neurological and psychiatric disorders. Gene knockout (KO) mice that reduce or eliminate expression of each of these monoamine transporters have provided a wealth of new information about the function of these proteins at molecular, physiological and behavioral levels. In the present work we use the unique properties of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to probe the effects of altered dopaminergic dynamics on meso-scale neuronal circuitry and overall brain morphology, since changes at these levels of organization might help to account for some of the extensive pharmacological and behavioral differences observed in dopamine transporter (DAT) KO mice. Despite the smaller size of these animals, voxel-wise statistical comparison of high resolution structural MR images indicated little morphological change as a consequence of DAT KO. Likewise, proton magnetic resonance spectra recorded in the striatum indicated no significant changes in detectable metabolite concentrations between DAT KO and wild-type (WT) mice. In contrast, alterations in the circuitry from the prefrontal cortex to the mesocortical limbic system, an important brain component intimately tied to function of mesolimbic/mesocortical dopamine reward pathways, were revealed by manganese-enhanced MRI (MEMRI). Analysis of co-registered MEMRI images taken over the 26 hours after introduction of Mn^(2+) into the prefrontal cortex indicated that DAT KO mice have a truncated Mn^(2+) distribution within this circuitry with little accumulation beyond the thalamus or contralateral to the injection site. By contrast, WT littermates exhibit Mn^(2+) transport into more posterior midbrain nuclei and contralateral mesolimbic structures at 26 hr post-injection. Thus, DAT KO mice appear, at this level of anatomic resolution, to have preserved cortico-striatal-thalamic connectivity but diminished robustness of reward-modulating circuitry distal to the thalamus. This is in contradistinction to the state of this circuitry in serotonin transporter KO mice where we observed more robust connectivity in more posterior brain regions using methods identical to those employed here

Hsp104-Dependent Remodeling of Prion Complexes Mediates Protein-Only Inheritance

Inheritance of phenotypic traits depends on two key events: replication of the determinant of that trait and partitioning of these copies between mother and daughter cells. Although these processes are well understood for nucleic acid–based genes, the mechanisms by which protein-only or prion-based genetic elements direct phenotypic inheritance are poorly understood. Here, we report a process crucial for inheritance of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae prion [PSI(+)], a self-replicating conformer of the Sup35 protein. By tightly controlling expression of a Sup35-GFP fusion, we directly observe remodeling of existing Sup35([PSI+]) complexes in vivo. This dynamic change in Sup35([PSI+]) is lost when the molecular chaperone Hsp104, a factor essential for propagation of all yeast prions, is functionally impaired. The loss of Sup35([PSI+]) remodeling by Hsp104 decreases the mobility of these complexes in the cytosol, creates a segregation bias that limits their transmission to daughter cells, and consequently diminishes the efficiency of conversion of newly made Sup35 to the prion form. Our observations resolve several seemingly conflicting reports on the mechanism of Hsp104 action and point to a single Hsp104-dependent event in prion propagation