Effect of chelating agents on phytoextraction of Ni from contaminated Soil by Zea mays

The effects of application of CDTA, (CA), DTPA, NTA and FYM on the growth of Zea mays and its Ni uptake and accumulation were investigated using the pot-culture experiments. Application of chelating agents decreased the dry matter yield of roots of Zea mays while, higher values of dry matter yield (11.35 g pot-1) was observedin case of FYM sewage sludge amended soil at 80 days after sowing. FYM addition was found beneficial as compared to control (Ni90). Dry matter yield of shoots of Zea mays increased over control due to application of CDTA and FYM. The highest value of dry matter yield of shoot (86.05 g pot-1) was observed in case of CDTA withsewage sludge amended soil at 80 days after sowing. Whereas reverse trend was observed in NTA, CA and DTPA treated soils. Chelating agents enhanced the Ni uptake by both roots and shoots, higher values of Ni uptake by roots (3415.44 ?g pot-1 ) and shoots (10104.98 ?g pot-1 ) Was observed in NTA and CDTA treated soil after 80 days of sowing in amended as compared to sewage sludge unamended soil. Application of CDTA followed by NTA was found more effective in enhancing the Ni uptake by Zea mays roots and shoots than any other chelating agents at both the growth stages. The chelating agents are found useful in enhancing phytoextractability of Ni by Zea mays. Hence, marginally Ni contaminated soil may be remediated by adding chelating agents

Ramanujan-style congruences for prime level

We establish Ramanujan-style congruences modulo certain primes ℓ between an Eisenstein series of weight k, prime level p and a cuspidal newform in the ε-eigenspace of the Atkin–Lehner operator inside the space of cusp forms of weight k for Γ0(p). Under a mild assumption, this refines a result of Gaba–Popa. We use these congruences and recent work of Ciolan, Languasco and the third author on Euler–Kronecker constants, to quantify the non-divisibility of the Fourier coefficients involved by ℓ. The degree of the number field generated by these coefficients we investigate using recent results on prime factors of shifted prime numbers

Development of fragrant microcapsules for woven cotton fabric

A consumer-oriented twenty first century challenges garment and fabric producers to come up with innovations which result from the technological advancements to not only help in strengthening the existing product line but also to diversify and flourish in new areas. Many fragrant fabrics have been developed nowadays due to the reason of enjoying a healthy life style, and these novel products often possess additional functionalities which are good for human health. Not only does plant essential oil give off a pleasant smell but also the functions of antiseptic, antiphlogistic and emotional calming. In the present study, microencapsulation of geranium oil was carried out on cotton woven fabric. Geranium oil was selected as the core material and gum acacia as wall material for encapsulation using complex coacervation technique and ratio of 1:4:4 of oil, gum and gelatin, at a temperature of 50°C with initial and final pH 4.5 and 9.0 respectively was optimized for microencapsulation process. Microencapsulation helped in controlling the release rate of aroma and imparted durable fragrance finish on textile

Host range of Phellinus sensu lato in India: An overview

Phellinus Quel. is a member of family Hymenochaetaceae of the order Hymenochaetales. This genus comprises wood-inhabiting, saprophytic and parasitic species. Species of Phellinus sensu lato are known to have large host range and cause white rot of various types to live standing or dead trees from all over the world. The current study is based on a thorough study of literature to document the host range of Phellinus species from India. The study indicated that one hundred and seventy four plant species from 51 families are found to be infected by Phellinus species. The families found to be the most affected are Fabaceae, Combretaceae, Meliaceae, Dipterocarpaceae, Anacardiaceae, Myrtaceae, Meliaceae, Lauraceae, Fagaceae, Rosaceae.  Many plant (tree) species are affected by Phellinus; this establishes it as a potential pathogen and wood decay fungi. The present study also reports Phellinus from almost all over India and every climatic zones. This indicated the high tolerance and acclimatization of Phellinus towards diverse climatic conditions. The most affected host is Artocarpus followed by Terminalia and Acacia. Although the study reports Phellinus from diverse climatic zones of India, the most affected families and genera are from moist tropical conditions. This indicates that Phellinus has vigorous activity in warm and moist areas and affects diverse plant/tree species in these areas like Maharashtra and Kerala. The states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telengana, Union Territories, Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland are still left to be explored. The present study has key significance in biodiversity, medicinal as well as the pathogenic study of Phellinus. It provides an overall host range of genus Phellinus, confirming its vast host diversity. The information could further be used in disease, biodiversity and plant pathological assessments

Diversity, indigenous uses and traditional practices of dye yielding plants in Central Himachal Pradesh, North western Himalaya

The present paper is an attempt to assess the diversity and document the indigenous uses and traditional practices of dyeyielding plants in Central Himachal Pradesh North Western Himalaya. A total of 17 species of dye yielding plants belongingto 13 families and 17 genera were recorded. These species are used to dyeing clothes and other items. Different plant partswere utilized, of which fruit (07 spp.) was used in the majority, followed by flowers (05 spp.); bark (04 spp.) and leaves(03 spp.) Information on indigenous uses and traditional practices was documented with the help of local inhabitants.Natural dye yielding plants have immense significance in the socio-economic and socio-cultural aspects of the inhabitants.The indigenous knowledge of extractions, processing and practices of in situ and ex situ conservation of the species; naturaldyes has declined to a great extent. Therefore, to maintain dye yielding plant wealth, awareness among the inhabitants;involvement of local inhabitants and Forest Department about the indigenous uses and traditional practices havebeen suggested

Age at Menarche and Menstrual Problems Among School‑Going Adolescent Girls of a North Indian District

Background: Menstruation and related problems are difficult issues for adolescent girls and are a common reason for consulting healthcare providers.Objectives: To study age at menarche and menstrual problems among school girls in Lucknow district of north India.Materials and Methods: A cross‑sectional study was carried out in urban as well as rural schools of Lucknow district from October 2008 to September 2009. Multistage random sampling was used to select the requisite number of girls. A total of 847 school‑going adolescent girls between 10 and 19 years of age were interviewed and examined. Statistical analyses were done using percentage and Chi‑square test. Results: Out of 847 adolescent girls, 76.7% (650) girls had attained menarche. The overall mean age at menarche was 12.84 (1.4) years. The age at menarche and duration of menstrual flow were significantly associated with place of schools. About one‑fourth of the girls in all the three age groups (10‑13, 14‑16 and 17‑19 years) had irregular menstrual cycle. Overall, 73.7% (479/650) girls had dysmenorrhea, with 74.3% (323/435) girls in urban schools and 72.6% (156/215) girls in rural schools. There was no significant association between reproductive tract illnesses and place of schools.Conclusion: Menstruation is an important milestone for adolescent girls and menstrual problems are common among adolescent girls. So, there is a need to explain everything correctly about menstruation. It was suggested that a strong need exists for strong health educational activities among the adolescent girls, their parents, and teachers for effective management of menstrual problems among all adolescent girls. Keywords: Adolescent girls, dysmenorrhea, Lucknow district, menstruatio

Photoprotective and biotechnological potentials of cyanobacterial sheath pigment, scytonemin

Cyanobacteria are the main component of microbial populations fixing atmospheric nitrogen in aquatic as well as terrestrial ecosystems, especially in wetland rice-fields, where they significantly contribute to fertility as natural biofertilizers. Cyanobacteria require solar radiation as their primary source of energy to carry out both photosynthesis and nitrogen fixation. The stratospheric ozone depletion which has resulted in an increase in ultraviolet-B (UV-B; 280 - 315 nm) radiation on earth’s surface has been reported to inhibit a number of photochemical and photobiological processes in cyanobacteria. However, certain cyanobacteria have evolved mechanisms such as synthesis of photoprotective compound scytonemin and their derivatives to counteract the damaging effects of UV-B. In addition this compound has anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative potentials. This review deals with the role of scytonemin as photoprotective compound and its pharmacological as well as biotechnological potentials

Sensitivity Enhancement of a Concave Shaped Optical Fiber Refractive Index Sensor Covered with Multiple Au Nanowires

In the present paper, a new kind of concave shaped refractive index sensor (CSRIS) exploiting localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) is proposed and numerically optimized. The LSPR effect between polaritons and the core guided mode of designed CSRIS is used to enhance the sensing performance. The sensor is characterized for two types of sensing structures coated with gold (Au) film and Au nanowires (AuNWs), respectively. The influence of structural parameters such as the distance (D) of the concave shaped channel (CSC) from the core, the diameter of the nanowire (dn) and the size (s) of the CSC are investigated here. In comparison to Au film, the AuNWs are shown to significantly enhance the sensitivity and the performance of the designed sensor. An enhanced sensitivity of 4471 nm/RIU (refractive index unit) is obtained with AuNWs, for a wide range of analytes refractive index (na) varying between 1.33 to 1.38. However, for conventional Au film; the sensitivity of 808.57 nm/RIU is obtained for the same range of analytes