Copper modified iron oxide as heterogeneous photo-Fenton reagent for the degradation of coomasie brilliant blue R-250

943-948The heterogeneous photo-Fenton degradation of coomasie brilliant blue R–250 under visible light has been investigated using copper modified iron oxide, which has been prepared by coprecipitation method and characterized by IR spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The rate of photocatalytic degradation of dye follows pseudo-first order kinetics. The effects of various parameters like pH, concentration of dye, amount of photocatalyst, amount of H2O2 and light intensity on the rate of the photo-Fenton degradation has also been studied. Chemical oxygen demand of the reaction mixture before and after exposure has been determined. A tentative mechanism for the photocatalytic degradation has been proposed, wherein involvement of •OH radicals has been confirmed by the drastic reduction in the reaction rate in the presence of •OH radical scavengers such as isopropanol and butylated hydroxy toluene. The retardation with butylated hydroxy toluene is much higher than with isopropanol. Under similar conditions, efficiencies of Fe2O3 and copper modified Fe2O3 have been compared for the photocatalytic degradation of coomasie brilliant blue R-250

Superparamagnetic behaviour of nano-particles of Ni-Cu ferrite

169-172The nano-particles of Ni0.8Cu0.2Fe2O4 with a log-normal size distribution of the median diameter of 9 nm and standard deviation of 0.60 have been synthesized by the chemical co-precipitation method followed by annealing at 500°C. The cubic spinel structure in single phase has been confirmed by X-ray diffraction. Reduction in saturation magnetization has been explained on the basis that the magnetic moments in the surface layers, outside the core are in a state of frozen disorder. The dc magnetization is measured which show that the nano-particle sample is super-paramagnetic above the blocking temperature of 250 K. Secondly, the departure of fc curve from the zfc curve is suggestive of temporal relaxation

Degradation of Sunset Yellow FCF using copper loaded bentonite and H2O2 as photo-Fenton like reagent

In the present work, photo-Fenton degradation of Sunset Yellow FCF under visible light was carried out by using copper loaded bentonite and hydrogen peroxide. The photocatalyst was prepared by loading copper ions on bentonite by wet impregnation method. The rate of photocatalytic degradation of dye was measured spectrophotometrically by measuring absorbance of the reaction mixture at regular time intervals. The effect of various parameters such as pH, concentration of dye, amount of photocatalyst, amount of H2O2 and light intensity on the reaction rate has also been studied. Characterization of photocatalyst has been done by IR spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) of the reaction mixture has been determined before and after treatment. A tentative mechanism involving ·≡OH radical as an oxidant for degradation of dye has also been proposed. Involvement of ·≡OH radicals as an active oxidizing agent has been confirmed by using isopropanol and butylated hydroxy toluene (BHT) as radical scavengers. It has been observed that the rate of reaction is drastically reduced in the presence of these scavengers. The rate of reaction is much retarded by using BHT as compared with isopropanol

An intronic DNA sequence within the mouse Neuronatin gene exhibits biochemical characteristics of an ICR and acts as a transcriptional activator in Drosophila

Imprinting control regions (ICRs) are domains within imprinted loci that are essential for their establishment and maintenance. Imprinted loci can extend over several megabases, encompass both maternally and paternally-expressed genes and exhibit multiple and complex epigenetic modifications including large regions of allele-specific DNA methylation. Differential chromatin organisation has also been observed within imprinted loci but is restricted to the ICRs. In this study we report the identification of a novel imprinting control region for the mouse Neuronatin gene. This biochemically defined putative ICR, present within its 250 bp second intron, functions as transcriptional activator in Drosophila. This is unlike other known ICRs which have been shown to function as transcriptional silencers. Furthermore, at the endogenous locus, the activating signal from the ICR extends to the Neuronatin promoter via allele-specific unidirectional nucleosomal positioning. Our results support the proposal that the Neuronatin locus employs the most basic mechanism for establishing allele-specific gene expression and could provide the foundation for the multiplex arrangements reported at more complex loci

Study design and rationale for ELPIS: A phase I/IIb randomized pilot study of allogeneic human mesenchymal stem cell injection in patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome

Despite advances in surgical technique and postoperative care, long-term survival of children born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) remains limited, with cardiac transplantation as the only alternative for patients with failing single ventricle circulations. Maintenance of systemic right ventricular function is crucial for long-term survival, and interventions that improve ventricular function and avoid or defer transplantation in patients with HLHS are urgently needed. We hypothesize that the young myocardium of the HLHS patient is responsive to the biological cues delivered by bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to improve and preserve right ventricle function. The ELPIS trial (Allogeneic Human MEsenchymal Stem Cell Injection in Patients with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome: An Open Label Pilot Study) is a phase I/IIb trial designed to test whether MSC injection will be both safe and feasible by monitoring the first 10 HLHS patients for new major adverse cardiac events. If our toxicity stopping rule is not activated, we will proceed to the phase IIb component of our study where we will test our efficacy hypothesis that MSC injection improves cardiac function compared with surgery alone. Twenty patients will be enrolled in a randomized phase II trial with a uniform allocation to MSC injection versus standard surgical care (no injection). The 2 trial arms will be compared with respect to improvement of right ventricular function, tricuspid valve annulus size, and regurgitation determined by cardiac magnetic resonance and reduced mortality, morbidity, and need for transplantation. This study will establish the safety and feasibility of allogeneic mesenchymal stem cell injection in HLHS patients and provide important insights in the emerging field of stem cell-based therapy for congenital heart disease patients

बहुजन साहित्य की प्रस्तावना

International audienceThis book was originally published in Hindi with the title 'Bahujan Sahitya ki Prastavan" [Introduction to Bahujan Literature] in the year 2016. Its English translation was also published in the same year.This book presents a discussion on the concept of Bahujan literature in Hindi and Indian languages. On the one hand, this book monitors the changes taking place in Hindi literature, on the other hand, outlines the basic elements of the new debate that started in the field of literature in relation to the changing social and political scenarios after the implementation of the Mandal Commission. In today's Indian perspective, the Bahujan sections are – Other Backward Classes, Scheduled Tribes, Scheduled Castes, Denotified Nomadic Castes, Pasmanda Minorities and Women. The concept of Bahujan literature sees similarity in all these sufferings and finds the causes of their exploitation more or less similar. This book is as important for the researchers of literature as it is for the conscious people who aspire to understand the literary perspective and also for those who consider themselves a part of the Bahujan community. This book answers all the questions related to Bahujan discourse.यह पुस्तक मूल रूप से हिंदी में वर्ष 2016 में 'बहुजन साहित्य की प्रस्तावना' शीर्षक से प्रकाशित हुई थी। उसका यह अंग्रेजी अनुवाद भी उसी वर्ष प्रकाशित हुआ था।यह किताब हिन्दी और भारतीय भाषाओं में बहुजन साहित्य की अवधारणा पर विमर्श प्रस्तुत करती है। एक ओर यह किताब हिंदी साहित्य में हो रहे बदलावों पर नजर रखती है दूसरी ओर मंडल कमीशन के लागू होने के बाद बदल रहे समाज व राजनीतिक परिदृश्यों के सापेक्ष साहित्य के क्षेत्र में शुरू हुई नई बहस के बुनियादी तत्वों को रेखांकित भी करती है। आज के भारतीय परिप्रेक्ष्य में बहुजन तबके हैं- अन्य पिछड़ा वर्ग, अनुसूचित जनजातियां, अनुसूचित जातियां, विमुक्त घूमंतू जातियां, पसमांदा अल्पसंख्यक व स्त्रियां । बहुजन साहित्य की अवधारणा इन सभी की पीड़ाओं में समानता देखती है तथा इनके शोषण के कारणों को कमोबेश समान पाती है। यह किताब साहित्य के शोधार्थियों के लिए जितना महत्वपूर्ण है, उतना ही साहित्यिक नजरिए को समझने की आकंक्षा रखने वाले जागरूक लोगों के लिए भी और उनके लिए भी जो स्वयं को बहुजन का हिस्सा मानते हैं। फिर चाहे वे सामाजिक कार्यकर्ता हों या फिर राजनेता। बहुजन विमर्श से जुड‍़े सभी सवालों का यह किताब उत्तर देती है