Dyeing of silk using Madhuca longifolia as natural dye source

The dried leaves of Madhuca longifolia has been evaluated for their potential as a source for natural dyeing of silk. Dye has been extracted under optimum conditions such as extraction pH (10), time (60 min) and temperature (95̊°C). The extracted dye has been applied on the silk fabrics and a range of shades are obtained using different methods with or without using mordants. It is found that mordants have a significant effect on the color of dyed silk fabrics. The dyed samples have been evaluated for color measurements and standard wash, light and rub fastness tests. The extracted dye is also tested for some of the eco-parameters using atomic absorption spectrophotometry and GC/MS. The test results are compared with set standards to determine the eco-friendliness of natural dye. Their concentrations are found to be lower than the stipulated limits. The dyed samples are also tested for antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The dyed silk fabrics show acceptable fastness properties and are found to possess antibacterial activity. The results show that Madhuca longifolia leaves are promising as a natural colorant, which would, in turn, pave the way for the discovery of a new range of environment-friendly dyes for textile materials

Studies on the cytokinins in fruits I. Occurrence and levels of cytokinin-like substances in grape berries at different developmental stages

The occurrence and levels of cytokinin-like substances in the berries of Bangalore Blue grapes were studied at different stages of growth. The concentration of cytokinins was maximum cluring anthesis ancl the first rapid growth period. The level of cytokinins cleclined markedly cluring the lag and subsequent rapid growth phase. Two growth promoting zones were cletectecl by soybean callus bioassay in the thin layer chromatographs of berry extracts, at all stages of sampling. Although the identity of cytokinin-like substances has not been establishecl, the present study supports the hypothesis that besides auxins, gibberellins, abscisic acid and ethylene, cytokinins are also involvecl in the growth and development of grape berries.Untersuchungen über die Cytokinine in FrüchtenI. Vorkommen und Gehalt cytokininartiger Substanzen in Traubenbeeren verschiedenen EntwicklungszustandesIn verschiedenen Entwicklungsstadien der Beeren von Bangalore Blue wurden das Auftreten und die Menge cytokininartiger Substanzen untersucht. Die Cytokininkonzentration war während der Anthese und der ersten Phase raschen Wachstums am höchsten. Während der anschließenden Phase verlangsamten Wachstums und der darauf folgenden Phase erneuten starken Wachstums fiel die Cytokininkonzentration deutlich ab. Mit Hilfe des Sojabohnenkallus-Tests wurden auf den Dünnschichtchromatogrammen von Beerenextrakten aller Entwicklungsstadien zwei wachstumsfördernde Zonen nachgewiesen. Obgleich die cytokininartigen Substanzen nicht identifiziert wurden, wird durch die vorliegende Untersuchung doch die Hypothese gestützt, daß neben Auxinen, Gibberellinen, Abscisinsäure und Äthylen auch Cytokinine in das Wachstums- und Entwicklungsgeschehen der Traubenbeeren eingeschaltet sind

8-(2-Chloro­phen­yl)-1-(4-chloro­phen­yl)-4-[(E)-(2-chloro­phen­yl)methyl­idene]-6-methyl-4,5,6,7,7a,8-hexa­hydro-1,2,4-oxadiazolo[5,4-d]pyrido[3,4-c][1,5]benzothia­zepine

In the title compound, C33H26Cl3N3OS, the oxadiazole, piperidine and benzothia­pezine rings adopt envelope, chair and twist-boat conformations, respectively. In the crystal, the mol­ecular aggregation is characterized by chains of centrosymmetrically related pairs connected through Cl⋯Cl inter­actions [3.533 (2) Å], extending parallel to (202)

Crystal structure of [4-(2-methoxyphenyl)-3-methyl-1-phenyl-6-trifluoromethyl-1H-pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridin-5-yl](thiophen-2-yl)methanone

The title compound, C[subscript 26]H[subscript 18]F[subscript 3]N[subscript 3]O[subscript 2]S, a 2-meth­oxy-substituted derivative, is closely related to its 4-methyl- and 4-chloro-substituted analogues and yet displays no structural relationships with them. The thio­phene ring is disorder free and the -CF[subscript 3] group exhibits disorder, respectively, in contrast and similar to that observed in the 4-methyl- and 4-chloro-substituted derivatives. The torsion angle which defines the twist of the thio­phene ring is -69.6 (2)° (gauche) in the title compound, whereas it is anti­clinal in the 4-methyl- and 4-chloro-substituted derivatives, with respective values of 99.9 (2) and 99.3 (2)°. The absence of disorder in the thio­phene ring facilitates one of its ring C atoms to participate in the lone inter­molecular C-H...O hydrogen bond present in the crystal, leading to a characteristic C(5) chain graph-set motif linking mol­ecules related through glides along [010]. An intra­moleculr C-H...N hydrogen bond also occurs

Intrauterine insemination: a retrospective review on determinants of success

Background: To determine the prognostic factors such as female patient’s characteristics and of semen parameters on the pregnancy rate following intrauterine inseminationMethods: This study was done at Assisted Reproduction Centre, KLE’s Hospital and Medical Research Centre, Belgaum, India between June 2011 to May 2012. A total of 264 IUI cycles in which clomiphene citrate with or without human menopausal gonadotropin was used for ovarian stimulation were analysed retrospectively to identify prognostic factors regarding treatment outcome.Results: In this study the pregnancy rate was 17.25%. The logistic regression analysis of variables showed that number of follicles and total IUI cycles were significantly associated with success rate but age of the couple, duration of infertility, endometrial thickness, size of the follicles, sperm count and sperm motility did not show significant differences between pregnant and non pregnant women.Conclusions: The findings of this study showed that age of the couple, duration of infertility, endometrial thickness, size of the follicles, sperm count and sperm motility did not correlate with pregnancy occurrence in an IUI cycle but number of follicles and total IUI cycles correlated with the occurrence of pregnancy.

Generalized symmetric nonextensive thermostatistics and q-modified structures

We formulate a convenient generalization of the q-expectation value, based on the analogy of the symmetric quantum groups and q-calculus, and show that the q->q^{-1} symmetric nonextensive entropy preserves all of the mathematical structure of thermodynamics just as in the case of non-symmetric Tsallis statistics. Basic properties and analogies with quantum groups are discussed.Comment: 9 pages, 1 figure. To appear in Mod. Phys. Lett.

Effect of Hypocaloric Stress on Body and Tissue Composition of Rats K

Rats fed ad libitum, a ration comprising fresh foods (F ration) for 10 days, were switched over to another ration consisting of processed foods (P ration) for a similar period. Thereafter, the animals were subjected to a 50 per cent diet restriction for a period of 10 days and rehabilitated either on F ration or P ration for an equal period. The results showed a decline in growth rate, food consumption and food efficiency ratio in the group fed ad libitum on P ration compared to that on F ration. Fifty per cent diet, restriction induced loss of body weight due to depletion of body fat. A fall in the gross weight of liver,kidney and epididymal fat pad along with a reduction in the contentsof lipid in liver and fat pad were also observed. Refeeding ofdiet-restricted rats induced hyperphagia and super-normal weight gainwith both rations. The data on liver triglycerides appeared to show anage-related rise which could be controlled by diet restriction to someextent. Feeding of P ration tended to predisperse to higher adiposetissue cholesterol attributable to higher fat content of this ration

No Eigenvalue in Finite Quantum Electrodynamics

We re-examine Quantum Electrodynamics (QED) with massless electron as a finite quantum field theory as advocated by Gell-Mann-Low, Baker-Johnson, Adler, Jackiw and others. We analyze the Dyson-Schwinger equation satisfied by the massless electron in finite QED and conclude that the theory admits no nontrivial eigenvalue for the fine structure constant.Comment: 13 pages, Late