A highly efficient sensor for europium(III) estimation using a poly(propylene imine) diaminobutane diglycolamide dendrimer as the ionophore:Potentiometric and photoluminescence studies

Multiple-diglycolamide (DGA) based ligands are known as highly promising extractants for the selective and efficient extraction of trivalent lanthanides/actinides from acidic feed solutions and therefore they have a great potential for the low level detection of these metal ions when used as ionophores in a potentiometric sensor. However, their use as ionophores in a potentiometric sensor is not much explored. Here in, we report the potentiometric sensing of Eu(III) ion in acidic medium using three novel multiple DGA-functionalized dendrimers: viz., generation zero (G0), one (G1) and two (G2) poly(propylene imine) diaminobutane dendrimers as ionophores doped in a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) matrix containing 2-nitrophenyl octyl ether (NPOE) as the plasticizer and sodium tetraphenylborate (NaTPB) as the ionic additive. Out of these three dendrimers, the G1 membrane gave very encouraging results and the G2 membrane did not work properly. On the other hand, the G0 membrane showed a narrower linear dynamic range (LDR), and a higher limit of detection (LOD) than the G1 membrane. The membrane with 4.1 % G1, 31.1 % PVC, 62.2 % NPOE, 2.6 % NaTPB exhibited a linear response behaviour from 6.6 × 10-7 M to 1.5 × 10-2 M Eu(III) with a slope of 15.6 ± 0.2 mV/decade and a LOD of 5.0 × 10-7 M. The response time and lifetime of this sensor were found to be &lt; 10 s and more than three months, respectively, and showed reasonably high selectivity with respect to mono- and divalent cations as well as the uranyl ion. All the sensor membranes contained two types of Eu(III) species as seen by luminescence spectroscopy. The sensor efficiency was checked by the ‘spike recovery method’. The G1 membrane sensor was also employed for the potentiometric titration of Eu(III) as an indicator electrode. Both methods showed more than 95 % recovery with excellent matching with the X-ray fluorescence (XRF) results. The sensor can also be used in the estimation of europium ion in a laboratory bearing waste and in a lamp phosphor waste leached which compared well with XRF and inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) results, respectively.</p

In Vitro Evaluation of Ethanolic Extracts of Ageratum conyzoides

In vitro efficacy of ethanolic extracts obtained from the aerial parts of Ageratum conyzoides and Artemisia absinthium was assessed on Rhipicephalus microplus using adult immersion test (AIT). Five concentrations of the extract (1.25%, 2.5%, 5%, 10%, and 20%) with three replications for each concentration were used in the bioassay. In AIT, the maximum mortality was recorded as 40% and 66.7% at 20% concentration for A. conyzoides and A. absinthium, respectively. Acaricidal activity was found to be higher in the extract of A. absinthium with LC50 and LC95 values of 11.2% and 61.7%, respectively. Egg mass weight of the live ticks treated with different concentrations of the extracts was significantly (P<0.05) lower than that of control ticks; consequently, the reproductive index and oviposition values of the treated ticks were reduced significantly (P<0.05). The A. conyzoides inhibited 90% hatching of eggs at the 20% concentration, whereas A. absinthium showed 100% inhibition at 5%, 10%, and 20% concentrations. The results show that A. absinthium has better acaricidal properties than A. conyzoides and could be useful in controlling R. microplus

CURATION AND MANAGEMENT OF CULTURAL HERITAGE THROUGH LIBRARIES

Libraries, museums and archives hold valuable collections in a variety of media, presenting a vast body of knowledge rooted in the history of human civilisation. These form the repository of the wisdom of great works by thinkers of past and the present. The holdings of these institutions are priceless heritage of the mankind as they preserve documents, ideas, and the oral and written records. To value the cultural heritage and to care for it as a treasure bequeathed to us by our ancestors is the major responsibility of libraries. The past records constitute a natural resource and are indispensable to the present generation as well as to the generations to come. Libraries preserve the documentary heritage resources for which they are primarily responsible. Any loss of such materials is simply irreplaceable. Therefore, preserving this intellectual, cultural heritage becomes not only the academic commitment but also the moral responsibility of the librarians/information scientists, who are in charge of these repositories. The high quality of the papers and the discussion represent the thinking and experience of experts in their particular fields. The contributed papers also relate to the methodology used in libraries in Asia to provide access to manuscripts and cultural heritage. The volume discusses best practices in Knowledge preservation and how to collaborate and preserve the culture. The book also deals with manuscript and archives issues in the digital era. The approach of this book is concise, comprehensively, covering all major aspects of preservation and conservation through libraries. The readership of the book is not just limited to library and information science professionals, but also for those involved in conservation, preservation, restoration or other related disciplines. The book will be useful for librarians, archivists and conservators. We thank the Sunan Kalijaga University, Special Libraries Association- Asian Chapter for their trust and their constant support, all the contributors for their submissions, the members of the Local and International Committee for their reviewing effort for making this publication possible

Taking stock of 10 years of published research on the ASHA programme: Examining India’s national community health worker programme from a health systems perspective

Background: As India’s accredited social health activist (ASHA) community health worker (CHW) programme enters its second decade, we take stock of the research undertaken and whether it examines the health systems interfaces required to sustain the programme at scale. Methods: We systematically searched three databases for articles on ASHAs published between 2005 and 2016. Articles that met the inclusion criteria underwent analysis using an inductive CHW–health systems interface framework. Results: A total of 122 academic articles were identified (56 quantitative, 29 mixed methods, 28 qualitative, and 9 commentary or synthesis); 44 articles reported on special interventions and 78 on the routine ASHA program. Findings on special interventions were overwhelmingly positive, with few negative or mixed results. In contrast, 55% of articles on the routine ASHA programme showed mixed findings and 23% negative, with few indicating overall positive findings, reflecting broader system constraints. Over half the articles had a health system perspective, including almost all those on general ASHA work, but only a third of those with a health condition focus. The most extensively researched health systems topics were ASHA performance, training and capacity-building, with very little research done on programme financing and reporting, ASHA grievance redressal or peer communication. Research tended to be descriptive, with fewer influence, explanatory or exploratory articles, and no predictive or emancipatory studies. Indian institutions and authors led and partnered on most of the research, wrote all the critical commentaries, and published more studies with negative results. Conclusion: Published work on ASHAs highlights a range of small-scale innovations, but also showcases the challenges faced by a programme at massive scale, situated in the broader health system. As the programme continues to evolve, critical comparative research that constructively feeds back into programme reforms is needed, particularly related to governance, intersectoral linkages, ASHA solidarity, and community capacity to provide support and oversight

Unique transport behaviour of Am(III)/Eu(III) ions across a supported liquid membrane containing a TREN-based diglycolamide dendrimer ligand

Appropriately functionalized dendrimers are exotic ligands and are expected to give rise to better extraction/transport results than the corresponding monofunctional ones. Diglycolamide- (DGA) based dendrimers and their transport studies are rarely reported. Transport of Am(III) and Eu(III) was studied across a PTFE- (polytetrafluoroethylene) based flat sheet supported liquid membrane containing a tris(2-aminoethyl)amine (TREN) dendrimer ligand containing six DGA pendent arms (termed as TREN-G1-DGA) in 5% isodecanol modified n-dodecane. The transport results were compared with those of the monofunctional ligand TODGA (N,N,N′,N′-tetra-n-octyl diglycolamide). In case of a 5.75 × 10-4 M TREN-G1-DGA solution, Am(III) transport was slower than that of Eu(III) under identical conditions. In case of TREN-G1-DGA the role of acid on the metal ion transport was less important than that while using TODGA as a carrier. However, a nitric acid medium is much more suitable for metal ion transport than a mixture containing sodium nitrate as the major component. Insight into the extraction and transport of the Eu(III) complexes was obtained from luminescence spectroscopic studies