Emerging Nuclear Fuel Fabrication Activities in India

AbstractPresently the installed capacity of electricity generation in India is 160 GWe. The integrated ene rgy policy aims at an installed capacity of 778 GWe by 2031-32 to achieve per capita electricity consumption of 2700 kWh/year as against the 700 kWh/year. The share of nuclear power in India is around 3% presently. The increase in installed capacity is possible by increasing the share of nuclear power. India has opted for a unique three-stage power programme based on closed nuclear fuel cycle, which provides a multiplier effect through breeding. Consequent to the 123 agreement and clearance from Nuclear Supplier‟s Group (NSG) for international cooperation in the field of nuclear energy, the reactor technology options are wide open. Some of the technologies which are being pursued are: Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) fueled with domestic Natural Uranium (NU), PHWRs fueled with imported Natural Uranium/Slightly Enriched Uranium (SEU), Light Water Reactors (LWRs) procured from abroad using imported Lightly Enriched Uranium (LEU) fuel, PHWRs with Reprocessed Uranium (RU) obtained from reprocessing spent fuel of LWRs, indigenous Pressurized Water Reactors (PWRs) and Fast Breeder Reactors (FBRs) using MOX/metallic fuel. The increase in the share of nuclear power through above technologies require setting up of fuel fabrication facilities such as: new PHWR Fuel Fabrication with indigenous sources, joint collaboration with foreign countries for fabricating fuel for imported LWRs, setting up PHWR fuel fabrication facilities with SEU/RU under international safeguards, setting up of enrichment and fuel fab rication facilities for indigenous PWRs and a series of fast reactor fuel fabrication facilities for fabricating fuel for FBRs. In addition to fuel fabrication facilities, facilities for manufacturing zirconium alloy and stainless steel structurals, tubes and components are also required to be set up. The paper gives in detail the emerging nuclear fuel fabrication activities in India

Physical phenomena in containerless glass processing

Experiments were conducted on bubble migration in rotating liquid bodies contained in a sphere. Experiments were initiated on the migration of a drop in a slightly less dense continuous phase contained in a rotating sphere. A refined apparatus for the study of thermocapillar flow in a glass melt was built, and data were acquired on surface velocities in the melt. Similar data also were obtained from an ambient temperature fluid model. The data were analyzed and correlated with the aid of theory. Data were obtained on flow velocities in a pendant drop heated from above. The motion in this system was driven principally by thermocapillarity. An apparatus was designed for the study of volatilization from a glass melt

Expression of stage-specific Fasciola proteases and their evaluation in vaccination trials

The liver flukes Fasciola hepatica and F. gigantica cause infectious disease in ruminants and humans. The geographical range of these two parasite species (temperate and tropical respectively) ensures that infection can occur worldwide. Although anthelmintic treatment is effective against disease, emerging drug resistant strains leads to the development of a vaccine. However, despite several decades of research, there is no commercial vaccine available. The main challenge at present is to produce recombinant proteins in an immunologically active form using recombinant DNA technology. This is an essential step in Fasciola vaccine production. Cysteine proteases are probably the most important facilitators of virulence in flukes and are produced by all stages of the fluke life-cycle. Two classes of cysteine protease are found in the excretory and secretory material of liver flukes- these are cathepsin L and cathepsin B. As such, the major aims of this thesis were to investigate the expression and purification of Fasciola recombinant cysteine proteins, and characterisation by SDS-PAGE and immunoblotting using monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies. These studies demonstrate the production of functionally active cathepsin proteins in S. cerevisiae BJ3505 cells which will lead to vaccine candidate analysis. The second aim of this thesis was to determine the protective efficacy of stage specific target antigens against experimental infection. In addressing this issue, the protective efficacy of single and multivalent recombinant protein vaccinations of adult stage F. hepatica cathepsin L5, immature F. gigantica cathepsin L1g and juvenile F. hepatica cathepsin B were analysed in Sprague Dawley rats against F. hepatica infection. This study demonstrates that juvenile fluke target antigen-cathepsin B induces better immune protection than adult fluke antigen-cathepsin L5. Cocktails of juvenile and adult stage fluke recombinant proteins (cathepsin B and L5) elicited the highest protective immunity against experimental infection and this combination showed not only reduction in fluke recovery and size of flukes, but also marked diminution in the intensity of liver lesions in vaccinated rats. In order to assess the immunogenic property of an early infective stage fluke secreting cysteine protease as a vaccine candidate, DNA vaccination vectors encoding cathepsin B were analysed in BALB/c mice. In this study, the ability of four DNA vaccination strategies such as secretory, chemokine-activating, lymph node targeting vectors encoding cathepsin B were assessed by antibody titre, antibody avidity, western blotting and ELIPSOT assay. The results have further validated the immunoprophylactic potential of a cathepsin B vaccine against F. hepatica. In this study, we have expressed and attained high yields of F. gigantica cathepsin L1g from E. coli BL21, and compared this to a yeast-expressed system. This protease was over-expressed and formed insoluble inclusion bodies that were subsequently solubilised with urea or guanidine hydrochloride. In order to purify the urea-solubilised protein, step-wise urea gradient chromatography was used. For refolding of solubilised protein, a dilution and dialysis procedure was utilised. Proteolytic activity was confirmed by gelatin SDS-PAGE analysis. In conclusion, the determination of the immune potential of recombinant stage specific antigens allows the development of effective vaccines against Fasciola infection

Ayurvedic management of Ducchen’s Muscular Dystrophy - A Case report

Ducchen’s muscular dystrophy is most common X-linked recessive disorder affecting 30 in 100,000 live male births. The primary cause of this disease is mutations in Dystrophin gene which is essential for the structural and functional integrity of muscle. It is a progressive muscle wasting disease in which patients frequently develop contractures and lose the ability to walk between 6 and 12 years of age. With progressive disease most patients succumb to death from respiratory failure and cardiac dysfunction in their twenties. As this is a genetic disorder we can consider it as Adibala Pravritta Vyadhi. As Mamsa Kshaya is seen at some muscles and Mamsa Vriddhi at other this is an Avarana Vata Vyadhi. In both Upsthambha and Nirupasthmbha Vatavyadhi, Basthi is considered as prime choice of treatment. A Variety of Ksheerabasti in the form of Kalabasti is studied in this condition by taking subjective and objective parameters. As this has given better improvement with no adverse effects in the patient, it can be tried in large number of patients

Combining ability analysis and gene action of grain quality traits in rice (Oryza sativa L.) using line × tester analysis

In rice, twelve lines were crossed with five testers in a line × tester mating design and the resultant 60 hybrids along with their parents were evaluated for their combining ability effects for 15 grain quality traits. The results revealed that the ratio of GCA: SCA variances computed for all the fifteen grain quality traits showed the predominance of non-additive gene action. Among the lines, ADT (R) 47 showed significant desirable gca effects at 1% probability level (p = 0.01) for 11 grain quality traits viz., hulling percentage, milling percentage, head rice recovery percentage, kernel breadth, kernel breadth after cooking, breadth wise expansion ratio, gelatinization temperature, amylose content, gel consistency, water uptake and volume expansion ratio. Among the testers, Pusa 1460 showed significant desirable gca effects at 1% probability level (p = 0.01) for 10 grain quality traits viz., kernel length, kernel breadth, kernel length/breadth ratio, kernel length after cooking, kernel breadth after cooking, linear elongation ratio, gelatinization temperature, amylose content, water uptake and volume expansion ratio and hence they were adjudged as the best combiners for the improvement of the respective traits. Among the hybrids, the hybrids CO 47/Imp., Samba Mahsuri, ADT (R) 47/IRBB 21 and ADT (R) 46/IRBB 21 were identified as best hybrids for exploitation of grain quality traits since they revealed significant sca effects at 1% probability level (p = 0.01) for eight, eight and five grain quality traits, respectively

Pesticidal properties of Anamirta cocculus, Cardiospermum halicacabum, Cocculus laurifolius and Strychnos nux-vomica against Spodoptera litura (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Spodoptera litura, commonly known as taro caterpillar, is a major pest of several vegetables and economically important crops. The pest is reported to reduce the yield of the affected crop up to 10-30%. Hence, controlling this pest is one of the very crucial steps in increasing crop yield. The extensive use of broad-spectrum chemical pesticides to control S. litura has many negative impacts. The present study is an attempt to evaluate the efficacy of certain plants against S. litura. In this study, we investigated the anti-insect properties of leaf and bark extracts of Anamirta cocculus, Cardiospermum halicacabum, Cocculus laurifolius and Strychnos nux-vomica. All four plant extracts showed significant anti-feedant activity compared to control at different concentrations. The leaf extracts showed the activity in the order S. nux-vomica >C. halicacabum >C. laurifolius >A. cocculus at the exposure of maximum concentration. Anti-feedant activity of the bark extract was in the order C. laurifolius >S. nux-vomica >C. halicacabum. The leaf extracts of three plants A. cocculus, C. halicacabum and S. nux-vomica showed significant repellent activity. The repellent activity of the bark extracts was in the order, C. laurifolius > C. halicacabum >S. nux-vomica >A. cocculus. The GC-MS analysis of these plant extracts have shown many compounds with known anti-insect properties and specific molecule-based bio-assays might be required to ascertain the distinctive effects of these compounds

Purification and Biochemical Characterisation of Ricin from Castor Seeds

Ricin is a highly toxic plant toxin of Ricinus comtnunis seeds, commonly known as castor seeds. The toxin was extracted and purified using affinity and size exclusion  chromatography. The purity of ricin was evaluated by the sodium dodecylsulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Purified ricin gives a single band under non-reduced condition and two bands under reduced condition. The molecular weight of ricin was 65,0000 approx. The subunit structure of ricin on treatment with p-mercaptoethanol (1 %) at molecular level revealed that the reducing agent converts ricin into two peptides. The molecular weight of these two peptides was estimated to be 34000 and 32000. The western-blot analysis revealed two dots for its two peptides in 29 kDa to 36 kDa regions. The heamagglutination litres for ricin and Ricinus communis agglutinins were 1:8 and 1:256. The purity of purified ricin was further confirmed by the electrophoresis and the western-blot analysis. The Indian variety of castor seeds, known as Ricinus communis used in this study, contains approx. 0.12 per cent ricin

Women empowerment through green mussel (Perna viridis) farming : Focus on Kerala

Mussel farming is one of the best ideas for the utilisation of natural resources as well as human resources in a sustainable manner. It is an activity with potential to empower women by giving them a chance to earn additional income for their family, thereby making them self-reliant. Thus, looking at the larger picture mussel farming could bring about an improvement in the socio-economic condition of families in the coastal States of India. Additionally, it also ensures production of healthy and protein rich food for the consumers

Pesticidal properties of Anamirta cocculus, Cardiospermum halicacabum, Cocculus laurifolius and Strychnos nux-vomica against Spodoptera litura (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

295-306Spodoptera litura, commonly known as taro caterpillar, is a major pest of several vegetables and economically important crops. The pest is reported to reduce the yield of the affected crop up to 10-30%. Hence, controlling this pest is one of the very crucial steps in increasing crop yield. The extensive use of broad-spectrum chemical pesticides to control S. litura has many negative impacts. The present study is an attempt to evaluate the efficacy of certain plants against S. litura. In this study, we investigated the anti-insect properties of leaf and bark extracts of Anamirta cocculus, Cardiospermum halicacabum, Cocculus laurifolius and Strychnos nux-vomica. All four plant extracts showed significant anti-feedant activity compared to control at different concentrations. The leaf extracts showed the activity in the order S. nux-vomica >C. halicacabum >C. laurifolius >A. cocculus at the exposure of maximum concentration. Anti-feedant activity of the bark extract was in the order C. laurifolius >S. nux-vomica >C. halicacabum. The leaf extracts of three plants A. cocculus, C. halicacabum and S. nux-vomica showed significant repellent activity. The repellent activity of the bark extracts was in the order, C. laurifolius > C. halicacabum >S. nux-vomica >A. cocculus. The GC-MS analysis of these plant extracts have shown many compounds with known anti-insect properties and specific molecule-based bio-assays might be required to ascertain the distinctive effects of these compounds