Further characterisation of protease inhibitors from pigeon pea (cajanus cajan (l) millsp) seeds

Cajanus trypsin inhibitor (CTI) and Cajanus trypsin-chymotrypsin inhibitor (CTCI) previously purified from cv TAT-10 were further characterised. The modification of the inhibitors revealed the presence of lysine at the trypsin reactive site in both CTI and CTCI. Modification of tyrosine at the reactive site of CTCI did not abolish chymotrypsin inhibition suggesting the presence of leucine or phenylalanine as reported in other chymotrypsin inhibitors. CTCI did not contain tryptophan. Dissociation constants for the inhibitors with bovine trypsin were in the region of 0.69 nmol (CTCI) and 0.029 nmol (CTI). Although the protease inhibitors lost their inhibitory activity on exposure to 2-mercaptoethanol they remained attached to the enzyme. The inhibitors were not very effective against the protease from Helicoverpa armigera which is a serious field pest of Cajanus. Dissociation constants for the inhibitors with the larval enzyme were in the region of 100 nmol.     

Polypropylene/Clay nanocomposites: Effect of compatibilizer on the thermal,crystallization and dynamic mechanical behavior

Polypropylene (PP)/clay nanocomposites are prepared using different grades of PP, compatibilizers, and organically modified clays. The melt intercalation of the PP is carried out in presence of a compatibilizer. The nanocomposites are characterized using various techniques for the structure and properties. X‐ray diffraction results indicate well‐defined structures. Thermogravimetric analysis indicates improved thermal stability of PP/clay nanocomposites. Isothermal crystallization studies carried out using differential scanning calorimeter illustrate enhanced crystallization of PP in all the nanocomposites. Optical microscopic study demonstrates that the nanocomposites can be crystallized at higher temperatures, exhibiting well‐defined birefringent structures. The dynamic mechanical analysis reveals higher storage moduli over a temperature range of ?40⁰C to 120⁰C for nanocomposites, and the extent of increase in the storage modulus is dependent on the type of compatibilizer used.     

Comparative Study of the Different Variants of the DV-Hop Based Node Localization Algorithms for Wireless Sensor Networks

Wireless Personal Communications - Node localization is one of the essential services where sensor nodes in the wireless sensor network collaborate to provide location information of sensor nodes...     

Effect of bacterial inoculum ratio in mixed culture for decolourization and detoxification of pulp paper mill effluent

BACKGROUND: Effluent released from industry is a mixture of various pollutants. For the degradation of complex pollutants, mixed bacterial cultures can be more effective than a single culture. This study investigated the balance of bacterial populations in a mixed culture for maximum reduction of pollutants. RESULTS: This study deals with the degradation and detoxification of pulp paper mill effluent (PPME) by three bacterial strains, i.e. Serratia marcescens, Serratia liquefaciens and Bacillus cereus in different ratios, and found that two ratios, 4:1:1 and 1:4:1, were effective for the degradation of PPME. These ratios reduced the various pollution parameters. Enzyme bioassay revealed that more enzyme was produced during degradation for the ratio 4:1:1. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis showed that the ratio 4:1:1 degraded 95% of lignin and related compounds, and chlorophenols up to 98%, whereas ratio 1:4:1 reduced lignin by 84% and chlorophenols by 58% after 7 days incubation. Degradation products were confirmed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC‐MS) analysis. A seed germination bioassay on Phaseolous mungo L. revealed that toxicity was reduced by the ratio 4:1:1. CONCLUSION: Due to variable potential of different bacteria show variation in their growth pattern at any contaminated site. This study shows that an appropriate ratio of mixed cultures is required for maximum degradation and detoxification of PPME. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry     

Interdiffusion in the Fe-Pt System

Diffusion-couple experiments are conducted in the Fe-Pt system. The phase boundary compositions of the phases measured in this study are found to be different than the compositions published previously. In the γ-FePt solid solution, the interdiffusion coefficient increases with the Pt content up to 25 at. pct Pt. Fe is the faster diffusing species in this phase. The trend in the interdiffusion coefficient is explained with the help of calculated driving force for diffusion. To reduce errors, the average interdiffusion coefficients are calculated in the FePt and FePt₃ compounds.     

Flow and temperature patterns in an inductively coupled plasma reactor: Experimental measurements and CFD simulations

Measurements of temperature patterns in an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) have been carried out experimentally. Plasma torch was operated at different RF powers in the range of 3–14 kW at near atmospheric pressure and over a wide range of sheath gas flow rate (3–25 lpm). Measurements were made at five different axial positions in ICP torch. The chordal intensities were converted into a radial intensity profile by Abel Inversion technique. Typical radial temperature profile shows an off‐axis temperature peak, which shifts toward the wall as the power increases. Temperatures in the range of 6000–14,000 K were recorded by this method. The temperature profiles in the plasma reactor were simulated using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). A good agreement was found between the CFD predictions of the flow and temperature pattern with those published in the literature as well as the temperature profiles measured in the present work. © 2014 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 60: 3647–3664, 2014     

Biomolecular screening with encoded porous-silicon photonic crystals

Strategies to encode or label small particles or beads for use in high-throughput screening and bioassay applications focus on either spatially differentiated, on-chip arrays or random distributions of encoded beads. Attempts to encode large numbers of polymeric, metallic or glass beads in random arrays or in fluid suspension have used a variety of entities to provide coded elements (bits)--fluorescent molecules, molecules with specific vibrational signatures, quantum dots, or discrete metallic layers. Here we report a method for optically encoding micrometre-sized nanostructured particles of porous silicon. We generate multilayered porous films in crystalline silicon using a periodic electrochemical etch. This results in photonic crystals with well-resolved and narrow optical reflectivity features, whose wavelengths are determined by the etching parameters. Millions of possible codes can be prepared this way. Micrometre-sized particles are then produced by ultrasonic fracture, mechanical grinding or by lithographic means. A simple antibody-based bioassay using fluorescently tagged proteins demonstrates the encoding strategy in biologically relevant media.     

Growth, optical transmission and X-ray photoemission studies of BaB2O4 single crystals

Beta barium borate (-BBO) crystals have been grown by the top seeded solution growth technique (TSSG) using Na₂O as a flux. The crystals exhibited high transparency and the absence of inclusions and found to have sodium contamination in the range 150 to 230 p.p.m. The effect of this contamination on some crystal properties of interest has been investigated. The presence of impurities causes optical absorption below 550 nm in BBO crystals of both and -phases. X-ray photo emission spectroscopy (XPS) measurements performed on these crystals show that sodium gives rise to a measurable shift in the binding energies of the constituent ions. Further, the results show that Na⁺ ions enter into the lattice substitutionally and provide charge trapping sites close to the band edge.     

Asterionella blooms in the northwestern Bay of Bengal during 2004

Asterionella glacialis Castracane, a diatom species of marine phytoplankton, bloomed in the coastal waters of the northwestern Bay of Bengal during 24 March to 4 April 2004. This species dominated by 99% in cell concentration on 26 March 2004. During the bloom period, phytoplankton population density increased by three orders of magnitude, while the chlorophyll a concentration increased by 70 to 80 times relative to the pre‐bloom situation. The blooming was associated with coastal upwelling and influenced water quality. Corresponding to the blooming period, satellite sensor‐derived products of sea surface temperature (SST) and chlorophyll a data were analysed to understand the coverage and dynamics of phytoplankton in the area.