Determination of trace concentrations of thorium in uranium oxide matrix by epithermal instrumental neutron activation analysis

An epithermal instrumental neutron activation analysis (EINAA) method using cadmium filter was standardized to determine trace concentrations of thorium in four samples of uranium oxide (U₃O₈) samples. Samples and thorium standards, wrapped with cadmium foil, were irradiated at a reactor neutron flux of about 10¹² cm^?2 s^?1. Radioactive assay was carried out using a Compton suppressed anticoincidence gamma ray spectrometer consisting of HPGe-BGO detectors coupled to MCA. Concentrations of thorium in these samples were found to be in the range of 15–72 mg kg^?1. EINAA results were validated by determining thorium concentrations in uranium matrix by standard addition method. EINAA results were compared with those obtained by two wet chemical methods namely ion chromatography (IC) and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). The results obtained by the three methods were found to be in good agreement, indicating further validity of the proposed EINAA method.     

Lanthanum Trifluoromethane-sulfonate‐Catalyzed Facile Synthesis of Per‐O‐acetylated Sugars and Their One‐Pot Conversion to S‐Aryl and O‐Alkyl/Aryl Glycosides†

Lanthanum trifluoromethanesulfonate‐catalyzed solvent‐free per‐O‐acetylation with stoichiometric acetic anhydride proceeds in high yield (95%–99%) to afford exclusively pyranose products as anomeric mixtures. Subsequent anomeric substitution employing borontrifluoride etherate and thiols or alcohols furnished the corresponding 1,2‐trans‐linked thioglycosides and O‐glycosides, respectively, in good to excellent overall yield (75%–85%). Alternatively, reaction of free sugars in neat alcohol employing the same catalyst at elevated temperature gives the corresponding 1,2‐cis‐linked O‐glycosides (along with 1,2‐trans‐linked glycosides as minor product) in good yield (73%–80%). Anomeric mixtures of compounds thus produced were characterized as their per‐O‐acetylated derivatives.      

Tween-80–n-Butanol–Diesel–Water Microemulsion System—A Class of Alternative Diesel Fuel

Tween-80–n–butanol–diesel–water microemulsion systems with various surfactant:cosurfactant (S:C) ratio have been reported as a class of alternative diesel fuel from their phase behavior, clouding phenomena, conductivity, turbidity, and inflammation studies. Temperature induced clouding of microemulsion containing 2% brine at an S:C ratio of 1:1 from a suitable turbid zone has been examined to see the stability of the diesel–water microemulsion systems. Regression models have been proposed to understand the impact of various components of the microemulsion on their cloud point (CP) values. Conductivity of the microemulsions at various S:C ratio increases with the volume of brine having two cut points depicting the presence of three microheterogenous phases within the system, whereas turbidity shows a linear increase. Dye-probed investigation of water-rich and oil-rich zones of the microemulsions indicates the involvement of a dynamic mass transfer process within the various zones. The intensities of flames produced during burning of the microemulsions with various O:E:W weight percentages selected from the isotropic regions of the phase diagrams have been estimated using MATLAB image processing method and the impacts of various components on the fuel use of the microemulsions have been analyzed.     

Determination of fluorine concentrations in soil samples using proton induced gamma-ray emission

A non-destructive, in situ current normalized particle induced gamma-ray emission methodology has been standardized for quantification of fluorine (F) in soil samples from Punjab state, India. The samples were irradiated using 4 MeV proton beam from the Folded Tandem Ion Accelerator at BARC, Mumbai. The gamma rays of energies 197 and 478 keV arising from ¹⁹F(p, p′γ)¹⁹F and ⁷Li(p, p′γ)⁷Li nuclear reactions were measured using high resolution gamma-ray spectrometry. The concentration of fluorine in soil samples was found to vary between 414 and 5,746 mg kg^?1.     

Supercritical Fluid Extract of Putranjiva roxburghii Wall. Seeds Mitigates Fertility Impairment in a Zebrafish Model

Putrajeevak (Putranjiva roxburghii Wall.; synonym Drypetes roxburghii (Wall.) Hurus) seeds have been used since ancient times in the treatment of infertility in the Ayurvedic system of medicine in India. In this study, the oil component of Putrajeevak seeds (PJSO) was extracted using the supercritical fluid extraction (SCFE) method using liquid CO₂ and the constituents were analyzed using gas chromatography-flame ionized detectorand high-performance thin-layer chromatography. PJSO contained trace amounts of β-sitosterol with oleic and linoleic acids as the major fatty acid constituents. Male and female zebrafish were mutagenized with N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU) and fish that produced less than 20 viable embryos were selected for the study. SCFE oil extracts from the P. roxburghii seeds were used in this study to reverse fertility impairment. The mutant fish were fed with PJSO for a period of 14 days and the rates of fertility, conception, and fecundity were determined with wild-type healthy fish as a breeding partner. Treatment with PJSO increased the ovarian follicle count as well as the number of mature eggs, while reducing the number of ovarian cysts. Sperm count as well as sperm motility were greatly enhanced in the ENU-mutagenized male zebrafish when treated with PJSO. The results obtained in this study demonstrate the effectiveness of P. roxburghii seed oil in reversing impaired fertility in both male and female zebrafish models.     

Tuning the morphological properties of cellulose aerogels: an investigation of salt-mediated preparation

Cellulose - In this study, alkali and alkaline earth metal chlorides with different cationic radii (LiCl, NaCl, and KCl, MgCl2, and CaCl2) were used to gain insight into the behavior of cellulose...     

Isolation,Purification, and Characterization of Antimicrobial Compound 6-[1,2-dimethyl-6-(2-methyl-allyloxy)-hexyl]-3-(2-methoxy-phenyl)-chromen-4-one from Penicillium sp. HT-28

A fungal culture (Penicillium sp., HT-28), isolated from soil has been evaluated for its bioactivity, which showed broad spectrum antimicrobial activity and was effective against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) also. Statistical optimization of the medium by response surface methodology (RSM) enhanced the antimicrobial activity up to 1.8-fold. Column chromatography was used to isolate the active compound (A), which was characterized to be 6-[1,2-dimethyl-6-(2-methyl-allyloxy)-hexyl]-3-(2-methoxy-phenyl)-chromen-4-one by various spectroscopic techniques such as infrared (IR), ¹H and ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra, and mass spectroscopy. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the active compound (A) ranged from 0.5 to 15 μg/mL. Viable cell count studies of the active compound (A) showed S. aureus, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Salmonella typhimurium 1 to be the most sensitive. The compound retained its bioactivity after treating it at 100 °C for 1 h. Furthermore, the compound (A) when tested for its biosafety was found neither to be cytotoxic nor mutagenic. The study demonstrated that an apparently novel compound isolated from Penicillium sp. (HT-28) seems to be a stable and potent antimicrobial.     

Probing the Binding of Syzygium-Derived α-Glucosidase Inhibitors with N- and C-Terminal Human Maltase Glucoamylase by Docking and Molecular Dynamics Simulation

Human maltase glucoamylase (MGAM) is a potent molecular target for controlling post prandial glucose surplus in type 2 diabetes. Binding of small molecules from Syzygium sp. with α-glucosidase inhibitory potential in MGAM has been investigated in silico. Our results suggest that myricetin was the most potent inhibitor with high binding affinity for both N- and C-terminals of MGAM. Molecular dynamics revealed that myricetin interacts in its stretched conformation through water-mediated interactions with C-terminal of MGAM and by normal hydrogen bonding with the N-terminal. W1369 of the extended 21 amino acid residue helical loop of C-terminal plays a major role in myricetin binding. Owing to its additional sugar sites, overall binding of small molecules favours C-terminal MGAM.     

Chemical characterization of soda-lime glass samples by in situ current normalised PIGE and conventional INAA methods for forensic applications

Nuclear analytical methods namely in situ current normalised Particle Induced Gamma Ray Emission (PIGE) and conventional Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) were utilized for determining major, minor and trace concentrations of eighteen elements in five soda-lime (automobile) glass samples. Concentration of four major elements (Si, Na, Mg and Al) by PIGE and fourteen elements including ten trace elements by INAA were determined. For forensic application, major elements were used for confirming the class of glass samples, whereas concentration results of trace elements like transition and rare earth elements were utilized for finding similarity or differences among the glass samples.