Production of biosurfactant and antifungal compound by fermented food isolate Bacillus subtilis 20B.

A biosurfactant producing strain, Bacillus subtilis 20B, was isolated from fermented food in India. The strain also showed inhibition of various fungi in in-vitro experiments on Potato Dextrose Agar medium. It was capable of growth at temperature 55 degrees C and salts up to 7%.

Biosurfactant production using molasses and whey under thermophilic conditions.

Biosurfactant production was studied by Bacillus licheniformis K51, B. subtilis 20B, B. subtilis R1 and Bacillus strain HS3 using molasses or cheese whey as a sole source of nutrition at 45 degrees C.

Dynamical localization of ultracold sodium atoms.

We report a study of atomic motion in time-dependent optical potentials. We measure momentum transfer in parameter regimes for which the classical dynamics are chaotic, and observe the quantum suppression of chaos by dynamical localization. The high degree of control over the experimental parameters enables detailed comparisons with theoretical predictions, and opens new avenues for investigating quantum chaos.

Red cell indices as predictors of iron depletion in blood donors.

The objective of this study was to investigate whether red cell indices mean cell volume (MCV) and mean cell haemoglobin (MCH) were lower in frequent blood donors and hence, indirectly, able to predict impending iron depletion. Serum ferritin and/or soluble transferrin receptor levels can be used to evaluate iron status but are not practical for routinely screening blood donors prior to donation. Hb, MCV and MCH were measured on venous blood from 886 blood donors using a Sysmex E-5000.