Highly efficient diglycolamide-based task-specific ionic liquids: synthesis, unusual extraction behaviour, irradiation, and fluorescence studies.

Two new diglycolamide-based task-specific ionic liquids (DGA-TSILs) were evaluated for the extraction of actinides and lanthanides from acidic feed solutions. These DGA-TSILs were capable of exceptionally high extraction of trivalent actinide ions, such as Am(3+), and even higher extraction of the lanthanide ion, Eu(3+) (about 5-10 fold). Dilution of the DGA-TSILs in an ionic liquid, C(4)mim(+)·NTf(2)(-), afforded reasonably high extraction ability, faster mass transfer, and more efficient stripping of the metal ion.

A long-lost relic from the Eastern Ghats: Morphology, distribution and habitat of Sepsophis punctatus Beddome, 1870 (Squamata: Scincidae).

Sepsophis punctatus Beddome 1870, the only species of a monotypic genus, was described based on a single specimen from the Eastern Ghats of India. We rediscovered the species based on specimens from Odisha and Andhra Pradesh state, India, after a gap of 137 years, including four specimens from close to the type locality. The holotype was studied in detail, and we present additional morphological characters of the species with details on natural history, habitat and diet.

The first teresomatan caecilian (Amphibia: Gymnophiona) from the Eastern Ghats of India--a new species of Gegeneophis Peters, 1880.

A new species of caecilian amphibian, Gegeneophis orientalis sp. nov., is described based on a series of nine specimens from high elevation (ca.

Pleural effusion in aluminum phosphide poisoning.

Aluminium phosphide (ALP) is a common agrochemical pesticide poisoning with high mortality rate. Primary manifestations are due to myocardial and gastrointestinal involvement. Pleural effusion in ALP poisoning is occasionally reported.

Damage of photosynthetic apparatus in the senescing basal leaf of Arabidopsis thaliana: a plausible mechanism of inactivation of reaction center II.

Significant decline in oxygen evolution and DCPIP photoreduction and a marginal restoration of the later with DPC as an electron donor suggest the inactivation of reaction center of photosystem II. The declines in the height of thermoluminescence bands support the view and the damage of reaction center II could be central to the senescence process in Arabidopsis leaves. The enhancement in the number of reduced quinones, signifying a loss in redox homeostasis in the electron transport chain between photosystem II and I leads to the creation of an energy imbalance.

Production of cellulolytic enzymes by Aspergillus fumigatus ABK9 in wheat bran-rice straw mixed substrate and use of cocktail enzymes for deinking of waste office paper pulp.

Response surface methodology was employed to optimize mixed substrate solid state fermentation for the production of cellulases and xylanase by Aspergillus fumigatus ABK9. Among 11 different parameters, fermentation time (86-88 h), medium pH (6.1-6.

Quinacrine-mediated autophagy and apoptosis in colon cancer cells is through a p53- and p21-dependent mechanism.

We previously showed that quinacrine (QC), a small molecule antimalarial agent, also presented anticancer activity in breast cancer cells through activation of p53, p21, and inhibition of topoisomerase activity. Here we have systematically studied the detailed cell death mechanism of this drug using three colon cancer cell lines (HCT-116 parental, isogenic HCT-116 p53-/-, and HCT-116 p21-/- sublines). QC caused a dose-dependent reduction in cell viability in all three cell lines.

Role of alkyl chain branching on aggregation behavior of two symmetrical diglycolamides: small angle neutron scattering studies.

The two long alkyl chain derivatives of diglycolamide (DGA), viz. N,N,N',N'-tetraoctyl diglycolamide (TODGA) and N,N,N',N'-tetra(2-ethylhexyl)-diglycolamide (T2EHDGA) have been found promising for actinide partitioning from high-level waste. The solvent extraction studies have suggested the participation of three to four DGA molecules in the extracted complex of trivalent actinides and lanthanides.

Efficient solvent system containing malonamides in room temperature ionic liquids: actinide extraction, fluorescence and radiolytic degradation studies.

Solvent extraction studies of actinide metal ions such as Am(III), U(VI), Np(IV), Np(VI), Pu(IV) were carried out in a nitric acid medium using two diamides (L) viz. (DMDBTDMA (N,N'-dimethyl-N,N'-dibutyl-2-tetradecylmalonamide) and DMDOHEMA (N,N'-dimethyl-N,N'-dioctyl-2-(2'-(hexyloxy)ethyl)-malonamide) dissolved in different room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs). The use of RTILs as the diluent significantly enhanced metal ion extraction as compared to that observed in non polar diluent such as n-dodecane.

Lycopene synergistically enhances quinacrine action to inhibit Wnt-TCF signaling in breast cancer cells through APC.

We previously reported that quinacrine (QC) has anticancer activity against breast cancer cells. Here, we examine the mechanism of action of QC and its ability to inhibit Wnt-TCF signaling in two independent breast cancer cell lines. QC altered Wnt-TCF signaling components by increasing the levels of adenomatous polyposis coli (APC), DAB2, GSK-3β and axin and decreasing the levels of β-catenin, p-GSK3β (ser 9) and CK1.

In vitro and in vivo antiplasmodial activity of the root extracts of Brucea mollis Wall. ex Kurz.

Malaria control is compromised worldwide by continuously evolving drug-resistant strains of the parasite demanding exploration of natural resources for developing newer antimalarials. The northeastern region of India is endemic for malaria characterized by high prevalence of drug-resistant Plasmodium falciparum strains. Many plants are used by the indigenous communities living in the northeast India in their traditional system of medicine for the treatment of malarial fever.

A molecular model of artificial photosynthesis: Mn-Ca binuclear complex for photosynthetic oxidation of water.

The redox active component of oxygenic photosynthetic reaction center II contains metal cluster Mn4-Ca, where two H2O are oxidized to O2 and four H+ ions are liberated. A binuclear Mn-Ca metal center binding one substrate H2O on each ion is proposed to be the minimal unit of the redox center. A model for the water oxidizing metal cluster is built with molecular modeling software (HyperChem 8.

Population attributable risk estimates for risk factors associated with hypertension in an Indian population.

Background: Little evidence exists regarding the magnitude of contribution of risk factors associated with hypertension in India. Determination of potentially modifiable risk factors is necessary to focus prevention strategies.

Design: Age-matched case-control study.

Supported liquid membrane transport studies on Am(III), Pu(IV), U(VI) and Sr(II) using irradiated TODGA.

Transport behaviour of actinides viz. Am(3+), Pu(4+) and UO(2)(2+) was investigated from nitric acid feed conditions using PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) flat sheet supported liquid membranes (SLM) containing an irradiated solvent system comprising of N,N,N',N'-tetra-n-octyldiglycolamide (TODGA) as the carrier extractant and N,N-di-n-hexyloctanamide (DHOA) as the phase modifier. The present studies were carried out in order to understand the effect of irradiation on the long term reusability of the SLM and the decontamination behaviour in the absorbed dose range of 0-100 MRad.

A rapid online estimation method for radiostrontium in soil samples using crown ether and supercritical fluid extraction.

Crown ethers dissolved in suitable medium are well known to promote the extraction of alkali (M(+)) and alkaline-earth (M(2+)) cations from aqueous to organic phases. Di-tert-butyl-cyclohexano18crown6 (DTBDCH18C6) has been identified as an effective and selective extractant for Sr(II) from nitric acid medium. An attempt was made to evaluate the feasibility of (85,89)Sr recovery from synthetic soil samples (0.

Anopheles (Cellia) maculatus group: its spatial distribution and molecular characterization of member species in north-east India.

Anopheles (Cellia) maculatus is considered a group of at least nine formally named species. Faced with the difficulty of correct morphological identification due to overlapping characters, several member species of the An. maculatus group are known to play important role in malaria transmission in the Oriental region.

Haemoglobinopathies - major associating determinants in prevalence of anaemia among adolescent girl students of Assam, India.

Prevalence of anaemia among adolescent girl students of Assam, a north-eastern state of India, was evaluated along with its associating determinants. The present study revealed that anaemia is a major public health problem among adolescent girl students of Assam. The overall prevalence of anaemia among adolescent girl students of Assam is as high as 71.

Study on thermodynamics and adsorption kinetics of purified endoglucanase (CMCase) from Penicillium notatum NCIM NO-923 produced under mixed solid-state fermentation of waste cabbage and bagasse.

In the current study, one thermostable endoglucanase was purified from Penicillium notatum NCIM NO-923 through mixed solid state fermentation of waste cabbage and bagasse. The molecular weight of the purified enzyme was 55kDa as determined by SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). The enzyme had low activation energy (Ea) of 36.

Rapid screening of tannase producing microbes by using natural tannin.

Use of natural tannin in the screening of tannase producing microbes is really promising. The present work describes about the possibility and integrity of the newly formulated method over the previously reported methods. Tannin isolated from Terminalia belerica Roxb.

Process optimization of xylanase production using cheap solid substrate by Trichoderma reesei SAF3 and study on the alteration of behavioral properties of enzyme obtained from SSF and SmF.

This study aimed to assess the variability in respect of titer and properties of xylanase from Trichoderma reesei SAF3 under both solid-state and submerged fermentation. SSF was initially optimized with different agro-residues and among them wheat bran was found to be the best substrate that favored maximum xylanase production of 219 U (gws)(-1) at 96 h of incubation. The mycelial stage of the fungi and intracellular accumulation of Ca(++) and Mg(++) induced maximum enzyme synthesis.