Host Plant Constancy in Ovipositing Manduca sexta

Journal of Chemical Ecology - Many pollinating insects exhibit flower constancy, i.e. they target flower species they have already experienced and fed from. While the insects might profit from...     

Bioprocess Scale-up for Acetohydroxamic Acid Production by Hyperactive Acyltransferase of Immobilized Rhodococcus Pyridinivorans

Catalysis Letters - In this study, Rhodococcus pyridinivorans cells containing hyperactive acyltransferase was immobilized on various macromolecules based-polymeric matrices and used to improve...     

Fabrication of Food Grade Vitamin E Nanoemulsion by Low Energy Approach,Characterization and Its Application

The present study was carried out to fabricate the food grade vitamin E acetate nanoemulsion using edible mustard oil and to evaluate its improved bioactivities. A food-grade vitamin E acetate nanoemulsion was fabricated using the edible mustard oil and surfactant Tween-80. Flocculation was not observed for 15 days. The nanoemulsion was characterized for droplet morphology and size distribution using atomic force microscope and zetasizer, respectively. We observe a stable nanoemulsion of spherical morphology and a size distribution of 86.45 ± 3.61 nm. Further, the high-performance liquid chromatography method was used to determine the vitamin E acetate concentration and encapsulation efficiency for the stable nanoemulsion. These nanoemulsions showed improved bioactivity, antioxidant, and antimicrobial activity and could be potentially used to increase the shelf life of fruit juice.     

Convergence of adaptive lattice filters

Some results are presented on the convergence rate of lattice filters when adaptive algorithms are employed for estimating their reflection coefficients. It is shown that, unlike tapped-delay-line filters, adaptive lattices are not affected by ill-conditioned data.     

Development on astable multivibrators using the combination of linear and non-linear materials as switching elements based on all optial method

In this communication we propose a method to implement an all-optical astable multivibrator using the non-linear material based switches and logic gates. The scheme can operate in real time. The delay time can achieve ps(pico-second). The pulse duration can be made very low and may cross the THz easily by selecting proper material and laser source.     

Drying Urban lakes: A consequence of climate change,urbanization or other anthropogenic causes? An insight from northern India

Urban lakes in many places around the world are rapidly becoming vulnerable because of such factors as urbanization, climate change, anthropogenic pollutant inputs, etc. The influence of such forcing factors on lakes hydrology must be correctly recognized and addressed in order to protect them over the long term. Facing similar challenges, Sukhna Lake, an urban lake in northern India, has apparently dried up frequently in the recent past. Numerous hypotheses were subsequently proposed to isolate the possible factors affecting the lake and its water budget, including the potential impacts of land use changes, climate change, anthropogenic activities and other natural processes. Using meteorological data, lake‐catchment information and a hydrologic model, these hypotheses were comprehensively analysed. Relevant data on rainfall, wind, temperature, lake inflows, groundwater, lake physical characteristics, catchment land uses, soil texture, etc., were gathered for the analysis. A temporal trend analysis of factors relevant to these hypotheses was undertaken to identify critical drivers of hydrological changes. A sensitivity analysis also was performed, using the lake water budget, to determine and prioritize the predominant factors affecting the lake, leading to the creation of an annual lake water budget for the period from 1971 to 2013, highlighting the lake inflows and outflows. The lake annual inflow (catchment run‐off) was computed by adopting a rainfall–run‐off model based on the SCS‐curve number. Lacking any anthropogenic water withdrawals, the outflow was quantified by estimating the evaporation loss (using the FAO‐based Penman–Monteith Equation). The results of the present study  indicate that the process of siltation and the construction of check dams in the catchment, rather than urbanization and climate change, were the dominating reasons contributing to changes in the lake hydrology, and affecting the lake most in recent years.     

Effect of carbodiimide on the bond strength and durability of resin-dentin interface

The effect of 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide (EDC) on the bond strength and durability of the resin-dentin interface using a three-step etch-and-rinse and a universal adhesive (UA) system was investigated. Additionally, the effect of dry and wet bonding on the interface created by UA was evaluated. Investigations carried out were scanning electron microscopy (SEM) evaluation, interfacial nanoleakage expression (NE) and micro-tensile bond strength (μ-TBS) testing. Dentin surfaces of sound molars were acid-etched, pretreated with 0.3 M EDC followed by adhesive application and restored with composite incrementally. Resin-dentin beams for μ-TBS testing and resin-dentin slabs for SEM and NE were sectioned. At 24 h, pre-treatment with EDC did not significantly change the μ-TBS and NE of any of the adhesives compared to their respective controls. There is a significant decrease in the μ-TBS and significant increase in NE after 1 yr of storage compared to the 24 h results. UA in dry bonding conditions pretreated with EDC had higher μ-TBS values than its control. Pre-treatment of acid-etched dentin with 0.3 M EDC for 1 min enhanced the bond strength and durability of the resin-dentin interface created by the tested adhesives. Application of UA in a wet bonding technique appeared less effective than dry bonding technique.     

Review of Self and identity in modern psychology and Indian thought.

Reviews the book, Self and identity in modern psychology and Indian thought by Anand C. Paranjpe (see record 1998-08117-000). This book is an exemplary philosophical-psychological achievement, the result of extensive, sophisticated, and enlightened research. Paranjpe analyzes and compares, based on knowledge of the epistemological, ontological, and ethical foundations of psychology in both the West and India, the problem of person, self, and identity. This is a significant book, not only for the field of the history and theory of psychology but also for psychology in general. Paranjpe, who provides a wealth of knowledge unknown to most Western psychologists, demonstrates that the presumption that Western and Indian psychologies are basically incommensurable is wrong. Psychologists who are genuinely concerned with a science that goes beyond the connection of variables, who believe that incorporating a multicultural perspective into psychology will strengthen the discipline, and who talk about globalization but are interested in the generic meaning of this concept, cannot ignore this masterpiece. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Jatropha curcas: A potential crop for phytoremediation of coal fly ash

A greenhouse pot experiment was conducted to test the heavy metal phytoremediation capacity of Jatropha curcas from fly ash. Both natural accumulation by J. curcas and chemically enhanced phytoextraction was investigated. Plants were grown on FA and FA amended with fertile garden soil, in presence and absence of chemical chelating agent EDTA at 0.1 g kg⁻¹ and 0.3 g kg⁻¹ of soil. EDTA enhanced the uptake of all five elements (Fe, Al, Cr, Cu and Mn) tested. Fe and Mn were retained more in roots while Cu, Al and Cr were translocated more to the shoot. Metal accumulation index indicates that the effect of EDTA at 0.3 g kg⁻¹ was more pronounced than EDTA at 0.1 g kg⁻¹ in terms of metal accumulation. Biomass was enhanced up to 37% when FA was amended with GS. Heavy metal uptake was enhanced by 117% in root, 62% in stem, 86% in leaves when EDTA was applied at 0.3 g kg⁻¹ to FA amended with GS. Study suggest that J. curcas has potential of establishing itself on FA when provided with basic plant nutrients and can also accumulate heavy metals many folds from FA without attenuating plant growth.     

Phytofiltration of cadmium from water by Limnocharis flava (L.) Buchenau grown in free-floating culture system

A hydroponics experiment was conducted to examine the phytofiltration of Cd by Limnocharis flava (L.) Buchenau grown in low-level Cd-contaminated water. For this, 45 d old seedlings of L .flava were transferred to a floating-support culture system containing nutrient solution spiked with four levels of Cd (0.5, 1, 2 and 4 mg l⁻¹) and were separately harvested after 3, 7, 21 and 30 d. After 30 d harvesting, the percentage removal of Cd from the above four treatments reached up to 98, 96, 95 and 93%, respectively. Interestingly, all treatments had higher growth rate than control at 95% confidence level and plants still remained healthy at 4 mg l⁻¹ Cd exposure. The bioaccumulation study showed a linear relationship of Cd (R² = 0.896–0.999) in all plant parts with the exposure time (3–30 d) and Cd concentrations in hydroponics system (0.5–4 mg l⁻¹). Although, the root of L. flava had higher Cd concentration than leaf and peduncles, the total Cd concentrations in aerial plant parts were higher than the roots. The maximum bioconcentration factor (BCF) and translocation factor (TF) value of L. flava were calculated as 984.42 and 1.43, respectively. Estimated Cd accumulation capacity of L. flava per unit area (m²) was found to be in the range of 218. 35–1698.92 mg m⁻².The experimental results demonstrated that L. flava is a suitable candidate for the phytofiltartion (>93%) of Cd from low-level Cd-contaminated water.