011396   Patil U M;Gurav K V;Kim J H;Lokhande C D;Jun S C (Mechanical Engineering Dep, Yonsei Univ, Seoul 120-749, Korea, Email: ump_umakant@yahoo.com) : Bath temperature impact on morphological evolution of Ni(OH)₂ thin films and their supercapacitive behaviour. Bull Mater Sci 2014, 37(1), 27-33.

Nanostructured Ni(OH)₂ thin films were deposited over stainless steel (SS) and glass substrate via simple chemical bath deposition (CBD) method. NiCl₂:6H₂O were used as source of nickel and aqueous ammonia as a complexing agent. The coating process of Ni(OH)₂ material over substrate is based on the decomposition of ammonia complexed nickel ions at two different bath temperatures. The changes in structural, morphological and electrochemical properties are examined as an impact of bath temperature. XRD studies reveal formation of mixed phase of α and β at lower bath temperature (313 K) while, pure β phase of Ni(OH)₂ thin films deposited was observed at higher bath temperature (353 K). The morphological evolution from honeycomb structure to vertically aligned flakes over the substrate is observed as the influence of bath temperature. The supercapacitive performance based on the morphology examined by using cyclic voltammetric measurements in 1 M KOH. The maximum specific capacitances of 610 and 460 F/g were observed for the vertical flake and honeycomb structured Ni(OH)₂ thin films, respectively.

7 illus, 34 ref

011395   Pajarito B;Kubouchi M;Aoki S (Chemical Engineering Dep, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1 S4-5, Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152 8552, Japan, Email: bryan.pajarito@up.edu.ph ) : Modelling anisotropic water transport in polymer composite reinforced with aligned triangular bars. Bull Mater Sci 2014, 37(1), 101-6.

This work reports anisotropic water transport in a polymer composite consisting of an epoxy matrix reinforced with aligned triangular bars made of vinyl ester. By gravimetric experiments, water diffusion in resin and polymer composites were characterized. Parameters for Fickian diffusion and polymer relaxation models were determined by least-square curve fitting to the experimental data. Diffusion parameters of epoxy and vinyl ester resin were used as input during development of finite element (FE) model of polymer composite. Through transient FE diffusion analysis, anisotropic water transport in thickness direction of the polymer composite was numerically predicted and validated against experimental results. The case of using impermeable triangular bars was also numerically simulated. The diffusivity of reinforced aligned triangular bars was confirmed to affect anisotropic water transport in the composite. The results of this work suggest possible use of polymer composite for barrier and fluid removal applications.

6 illus, 1 table, 16 ref

011394   Oudhia A;Bichpuria P (Physics Dep, Government VYT PG Autonomous College, Durg-491 001, Email: pbichpuria@gmail.com) : Green wet chemical route to synthesize capped CdSe quantum dots. Bull Mater Sci 2014, 37(1), 15-18.

Reports green synthesis of tartaric acid (TA) and triethanolamine (TEA) capped cadmium selenide quantum dots (CdSe QDs) employing chemical bath deposition (CBD) method. The mechanism of capping using non-toxic binary capping agents is also discussed. Stable QDs of various sizes were obtained by varying pH of the bath. The structural, morphological and spectroscopic characterization of the as-prepared samples by XRD, SEM, optical absorption and photoluminescence (PL) is also reported.

4 illus, 20 ref

011393   Odiase O M;Igene J O;Evivie S E; Ebabhamiegbebho P A (Food Science and Technology Unit, Animal Science Dep, Faculty of Agric, University of Benin, PMB 1154, Benin city, Nigeria, Email: smithyevivie@gmail.com) : Determination and sensory evaluation of soy flour-meat combinations in the production of meatballs. J appl nat Sci 2013, 5(2), 482-7.

Increasing cost of animal protein has necessitated the need to investigate the use of cheaper and nutritive alternatives in various food formulations. The study was carried out to determine the appropriate level of soy flour inclusion in meatball production. The soy meat balls were formulated to contain 0%, 10%, 15%, 20% and 25% of full-fat soy flour which was combined with beef and some condiments. Treatments were analyzed in triplicates in a randomized complete block design. A 7-point hedonic scale was used to evaluate the sensory characteristics (colour, taste, texture and overall acceptance) of the products using a semi-trained taste panel. Nutrient proximate composition values and production cost were also determined. Results showed that on the average, soy flour inclusion in meatballs increased cooking yield by reducing weight loss from 27.33% to 12.96%. Meatballs with soy flour inclusions at 10% and 15% were most acceptable (very much liked). The 20% and 25% level of soy flour inclusion were moderately acceptable, thereby indicating acceptability up to 25% level of soy flour inclusion. Soy inclusion reduced production cost by N37.50 on the average at N5.00 per ball when compared with all meat products as well as, increasing the number of balls per mix from 64 balls (control) to an average number of 89.5 balls (soy meatball). It is recommended that further studies of the soy flour inclusion in meatballs production be carried out to ensure the availability of cheaper, nutritious and acceptable convenience food in the Nigerian market.

011392   Nongkynrih R;Paul V;Genitha T R;Sheikh S (Foods and Nutrition Dep, Halina School of Home Science, SHIATS, Allahabad-211 007) : Chemical changes in Tomatoes stored in different packaging materials and temperatures. Allahabad Fmr 2014, 69(2), 48-56.

The study was undertaken to determine the chemical characteristics in tomatoes occur during storage at different temperatures and to assess the effectiveness of different packaging materials in maintaining the quality of tomatoes at different temperatures. The tomatoes were sorted, washed in potassium permanganate solution and kept for packaging in different packaging material i.e. low density polyethylene (LDPE), high density polyeth lene (HDPE), paper bag, jute bag, bamboo basket with rice straw at room and refrigeration temperatures. The result showed that maximum TSS was recorded in LDPE 6.2°Brix at refrigeration on the 7th day. Titratable acidity was recorded highest in bamboo basket with rice straw 0.35% at refrigeration on the 2151 day. Maximum pH was recorded in LDPE (3.2) at room temperature and in jute bag (3.4) at refrigeration on the 7th day and ascorbic acid was also recorded the maximum in LDPE 28.7 mg/100g at refrigeration on the 71h day. TSS, pH and ascorbic acid were retained more in LDPE at refrigeration temperature. Therefore, the results indicate that tomatoes were best stored in LDPE at refrigeration temperature than other packaging material and storage condition.

1 table, 13 ref

011391   Mua N T;Sundaresan A;Man N K;Dung D D (NO, Police Dep of Fire Prevention Fire Fighting and Rescue, No. 2, DinhLe Road, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi, Vietnam, Email: sundaresn@jncasr.ac.in) : Influence of preparation conditions on superconducting properties of Bi-2223 thin films. Bull Mater Sci 2014, 37(1), 19-25.

Authors report electrical transport properties of Bi₂Sr₂Ca₂Cu₃O_10+x(Bi-2223) superconducting thin films fabricated by pulsed-laser deposition on SrTiO₃ substrate. The aim of the study was to investigate the influence of preparation conditions such as deposition temperature (T_S), annealing time (t_A) and deposition rate (r). A critical temperature (T_c) as high as 110 K and critical current density (J_c) of 6.2 x10^{6 A/cm2 at 20 K were obtained for T_S = 760? C, t_A = 4 h and r = 1.5 Angstrum/s. Authors also investigated the effect of Li doping on Bi-2223 thin films. Li intercalation results in high resistive onset transition temperature and the resistivity shows broadening in magnetic field that increases with field. The large broadening of resistivity curve in magnetic field suggests that this phenomenon is directly related to the intrinsic superconducting properties of the copper oxide superconductors. The sudden drop in J_c at relatively low magnetic field (H<60>0.5 tesla) is due to the effect of Josephson weak-links at the grain boundaries.}

10 illus, 15 ref

011390   Molaei M;Pourjafari S (Physics Dep, Faculty of Science, Vali-e-asr Univ, Rafsanjan, Iran, Email: m.molaei@vru.ac.ir) : Investigation of electroluminescence properties of CdTe @ CdS core-shell nanocrystals (NCs). Bull Mater Sci 2014, 37(1), 9-13.

CdTe@CdS NCs were synthesized using a thermochemical approach and synthesized NCs were used as an emissive layer, a light emitting device, with ITO/MoO₃/PVK/CdTe@CdS(core-shell)/Mg:Ag structure. Structural and optical properties of synthesized NCs were investigated by means of XRD, UV-Vis and photoluminescence (PL) analyses. Fabricated device was characterized by electroluminescence spectra. XRD analysis demonstrated cubic phase NCs. Photoluminescence spectra showed a narrow band emission with a peak centred at about 600 nm. Fabricated device showed an emission at 600 nm, which is related to CdTe@CdS NCs. Turn on voltage of fabricated device is about 8 V and brightness is 53.7 Cd/m^{2 at a working voltage of about 14.57 V.}

7 illus, 21 ref

011389   Mirmohammad Makki F;Ziarati P (Food Sciences & Technology Dep, Pharmaceutical Sciences Branch, Islamic Azad Univ, (IAUPS), Tehran, Iran, Email: ziarati.p@iaups.ac.ir) : Determination of histamine and heavy metal concentrations in tomato pastes and fresh Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) in Iran. Biosci Biotechnol Res Asia 2014, 11(2), 537-44.

During the last decade, the increasing demand of food safety has stimulated research regarding the risk associated with consumption of foodstuffs contaminated by contaminates especially heavy metals. Tomatoes and their products provide an essential source of vitamin C, potassium, and antioxidants. Iran is the 7th biggest producer after Egypt and Italy with 4,826,396 tons according to the data of "Food and Agriculture Organization of The United Nations". Regarding to the high consumption of tomato paste in this study, the levels of lead, cadmium, copper, zinc, tin and iron in fresh tomato and in tomato canned paste as well as the histamine content of tomato paste are reported. Due to this descriptive study the effect of processing method; samples were studied in 2 different conditions: fresh and canned paste forms. Fresh Tomato samples were collected during the spring 2014 from five regions of Fars and Kermanshah province farmlands. A total of 480 symptomatic samples were collected from 24 fields located in Fars and Kermanshah Provinces. Meanwhile 400 canned tomato pastes from 12 popular brands in 3 consequences months were purchased. All canned paste samples had the same date of producing. Samples were randomly purchased for analysis and analyzed according to standardized international protocols by wet digestion method. Histamine content was Determined by Capillary Electrophoresis while Lead, Cadmium, Zinc, Copper, Tin and Iron contents in fresh and canned paste tomato samples were determined by Atomic absorption spectrometer. According to variance analyses of data, Tin and most of the heavy metals in canned samples were significantly affected by storage time. The results showed that, the highest concentration in canned food samples was for tin, 357.88±14.33 and lowest 26.54± 5.73 (mg/kg DW). According to variance analyses of data, heavy metal concentration and histamine in canned food samples were significantly affected by company factory. There was a positive correlation between the storage time and heavy metal contents especially tin, zinc and iron and they were varied significantly (p ≤ 0.003) and after 6 and 12 months of storage the heavy metal contents were much higher in the same brand in comparison by the newer samples.

4 illus, 1 table, 51 ref

011388   Liu X (Materials Science and Engineering Dep, Xi'an Univ of Science and Technology, Xi'an 710054, P.R. China, Email: liuxc@126.com) : Sintering, camber development of layer composites and a new method to eliminate or decrease camber. Bull Mater Sci 2014, 37(1), 117-22.

Zinc-magnesium titanate dielectrics/nickel-zinc-copper ferrite layer composites were prepared by tapecasting technique combined with a uniaxial pressure shaping technique. The sintering and camber development of the composites were investigated. The results show that the difference of shrinkage in the later stages of sintering is the main cause of camber distortion. To eliminate or decrease the camber, a new method semi-fixed uniaxial pressure technique (SUP) was proposed. This method uses uniaxial pressures by which different radial densities can be introduced when one layer's edge is clamped and the other is free while laminating two different layers. The results obviously show that the SUP technique can decrease the camber and the camber curvature shows an inverse quadratic dependence on the applied pressure.

8 illus, 1 table, 16 ref

011387   Jacob D;Mini P A;Balakrishnan A;Nair S V; Subramanian K R V (Amrita Centre for Nanosciences and Molecular Medicine, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Ponekkara P.O., Kochi-682 041, Email: shantinair@aims.amrita.edu) : Electrochemical behaviour of graphene-poly (3,4-ethylene-dioxythiophene deriv(PEDOT) composite electrodes for supercapacitor applications. Bull Mater Sci 2014, 37(1), 61-9.

Authors reports on the electrochemical characteristics of graphene-PEDOT composite electrodes. The electrodes were made of indium tin oxide (ITO) substrates by simple processes of electrophoretic deposition of graphene followed by electropolymerization of EDOT monomer. The composite electrode was obtained by electrochemical measurements, a median specific capacitance of 1410 F/g and a median area capacitance of 199 mF cm^{-2 at a scan rate of 40 mVs-1. The composite showed good stability characteristics after repeated scans in cyclic voltammmetry and fared much better than a thin film of PEDOT. The thermal stability of the composite is also much superior when compared to the polymer with a weight loss temperature of 350 °C for the composite and 250 °C for the polymer, respectively. The above electrochemical and thermal behaviours of the composite are correlated to the unique morphology of electrodeposited graphene that provides a conductive and high surface area template for electropolymerization.}

14 illus, 24 ref

011386   Hoitinkim singson;Sharada G S;Yenagi N B (Food Science and Nutrition Dep, College of Rural Home Science, Agricultural Sciences Univ, Dharwad-580 005, Email: hoitinkim@gmail.com) : Documentation of Chakli recipes and evaluation of commercial Chakli for physico-chemical and sensory attributes. Karnataka J agric Sci 2014, 27(2), 208-12.

Documentation of fifty chakli recipes from sources like cookery books, magazine and internet revealed that rice and black gram dhal were the most common ingredients in chakli preparation. Wide variation was observed among the documented recipes with respect to ingredients and processing methods. An investigation was also carried out in Dharwad local market to evaluate the commercial chakli for the fat content and sensory attributes. Twenty three chakli samples from different shops were collected randomly, out of which 70 per cent were homemade. The fat content varied from 17.6- 42.3 per cent with a mean of 31.71 per cent and there was a significant difference between the samples. The result also showed that 52, 43, 39, 35 and 34 per cent of the chakli were considered as 'like slightly' and 'like moderately' in context with appearance, colour, texture, taste and overall acceptability, respectively with a significant difference between the samples. The study concludes that commercial chakli samples varied greatly in terms of quality.

2 illus, 8 tables, 14 ref

011385   Hamed J;Reza K S M (Mechanician Agriculture Dep, Eghlid Branch, Islamic Azad Univ, Eghlid, Iran, Email: hamed.jafari29@yahoo.com) : Comparison between the effects of solar and sun (traditional) drying methods on the quality and the quantity of lemon in Jahrom city. Biosci Biotechnol Res Asia 2014, 11(2), 1005-11.

In the food industry, there is an increasing tendency to develop economic ways to prepare food with high nutritional values and sensory qualities. One of the most widely used methods for preserving fruits and vegetables is drying. Citrus are among the most important tropical and subtropical fruits of the world which are highly putrescible and due to the fact that they are not available in all seasons, the main purpose of the present study is to study and compare traditional and solar drying methods of the product. After identifying one of the lemon groves in Jahrom, 80 lemon fruits perfectly uniform in the color and perfectly healthy in the lack of fungal infection were selected. In the solar drying method, 5 packs and 10 fruits in each pack and in the traditional drying method, 3 packs and 10 fruits in each pack were used. After the study of the treatment, fruit shrinkage rate, fruit moisture loss and fruit color index were measured. The results show that in both methods of drying, water absorption decreases with increasing temperature. In solar method, drying time is 17-45 percent less than that of the traditional method. In the solar technique, the fruit color is brighter than that of the traditional method. The results showed that the solar drying method is better than the traditional method. But on the other hand, the use of solar dryers because of the unavailability of equipment is not cost-effective and needs more detailed studies but in terms of the product quality is cost-effective.

2 illus, 3 tables, 27 ref

011384   Gopinath P L;Shantha P R (Industrial Biotechnology Dep, Dr. MGR Educational and Research Univ, Maduravoyal, Chennai-600 095, Email: drgopinathlakshmipathy@gmail.com) : Evaluation of nutritive quality and sensory attributes of Calocybe indica flour fortified barnyard millet cookies. Biosci Biotechnol Res Asia 2014, 11(2), 683-7.

Dried mushroom flour as a fortifier for wheat flour and Barnyard millet in cookies production were evaluated for their nutritive and sensory quality. Nutritive content and sensory characteristics in cookies of floured Calocybe indica and its blends were examined. Wheat flour and Barnyard millet flour was partially replaced by mushroom flour in ratios of 2, 4, 6 and 8% in cookies blends. Protein content of cookies increased in mushroom flour with increasing the level from 6% to 8%. Sensory evaluation showed that aroma had higher score (4.43 and 4.62) for 4 and 6% of mushroom flour providing good quality of cookies. But with 8% of Mushroom flour showed lesser score compared to 6%. Cookies showed higher scores for sensory attributes, colour (4.14 and 4.18), appearance (4.64 and 4.62), crispiness (4.81 and 4.71), flavor (4.54 and 4.48) and overall acceptance (4.84 and 4.76) comparatively in 6% and followed by 4% fortification of mushroom flour. The present study suggested that incorporation of mushroom flour up to 6% to replace wheat flour and Barnyard millet flour for improved crispiness and flavor, increased concentration of protein content of cookies.

5 tables, 14 ref

011383   Gautam N;Sharma N (Microbiology Research Laboratory, Basic Sciences Dep, Dr Y S Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan-173 230, Email: neha_mbg@yahoo.com ) : Quality attributes of a novel cereal based probiotic product prepared by using food grade lactic acid bacteria. Indian J Tradl Knowledge 2014, 13(3), 225-30.

Nutritionally rich probiotic product was prepared after fermentation of mixed cereals (Triticum aestivum L., Linum usitatissimum L.) and Chia seeds (Salvia hispanica L.) by exploiting potential of the selected food grade lactic acid bacteria, viz. L. brevis UN (Accession No JX046150 ) and L. spicheri G2 (Accession No JX481912). This novel product was examined through physicochemical, sensorial and microbial evaluation. Physicochemical, nutritional characteristics of the product were determined through physicochemical evaluation. Sensorial evaluation suggested that different combinations of UN and L. spicheriG2 exert significant influence on the sensory quality of the probiotic product. The highest sensory score on 9 point hedonic scale was observed in set A & B. The fermented cereal product was accepted by panelists when it was supplemented with fresh fruits. Microbial evaluation proved that there was no loss in the total number of viable cells in the probiotic product during storage. In addition there was no spoilage in the probiotic product during storage.

3 illus, 2 tables, 16 ref

011382   Fazal A A;Ramkumar C;Ashwini A;Veena B (Food Science and Technology Dep, (University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore), College of Agricultu, Hassan-573 225, Email: fazals4@hotmail.com) : Development of ready-to-eat smoked product from Tilapia. LS-Int J Life Sci 2014, 3(1), 1-5.

Tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus), an under-utilised low-value freshwater fish, was selected for the study to prepare a ready-to-eat product at the Department of Food Science and Technology, College of Agriculture, Hassan. The proximate composition, viz., moisture, protein, crude fat and total mineral content, of tilapia were 79.78, 14.23, 5.08 and 0.92%, respectively. The raw material, tilapia, was dressed and processed in the butterfly style before being dipped in saturated brine solution for different time durations (10, 20 and 30 min). The fish were smoked using saw dust for three different smoking time periods (30, 45 and 60 min). The yield of the smoked product was found to be 40.14%. The proximate composition, viz., moisture, crude protein, crude fat and mineral content, of the product that was salted for 20 min and smoked for 45 min was found to be 33.04, 44.64, 18.60 and 2.72%, respectively. The product prepared from the smoke curing process was evaluated for biochemical and organoleptic tests. It was found that as the duration of salting and smoking process increased, the moisture content decreased in the fish product, and the protein, fat and mineral content increased with increase in smoking and salting duration. The product that was salted for 20 min and smoked for 45 min scored highest for overall acceptability.

4 tables, 16 ref

011381   Farzaneh F;Fourozune L J (Chemistry Dep, Alzahra Univ, P.O. Box 1993891176, Vanak, Tehran, Iran) : Synthesis and characterization of TiO₂-SiO₂ nanoparticles as catalyst for dehydrogenation of 1,4-dihydropyridines. Bull Mater Sci 2014, 37(1), 1-8.

Nanoparticles of binary TiO₂-SiO₂ mixed oxides was prepared via sol-gel method using tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) and titanium isopropoxide (TIPP) in different reaction conditions (solvent and pH) using ammonium hyhdroxide, acetic acid, sodium hydroxide, ethyleneglycol and polyethylene glycol followed by calcination at 850-970 ?C. The morphologies, structures and chemical compositions were determined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and Fourier transmission infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) techniques. The catalytic activity of the obtained nanomaterials was explored for the dehydrogenation of 1,4-dihydropyridines (1,4-DHPs). Observation of 86-100% conversion and 100% selectivity towards the formation of desired products with prepared nanoparticles will be discussed here.

5 illus, 5 tables, 39 ref

011380   Akgul G (Bor Vocational School, Nigde Univ, 51700 Nigde, Turkey, Email: guvencakgul@gmail.com) : Effects of thickness on electronic structure of titanium thin films. Bull Mater Sci 2014, 37(1), 41-5.

Effects of thickness on the electronic structure of e-beam evaporated thin titanium films were studied using near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) technique at titanium L_2,3 edge in total electron yield (TEY) mode and transmission yield mode. Thickness dependence of L_2,3 branching ratio (BR) of titanium was investigated and it was found that BR below 3.5 nm shows a strong dependence on film thickness. Mean electron escape depth (λ?) in titanium, an important parameter for surface applications, was determined to be λ = 2.6 ± 0.1 nm using L_2,3 resonance intensity variation as a function of film thickness. The average L₃/L₂ white line intensity ratio of titanium was obtained as 0.89 from the ratio of amplitudes of each L₃ and L₂ peaks and 0.66 from the integrated area under each L₃ and L₂ peaks. In addition, a theoretical calculation for pure titanium was presented for comparison with experimental data.

4 illus, 34 ref

010382   Zaman H U;Beg M D H (Faculty of Chemical & Natural Resources Engineering, Malaysia Pahang Univ, Gambang, Kuantan, Pahang Darul Makmur, Malaysia, Email: haydar_zaman@yahoo.com) : Effect of processing parameters on the properties of rigid PVC/organoclay nanocomposites. J Polym Mater 2014, 31(1), 77-87.

In this study, PVC/organoclay nanocomposites were prepared by melt compounding PVC with three levels of organoclay loading (1, 3 and 5 wt%) at different screw rotating speeds, using plasticizer (dioctyl phthalate, DOP) with various contents (10, 20 and 30 wt%). Effects of screw rotating speed, organoclay loading and plasticizer content on mechanical and thermal properties of nanocomposites were investigated. TEM photographs showed that the organoclay was intercalated and partly exfoliated in the presence of DOP during melt mixing. The mechanical properties of nanocomposites improved with the addition of organoclay at the speed of 100 rpm. In addition, incorporation of DOP further increased the mechanical properties of the nanocomposites. Thermal properties of the nanocomposites were found to increase as a result of clay incorporation.

6 illus, 2 tables, 26 ref

010381   Wu W;Wang J (Institute of Advanced Materials and Technology, Univ of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, P.R. China, Email: wangjw@ustb.edu.cn) : Thermal and mechanical properties of -NH₂ end capped mellitic acid hexamethyl ester rigid precursor reinforced linear poly(amic acid). J Polym Mater 2014, 31(1), 401-21.

Multifunctional polyimide precursor is obtained by reacting mellitic acid hexamethyl ester (MAHE) with excessive 4,4'-diaminodiphenyl ether (DDE), and is used to react with linear poly(amic acid) (PAA) polyimide. Gel phenomena can be avoided by controlling the ratio of MAHE and DDE amount while preparing the rigid -NH₂ end precursors. Addition of the branched component (MAHE-DDE) provides reinforcement to the linear polyimide as observed from increases in storage modulus and secondary glass transition temperatures as measured by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). These improvements are attributed to the robust rigid network formation between the branched precursor and the linear component. However, their thermal stability (measured by thermogravimitric analysis (TGA) and differential thermal analysis (DTA)) and mechanical strength were found to decrease with the excessive addition of MAHE-DDE precursor, this is attributed to the local aggregation of rigid components resulting in cohesive tension and the reduction in interaction among polymer chains.

7 illus, 7 tables, 20 ref

010380   Wei-Jye S;Ruey-Shi T (Applied Technology of Living Dep, Ta-Hwa Univ of Science and Technology, Taiwan, R.O.C., Email: shu@tust.edu.tw) : Fluorine-containing bismaleimide resins part II: preparation and characteristics of reactive blends of fluorine-containing bismaleimide and epoxy. J Polym Mater 2014, 31(1), 49-62.

Series of fluorine-containing bismaleimide (FBMI) monomers were synthesized and added through blending to general epoxy system for application of low-dielectric content (Dk) materials. The thermal analysis and dielectric property of the FBMI monomers in bisphenol-type epoxy system has been discussed. An increase in the FBMI contents decreases the glass-transition temperature (Tg) and slightly reduces the mechanical strength of the epoxy blends. Although the initial pyrolysis temperature of all the blending systems gradually decreases as the fluorine-content increased, all the fluorine-containing epoxy systems still had good thermal stability. The FBMI-blends exhibit improved dielectric properties as compared with commercial epoxies with the dielectric constants (D_k) lower than 3.07.

5 illus, 3 tables, 35 ref

010379   Wang K;Zhang N;Lu J;Yin R;Nie J;Yu Q (School of Materials Science and Engineering, Changzhou Univ, Changzhou, 213164, P.R. China, Email: wangkm61@gmail.com) : Preparation and properties of degradable hydrogels based on diallyl terminated cyclic acetal and PEG monomer. J Polym Mater 2014, 31(1), 89-99.

Synthetic, hydrolytically degradable biomaterials have been widely developed for biomedical use. However, there are only a few examples whose polymer backbone does not form acidic products upon degradation. In order to address this concern, we proposed to develop a novel hydrogel based on cyclic acetal units that produced diols and propanals upon hydrolytic degradation. The fabrication of hydrogels was achieved by thiol-ene photopolymerization of cyclic acetal and PEG diallyl monomers (EHDA and PEGDAL) in presence of multifunctional thiols. This degradable hydrogel based upon hydrophobic degradable segments of EHDA and hydrophilic segments of PEGDAL, produced diols and carbonyl end groups upon hydrolytic degradation and could be entirely devoid of acidic by-products The chemical structure of the resulting hydrogel and thiol-ene photopolymerization kinetics were investigated by FT-IR. TGA analysis showed that the hydrogels exhibited a typical weight loss (97%) from around 320 °C to 500 °C. Degradation of this hydrogel was investigated in PBS medium so as to simulate physiological conditions. The remaining mass of the materials after 25 days incubation was 93%. In vitro cytotoxicity showed that the hydrogels had non-toxicity to cell L-929 and had good biocompatibility. The results indicate that this hydrogel has the potential to be used for long-term controlled drug delivery and implants.

6 illus, 25 ref

010378   Vishal Raj;Singh D P;Ram Niwas (Animal Husbandry & Dairying Dep, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu Univ, Varanasi-221 005, Email: ramniwasbhu@gmail.com) : Slaughter pattern of various chicken shops situated in Varanasi city. Green Fmg 2013, 4(1), 110-12.

Present project was planned with the aim to see the consumption pattern of chicken meat and income occurred at various chicken shops of Varanasi city, India For this purpose a survey was conducted on different chicken shops of Varanasi city (UP.), viz., Miraz chicken shop, Beniya bagh (A), Rajesh sonkar chicken shop, Sundarpur (B), Ansar murga wala, Rewdi talab (C), Kanhaiya chicken shop, Assi (D), Chicken world, DLW (E), Mustaq miya chicken shop, Bhelupur (F). During investigation it was found that on overall basis the maximum weight (live & dressed in kg) was found on A and minimum at C chicken shop. It was also found that on overall basis the maximum income (18460 Rs.) was found on Aand minimum (5590 Rs.) at C chicken shop. As regards the distribution of income on poultry type basis the maximum income (37310 Rs.) was found in broiler and minimum (7800 Rs.) in culled birds. Finally it can be concluded that the consumption and income was found maximum in broiler at chicken shop 'A' (Miraz chicken shop, Beniya bagh) of Varanasi city.

3 tables, 9 ref

010377   Vasumathi M;Vela Murali;Chenguttuvan R (Engineering Design Div, Mechanical Engineering Dep, College of Engineering, Guindy, Anna Univ, Chennai-600 025, Email: vasumathi@annauniv.edu) : Effect of stacking sequence and aspect ratio on buckling performance of symmetric carbon-jute aluminium epoxy resin reinforced laminates under various test end conditions. J Polym Mater 2014, 31(1), 39-47.

Owing to the high cost of carbon fibre and to provide pollution-free environment, for the first time, an attempt is made in this work, replacing a portion of the carbon fibre in the fibre metal laminate by a natural fibre. In this paper, with jute as the natural fibre, it is found that, in comparison with other FMLs, the resulting fibre metal laminate is cost-effective. The buckling behaviour of the carbon-jute aluminium epoxy resin reinforced (CAJRALL) laminate is studied both experimentally and numerically by varying the aspect ratio of the samples with different stacking sequences and end conditions. It is observed that, the critical buckling load is inversely proportional to the aspect ratio of the CAJRALL laminates and these laminates exhibit high buckling strength when fixed at two ends. Moreover, the leading failure mode of the CAJRALL laminates is global when simply supported and local when fixed at its ends.

5 illus, 3 tables, 11 ref

010376   Vasudeva Naik K;Sujata;Ananth;Patil K N (Economics Dep, Agricultural Sciences Univ, GKVK, Bangalore-560 065, Email: sujata.somshekar@gmail.com) : Economic efficiency of paddy processsing-a case of Siruguppa taluk of Bellary, Karnataka. Green Fmg 2013, 4(1), 116-18.

Study was undertaken to measure the economic efficiency in paddy processing in Siruguppa taluk of Karnataka state. The data related to value addition, assets possession and variable costs were collected through personal interview method with the help of pre-tested schedule. This study area was selected mainly because of majority of the rice processing mills were located in this taluk. The sample size was selected in this taluk was Thirty processing units. The analytical tools were employed for this study was business ratio analysis like Total asset turnover, Returns on assets, Net profit margin, Capital turn over, Benefit cost ratio, Gross ratio (%) and Operating ratio (%) etc. The profitability ratios such as returns on assets, net profit margin and returns on capital employed and benefit cost ratios were relatively higher in large size rice mills, compared to medium and small size rice mills. This was mainly due to higher gross returns as well as net returns realized by large mills. By and large the capacity utilization in different categories of rice mills was poor (56.30%). Among the different categories, the capacity utilization in small mills (51.14%) was considerably lower than that of large (56.51%) and medium (61.05%) size rice mills. This was mainly due to lack of working capital to procure sufficient quantity of raw material operate the mills throughout the year especially in case of small size rice mills and also may be lack of proper facilities and conditions for sun drying of parboiling paddy during rainy season. Small size rice mills (2.55 units/Q) consumed higher electricity units when compared to medium (2.48 units/Q) and large (2.30 units/Q) size rice mils. Therefore, small mills, by increasing their capacity utilization with the additional working capital, can increase the power use efficiency and thereby reduce cost of processing.

4 tables, 3 ref

010375   Teradal D;Ravindra U (Food Science and Nutrition Dep, Agricultural Sciences Univ, G.K.V.K., Bengaluru, Karnataka) : Utilization of elite cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp] genotypes in the preparation of Papad and storage study. Asian J Bio Sci 2013, 8(1), 72-5.

Potential of twelve elite cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp] genotypes were studied based on their good functional properties and sensory scores five (T-2, MS-5, MS-7, MS-6, C-152 (Control)) genotypes were selected and used in the preparation of cowpea papad. Papad making were studied for quality characteristics such as, water uptake (50 ml), pressing property (soft), total yield (ten), diameter of papad before and after frying (from 16-27.3 cm), expansion (3-5%) and grand weight (55-85g). The correlation co-efficient (r) between functional properties and quality of papad characteristics were showed significant difference. Papad developed out of five cowpea genotypes MS-5 showed highest scores of 8.3, 8.4, 8.0, 7.5, 8.0, and 8.0 for appearance, texture, colour, taste, flavour, and overall acceptability, respectively and statistically there was a significant difference among the genotypes in sensory attributes. Shelf life study of Papad was done for three best rated (sensory scores) genotypes, viz., C-152, MS-5 and MS-6. Samples were drawn on zero, 30th and 60th days and analyzed for various sensory quality parameters and microbial counts viz., total bacteria, yeast and fungi were estimated for two month of storage period. Papads were well accepted even after storage period and microbial load was within the acceptability range.

4 tables, 6 ref

010374   Soni A K;Dikshit S N;Sahu U;AliHumayun S M; Agrawal N (Horticulture Dep, College of Agriculture, Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Raipur-492 006, Email: sonijisoniji@gmail.com) : Chemical composition of carrot and carrot-beetroot nectar during storage under ambient condition. Green Fmg 2013, 4(5), 631-3.

In recipe standardization of nectar from carrot and carrot-beetroot, the acceptance of carrot nectar was ranked first and carrot-beetroot obtained second position in acceptance. The recipe containing 20 per cent pulp, 14 per cent TSS and 0.3 per cent acidity was found best for nectar preparation from carrot. For carrot-beetroot nectar, the recipe containing 20 per cent carrot pulp, 14 per cent TSS with 1 per cent beetroot juice having 0.3 per cent acidity was found the best. After standardization of recipe for nectar prepared from carrot and carrot-beetroot, the acceptable nectar was kept for further storage study under ambient condition. Different preservatives i.e., potassium metabisulphite and sodium benzoate were also added to enhance the shelf life of acceptable nectar. The observations for sensory qualities as well as for chemical composition were recorded at 30 days interval. The nectar prepared from carrot and carrot-beetroot was remained acceptable only for 90 days under ambient condition. Total soluble solids (TSS), β-carotene and sugar: acid ratio in nectar showed a decreasing trend with increasing period of storage (0 to 90 days). The acidity, reducing sugar and total sugar in nectar showed an increasing trend with increasing period of storage (0 to 90 days). While, non-reducing sugar content in nectar showed an increasing trend from 0 to 30 days of storage.

3 tables, 9 ref

010373   Sharma S P;Singh P (NO, S.K.N. College of Agriculture (S.K. Raj. Agric. Univ. Bikaner), Jobner-303 329, Email: surbhuansh@gmail.com) : Effect of different pricking methods and treatments on quality of aonla preserve during storage. Green Fmg 2013, 4(1), 80-3.

Present investigation to study the effect of different pricking methods and recipes on quality of aonla preserve during storage was conducted with combination of pricking methods (H₁ & M₁), soaking treatments (S₁ & L₁), turmeric (T₀ & T₁)and centrifuging (W₀ & W₁) each at two levels. The preserve was prepared as per standard methodology and final TSS of syrup reached to 70° Brix and thereafter the syrup was kept in for nearly one week. Thus, total 16 treatments were lead out under complete randomized design with three replications. The prepared products were stored in dried place at ambient room temperature. The observation on different physico-nutritional changes in aonla preserve was analysed prior to storage and during storage at monthly interval (up to 5 months of storage). The results revealed that treatment M₁S₁T₁W₁ (machine pricked, salt soaked, turmeric added, centrifuged fruits) gave better quality preserve of aonla.

5 tables, 17 ref

010372   Rahman M;Burbade R G;Parida S (Food Engineering Dep, K.K. Wagh College and Food Technology, Saraswati Nagar, Amrutdham, Panchavati, Nashik-422 003, Email: maboodr26@gmail.com) : Effect of heat treatment & preservative on quality attributes of grape squash. Green Fmg 2013, 4(5), 611-15.

This study was under taken to investigate effect of heat treatment and preservatives on quality attributes of grape squash at room temperature. Also to study the organolaptically and nutritionally the effectiveness at 0 day, 15 days, 30 days, 45 days and 60 days. From the experiment it was found that after two months product B is better than product A and C. It was found that product B has better colour, flavour, texture, and nutritional quality. The TSS, pH, acidity was maintained at room temperature. The product increases its shelf life by using preservatives. It was finally concluded that the grape squash contain at least 25% fruit juice and 40-50% total soluble solids and also about 0.3% acid with 350 ppm of KIMS. While processing of fruits reduce post-harvest loss and provide nutrients from these fruits. It is diluted before serving using the standard recipes.

1 illus, 13 tables, 6 ref

010371   Patil N T (CPC Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad-500 007, Email: nitin@iict.res.in) : Power of gold beyond glitter: homogeneous catalysis with Au(I)-complexes to generate a library of privileged scaffolds. Curr Sci 2013, 104(12), 1671-80.

Gold complexes have emerged in the last few years as excellent catalysts in numerous homogeneous transformations involving the activation of carbon-carbon multiple bonds towards the attack of a large variety of nucleophiles. This article gives a brief overview of this enticing subject and identifies some of the most important aspects of homogeneous gold catalysis in organic synthesis focusing on the research done in our laboratory.

33 ref

010370   Mondhe D S;Gupta S K;Chand T;Alam M S (Processing and Food Engineering Dep, College of Agricultural Engineering & Technology, Punjab Agricultural, Ludhiana-141 004, Email: mail2skid@gmail.com) : Drying kinetics of osmotically treated papaya (Carica papaya L.). Green Fmg 2013, 4(1), 103-5.

Aim of this work was to study the drying kinetics of fresh and osmotically treated papaya (Carica papaya L.) cubes. The osmotic treatment with 65 °Brix concentration of osmotic solution for 6 h was carried out in an incubator at constant temperature (60 °C) and agitation. The drying process was carried out in a fixed bed tray dryer at 60 °C. At the beginning of the drying process of fresh papaya, drying rate was influenced by air temperature till close to the equilibrium condition, the drying rate was affected by the impregnation of osmotic solution in to the product. The physicochemical changes in the papaya during osmotic treatment caused differences in the drying rate in the subsequent drying process when compared to fresh papaya cubes. The selected air temperature markedly influenced drying rate for fresh papaya samples at the beginning of drying. Close to the equilibrium condition, air temperature affected the drying rate.

3 illus, 13 ref

010369   Khan A;Sankhyan P;Suresh Kumar (College of Pharmacy, King Saud Univ, Saudi Arabia, Email: altafkhan78@gmail.com) : Biochemical characterization of mustard oil (Brassica campestris L.) with special reference to its fatty acid composition. Asian J Adv Basic Sci 2015, 3(2), 1-9.

Edible vegetable oils are the chief source of nutritionally required fatty acids in human diet. Mustard oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, sesame oil, coconut oil and groundnut oil are among the edible vegetable oils mostly consumed in India. However, none of these oils alone provide many of the lipid soluble nutrients as per the recommendation of health agencies. Mustard oil is considered to be an oil that has low saturated fat as compared to other cooking oils. It is basically consist of oleic acid, erucic acid and linoleic acid. It is also loaded with essential vitamins. Mammalian cells have evolved to de-saturate and elongate α-linolenic acid (ALNA), an omega-3 fatty acid, into eicosapentanoic acid (ω-3) and the longer docosahexanoic acid (ω-3) when the ω-6/ω-3 ratio is low. Excess ω-6 fatty acids in diet saturate the enzymes and prevent the conversion of ALNA into longer forms. The optimal ω- 6/ω-3 ratios that have been estimated to be 2:1 to 3:1 are about four times lower than the current intake. Health agencies, therefore, recommend that human diet should contain more ω-3 fatty acids. Further, studies on the fatty acid composition of oils claiming health benefits have shown that these oils contain lower amount of saturated fatty acids as compared to the unsaturated fatty acids. In the present study, the samples were analyzed for fatty acids, free fatty acids, and peroxide value, iodine number, saponiflcation number were determined according to the standard procedures.

4 illus, 2 tables, 20 ref

010368   Katoch S (Chemistry Dep, Gautam Post Graduate College, Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh, Email: sunainkatoch@yahoo.co.in) : Kinetics study of unsaturated polyester synthesized from waste PET. Asian J Adv Basic Sci 2015, 3(2), 87-92.

Waste polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is glycolyzed along with virgin PET. A higher proportion of virgin PET in the mixture has the ability to consume more glycols during glycolysis. This gives rise to a glycolyzed PET (GPET1), which contains a lesser amount of free glycol and shows the highest hydroxyl value. During polyesterification of the polyester diol (glycolyzed PET) with maleic acid, the degree of polymerization (DPn), extent of reaction and acid value is observed to be increasing with an increase in the virgin PET content in the mixture. This is believed to be due to the increasing presence of BHET (bis-hydroxy ethylene terephthalate) in the glycolyzed PET.

3 illus, 2 tables, 17 ref

010367   Kalpana C A;Habeeba B (Food Science and Nutrition Dep, Avinashilingam Institute for Home Science and Higher Education for Wom, Coimbatore-641 043) : Effect of ramadan fasting on the nutritional status of newborn. Indian J Nutr Diet 2013, 50(8), 306-14.

Findings of the study revealed that there were changes in the dietary pattern of pregnant women during the fasting period. Nonbu kanji consumed during fasting was rich in carbohydrates, proteins, calcium and fats. No effect on the weight gain, fundal height and pregnancy outcomes was observed from the study. Further there were no complications during pregnancy and parturition among the fasting pregnant women. No change was observed in the nutritional status of the newborn of the fasting women when compared with the newborns of the non fasting group. Thus it may be concluded that fasting during Ramadan had no adverse effect on the nutritional status of the newborn.

3 tables, 10 ref

010366   Jawandha S K;Gill M S;Singh N P;Gill P P S; Singh N (Fruit Science Dep, Punjab Agricultural Univ, Ludhiana (Punjab), Email: skjawandha@pau.edu) : Effect of putrescine and packaging on storage of mango (Mangifera indica). Asian J Bio Sci 2013, 8(1), 28-31.

Mango is a perishable fruit and its ripening period coincides with the summer months under north Indian conditions. It has very short life at ambient temperature and high post-harvest losses. Keeping it in view, an experiment was planned to study the effect of putrescine and LDPE packaging on storage life and quality of mango fruits cv. Langra. Physiologically mature and uniform fruits of mango were treated with putrescine @0.0, 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 mmolL^{-1. Treated fruits were air dried in shade and packed individually in perforated LDPE bags before storage at 13°C and 85-90 per cent RH for 4 weeks. Results revealed that fruits treated with putrescine @2.0 mmolL-1 alongwith LDPE packaging retained best quality in terms of high palatability rating, good blend of TSS and acidity and low physiological loss in weight and spoilage percentage.}

5 tables, 16 ref

010365   Ghosh B;Ghosh A K;Bindal R C;Tewari P K (Desalination Div, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai-400 085, Email: akghosh@barc.gov.in) : Effect of addition of iron salt in amine solution on performance of polyethylene imine-isophthaloyl chloride (PEI-IPC) based polyamide-polysulfone composite reverse osmosis (RO) membranes. J Polym Mater 2014, 31(1), 29-38.

In this study, authors report the effect of addition of iron salts with amine reactants on the performances of thin-film composite (TFC) polyamide reverse osmosis membranes prepared by in-situ interfacial polymerization between polyethylene imine (PEI) and 1, 3-benzene dicarbonyl chloride or isophthaloyl chloride (IPC). Iron salts are added with the aqueous solution of the polyethylenimine(PEI) (contains primary, secondary and tertiary amine groups in a 1:2:1 ratio) prior to the reaction with hexane solution of isophthaloyl chloride (IPC) to block some of the amine groups. TFC membranes prepared with and without iron salts are characterized in terms of separation characteristics for sodium chloride and magnesium sulfate solutes, water contact angle and atomic force microscopy studies. Membranes prepared using PEI solution containing iron salts are generally more hydrophilic with rougher surface and show better separation performances than the membranes prepared without iron salt and the same trend is observed with PEI of different molecular weights. The reaction time needed to complete polyamide thin film formation is less for iron salt containing PEI than the blank PEI solution under identical preparation condition.

4 illus, 3 tables, 21 ref

010364   Gayen S;Ghosh U (Food Technology & Bio Chemical Engineering Dep, Jadavpur Univ, Kolkata, West Bengal, Email: ughoshftbe@ahoo.co.in) : Effect of metal salts on production of pectin methyl esterase by solid state fermentation using Penicillium rotatum NCIM No.923 utilizing agricultural wastes. J mycopathol Res 2013, 51(2), 319-21.

In this study an attempt was made to increase the production of pectin methyl esterase (PME) by incorporating some metal salts in the wheat bran (WB) and citrus waste (CW) by solid state fermentation (SSF) using Penicillium notatum NCIM No.923. Optimum conditions for production of PME showed that addition of 0.02% (w/v) NaNO₃ in the solid substrates may increase the relative activity up to 10.72% at 30°C for 120 h of incubation at pH 5.4.

4 illus, 18 ref

010363   Bhatt V D;Gohil K (Chemical Sciences Dep, Natubhai V Patel College of Pure and Applied Sciences, Vallabh Vidyanagar-388 120, Email: vdishq@yahoo.co.in) : Ion exchange synthesis and thermal characteristics of some [N₂₂₂₂<. Bull Mater Sci 2013, 36(6), 1121-5.

Eight salts were obtained by reacting tetraethylammonium cation [N₂₂₂₂^{+] with inorganic anions like BF₄-, NO₃-NO₂-, SCN-, BrO₃-, IO₃-, PF₆- and HCO₃- using ion exchange method. These ionic liquids (ILs) were characterized using thermal methods, infrared spectroscopy and densitometry. Thermophysical properties such as density, coefficient of volume expansion, heat of fusion, heat capacity and thermal energy storage capacity were determined. Thermal conductivity of the samples was determined both in solid and liquid phases. Owing to high values of thermal energy storage capacity coupled with handsome liquid phase thermal conductivity, ILs under investigation were recommended as materials for thermal energy storage (TES) as well as heat transfer applications.}

2 illus, 1 table, 29 ref

010362   Bhati-Kushwaha H;Malik C P (School of Life Sciences, Jaipur National Univ, Jaipur, Rajasthan, Email: hbk.bionanotech@yahoo.com) : Inconsistent impact of nanoparticles on food chain. LS-Int J Life Sci 2013, 2(2), 108-19.

Nanotechnology has proved to be beneficial for its medical, ethical, mental, legal and environmental applications. It encompasses several fields, e.g., engineering, biology, chemistry, computing, material science, military applications and communications. The incumbent technology identifies unique properties of materials with dimension in the range of 1-100 nm. Though these properties yield many far-reaching societal benefits in several fields, including improved manufacturing methods, water purification systems, energy systems, physical enhancement, nanomedicine, better food production methods and nutrition, and large-scale infrastructure auto-fabrication, but they may also pose threat and risks to environment and human health demanding great concern for safety issues. To lessen the deleterious impacts of nanoparticles (NPs) on environment, especially on the food chain, it is imperative to develop potential toxicity tests, which would aid in the rapid detection of the lethal effects of NPs (screening) and epidemiologic studies must be conducted on exposed populations. The uptake, bioaccumulation, biotransformation and risks of nanomaterials (NMs) for the food crops are still unclear. Very few reports exist that provide the in-depth information regarding interaction of NMs and plant species, largely at the very early growth stages of the plants.

5 illus, 56 ref

009369   Wheelwright W V K;Ray S;Cooney R P (School of Chemical Sciences, The Univ of Auckland, New Zealand, Email: vkol006@aucklanduni.ac.nz) : Fabrication and characterisation of polyaniline/laponite based semiconducting organic/inorganic hybrid material. Def Sci J 2014, 64(3), 193-7.

Novel organic-inorganic semiconducting hybrid material is developed by chemically grafting polyaniline (PANI) onto an inorganic template, Laponite. The surface active silanol groups of the Laponite sheets were silylated with an aniline functionalised 3-phenylaminopropyltrimethoxysilane (PAPTMOS) coupling agent followed by deposition of PANI onto the silylated surface. The method includes the reaction of Laponite with PAPTMOS dissolved in a very small amount of methanol at 110 °C for 44 h in a vacuum oven, interaction of the silylated product with PANI via in situ polymerisation of aniline and one-step isolation process by means of the removal of the non-connected PANI with N-methylpyrrolidinone-diethylamine binary solvent. After isolation and re-doping with methane sulfonic acid the Laponite-PAPTMOS-PANI hybrid becomes electrically conductive. The chemical attachment of PANI with silylated Laponite in the hybrids were characterised by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, elemental analysis, and scanning electron microscopy.

3 illus, 1 table, 19 ref

009368   Velmurugan R;Gurusideswar S (Aerospace Engineering Dep, Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, Chennai-600 036, Email: ramanv@iitm.ac.in) : Strain rate dependent behavior of glass/nano clay filled epoxy resin composite. Def Sci J 2014, 64(3), 295-302.

It is believed that addition of small amount of nanoclays in the neat epoxy and fiber reinforced epoxy composite system can improve the mechanical properties. The mechanical properties of most of polymer matrix composites are sensitive to testing rate. However, most of the researches were concentrated on the behavior of the polymer matrix composites at high strain rates. The present research work is to investigate the role of clay on neat epoxy and glass-fiber reinforced epoxy composites, at low strain rates. The clay in terms of 1.5 wt%, 3 wt%, and 5 wt% are dispersed in the epoxy resin using mechanical stirring followed by sonication process. The corresponding glass/epoxy nanocomposites are prepared by impregnating the clay epoxy mixture by hand lay-up process. Characterization of the nanoclay is done by X-ray diffraction and Scanning Electron Microscopy. Tensile stress-strain curves are obtained at strain rates of 10^{-4 s-1, 10-3, s-1 10-2 s-1 and 10-1 s-1 by a hydraulic machine reporting that, even at low strain rates, the longitudinal strength and stiffness increase as strain rate increases for all clay loadings. It is observed that the tensile modulus increases as the clay loading increases for both epoxy and glass/epoxy nanocomposites. It is also noticed that the longitudinal tensile strength decreases as the clay loading increases. The failed specimens show marked changes in the fracture surface with increased strain rate. Scanning electron microscopy is used to study the fiber/matrix/clay adhesion in fracture surfaces.}

18 illus, 2 tables, 26 ref

009367   Tanobe V O A;Flores-Sahagun H H S;Amico S C; Muniz G I B;Satyanarayana K G (Forest Engineering and Technology Dep, Federal Univ of Parana, Curitiba-PR-Brazil, Email: kgs_satya@yahoo.co.in) : Sponge gourd (Luffa cylindrica) reinforced polyester composites: preparation and properties. Def Sci J 2014, 64(3), 273-80.

Increasing environmental concern along with the drive to find substitutes for synthetic fibers and value added applications for low cost and renewable plant fibers have led to the development of composites based on biomaterials. One of the drawbacks encountered in such exercise is the lack of adhesion between the incorporated plant fibers and synthetic polymeric matrices. Such drawback can be reduced by appropriate treatment of fibers. This paper describes the chemical treatments used on sponge gourd (Luffa cylindrica) fibers of Brazil to prepare their composites with polyester resin. Production of short fiber-polymer composite as well as mat-polyester composites is presented here. Characterization of the composites in respect of evaluation of density, water absorption, thermal stability, tensile properties and impact strength were made and the results are discussed. Observed impact strength and tensile properties are discussed based on the fractographic studies of the composites.

13 illus, 1 table, 18 ref

009366   Singh S V;Verma A (Chemical Engineering and Technology Dep, Indian Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu Univ, Varnasi-221 005, Email: satyavirsingh59@rediffmail.com) : Spray drying of mosambi juice in lab. J Instn Engrs : Ser A 2014, 95(1), 55-9.

Studies on spray drying of mosambi juice were carried out with Laboratory spray dryer set-up (LSD-48 MINI SPRAY DRYER-JISL). Inlet and outlet air temperature and maltodextrin (drying agent) concentration was taken as variable parameters. Experiments were conducted by using 110 °C to 140 °C inlet air temperature, 60 °C to 70 °C outlet air temperature and 5-7% maltodextrin concentration. The free flow powder of mosambi juice was obtained with 7% maltodextrin at 140 °C inlet air temperature and 60 °C outlet air temperature. Fresh and reconstituted juices were evaluated for vitamin C, titrable acidity and sensory characteristics. The reconstituted juice was found slightly acceptable by taste panel.

1 illus, 3 tables, 29 ref

009365   Singh A;Lal A A;Simon S (Plant Protection Dep, Sam Higginbottom Institute of Agriculture, Technology & Sciences, Allahabad-211 007, Email: anu.007om@gmail.com) : Evaluation of agricultural wastes and by-products for multiplication of Trichoderma harzianum. Ann Pl Prot Sci 2014, 22(1), 223-4.

1 table, 4 ref

009364   Shrivastava A;Sharma J;Jain S;Aggrawal K L (Pharmaceutical Analysis Dep, B.R. Nahata College of Pharmacy, Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh) : Incompatibility studies by high performance thin-layer chromatography: in case of curcumin. Asian J Pharm 2013, 7(2), 103-9.

Curcumin [1,7-bis (4-hydroxy-3-methoxy-phenyl) hepta-1, 6-diene-3, 5-dione] is one of the component present in the turmeric. Curcumin has been in use for its medicinal benefits since centuries and its therapeutic potential is continuously explored through various researchers throughout the world. To investigate the interaction of curcumin with commonly used excipients such as microcrystalline cellulose, starch, colloidal silica, talc, ascorbic acid, lactose, ethyl cellulose (EC), sodium carboxymethylcellulose (Na-CMC), hydroxyl propyl methyl cellulose and magnesium stearate. High performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) is commonly used technique for the determination of phytoconstituents, but its application in incompatibility studies is still not investigated. Thus, we initiated our study with HPTLC followed by Fourier transform infrared and differential scanning calorimetry. Since interaction of curcumin with ascorbic acid, EC, Na-CMC and Mg-stearate confirmed by all three techniques these four excipients should be avoided during the formulation development of curcumin. The presented study also establishes HPTLC's usefulness in such interaction studies.

12 illus, 3 tables, 19 ref

009363   Selvi A A;Rastogi N K;Manonmani H K (Fermentation Technology and Bioengineering Dep, Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI), Mysore-570 020, Email: manonmani_99@yahoo.com) : Degradation of isoprothiolane by a defined microbial consortium using response surface methodology. J envir Biol 2013, 14(3), 545-54.

Defined microbial consortium was developed for the degradation of isoprothiolane. Isoprothiolane-biodegradation parameters were optimized using Response Surface Methodology (RSM). Three variables chosen for the study were inoculum concentration (50-1500 μg protein ml^{-1), temperature (25-35°C) and pH (4-8) each at levels -1.682, -1, 0, 1 and 1.682. Incubation time of 72 hr was kept constant. Degradation of different concentrations of isoprothiolane was studied. The optimized conditions obtained were, inoculum concentration of 50 μg protein ml-1 at 30°C and pH between 4-8. The maximum predicted percentage degradation of 100, 100, 100, 100 and 95.5 was obtained respectively for 5, 10, 20, 30 and 50 ppm of initial isoprothiolane concentrations at different pH levels 7.7, 6.8, 6.2, 4.7 and 4.6. Validation of the model indicated that experimental values were found to be in agreement with the predicted one.}

4 illus, 5 tables, 22 ref

009362   Samant S L;Nair R (Microbiology Dep, Bhavan's College, Andheri(W), Mumbai-400 058, Email: slsbha@yahoo.com) : Potential use of glucanase from Ampelomyces quisqualis DSM 2222 in food and textile processing. Asian J expl Sci 2013, 27(11), 61-6.

Agro substrates like barley and oats were used for the production of glucanase from Ampelomyces quisqualis DSM 2222. Solid barley medium adjusted to pH 5.0 and supplemented with 0.1% KNO₃ was used for harvesting the enzyme. The enzyme was purified at 60% saturation with ammonium sulphate followed by ultrafiltration using a 30kD cellulose acetate filter aid. Maximum glucanase activity of 533.3 units/ min was associated with the retentate and having a protein content of 3.3 mg/ ml. The enzyme yield was 0.22 mg of protein per gram of solid barley. This enzyme exhibited maximum activity in the presence of 0.05% Cu, insensitivity towards Na^{+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+ and optimum activity in the pH range 5-6. However, the enzyme was completely inactivated in presence of Hg2+. Enzyme produced by A. quisqualis was able to show a 46.16% reduction in viscosity as compared to a 4.7% exhibited by Rhizopus microsporus var. microsporus, thus, indicating its potential use in the brewing industry. Bioscouring of cotton fabric was also carried out using a standard glucanase and that produced by A. quisqualis. The results obtained were comparable to the standard enzyme but holds a promising potential for use in the textile industry.}

3 illus, 4 tables, 19 ref

009361   Sachdev P;Banerjee M;Mukherjee G S (School of Physics, Devi Ahilya Univ, Indore-452 017, Email: gs_mukherjee@rediffmail.com) : Magnetic and microstructural studies on PVA/Co nanocomposite prepared by ion beam sputtering technique. Def Sci J 2014, 64(3), 290-4.

In this paper, we report the embedment of Cobalt (Co) nanoparticles by ion beam sputtering (IBS) in poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) substrate to prepare nanocomposite film. The Co film of 5 nm was deposited on PVA by IBS technique. Formation of nanocrystalline Co with hep phase is revealed in GIXRD pattern of the film which also indicates that there is no change in the crystalline structure of PVA even after sputtering of the metallic nanoparticles. The average particle size of Co nanoparticles as evaluated using Scherer formula is found to be about 2 nm. UV-Vis absorption spectrum of the film showed SPR peaks of Co metal in their nano size level embedded in the PVA matrix system. XPS study confirms the metallic nature of Co MOKE studies show that the nanocomposite film is ferromagnetic with Hc_n of. 42.8 Oe.

5 illus, 24 ref

009360   Pushpa riya;Munishamanna K B;Divya Shree C N (NO, University of Agricultural Sciences, GKVK, Bangalore-560 065, Email: priyavenkatachala@gmail.com) : Yeast fermentation of tomato juice blended with honey and casein for value addition. Envir Ecol 2013, 31(2c), 1069-74.

The present research was undertaken to determine the suitability of tomato juice by different pressing methods with yeast isolates. To ascertain the best processing method four different parameters were tried viz., pH. TSS, Titrable acidity and lycoopene of the fermented tomato beverage. The results indicate that pasteurized processing method found to be the feasible in recording the best output in all the parameters under study. The isolated yeasts (Sc1, Sc2 and RSc) from tomato fruits were screened for the efficiency of fennentation of tomato juice blended with honey and casein. The findings revealed that the lower pH (3.65) in the treatment T₆, TSS (4.06°Brix) (T₉), titrable acidity (0.28%) (T₁₂), vitamin C (3.13 mg/l00ml) (T₂), lycopene (0.18 mg/l00ml) (T₁) and (T₈) and alcohol (3.96%) (T₆) and highest pH (4.32) (T₈), TSS (6.93°Brix) in the treatment (T₅), titrable acidity (O.83%)(T₉), vitamin C (l4.82mg/l00 ml) (T₁₂), lycoopene(0.46mg/100ml) (T₁₂) and alcohol (5.73%) (T₁₁).

3 tables, 2 illus, 10 ref

009359   Pramanik N K;Haldar R S;Niyogi U K;Alam M S (NO, Shriram Institute for Industrial Research, Delhi-110 007, Email: rshaldar@shriraminstitute.org) : Development of an advanced engineering polymer from the modificication of nylon 66 by e-beam irradiation. Def Sci J 2014, 64(3), 281-9.

When Nylon 66 was irradiated by an optimum dose of e-beam in presence of polyurethane as impact modifier in combination with triallyl isocyanurate as cross-linker, a superior performance was observed for the irradiated nylon 66. Significant improvement of properties, such as hardness, tensile strength, flexural modulus and impact strength was obtained on radiation processing of nylon 66 by e-beam. More interestingly, percent water absorption of such irradiated nylon 66 was reduced substantially. Improvement of mechanical properties and reduction of water absorption of irradiated nylon 66 were due to the cross-linking of the polymer system. Increase of cross-linking with dose of e-beam was verified by the increased gel content at higher doses. Irradiated nylon 66 showed better dimensional stability than those achieved with pristine nylon 66. The increase in dimensional stability may be attributed to reduction in crystallinity with increasing dose of e-beam as revealed by DSC studies.

13 illus, 1 table, 18 ref

009358   Pandit P;Banerjee M;Mukherjee G S;Parikh R; Deshpanday U P;Gupta A (School of Physics, Devi Ahilya Univ, Indore-452 001, Email: mandira_bm@rediffmail.com) : Influence of temperature on the conformational guided physical properties of ultrathin films of PLLA. Def Sci J 2014, 64(3), 309-13.

Poly (L lactic acid) (PLLA) ultrathin films of various thicknesses were prepared by spin coating method and investigated by using vibrational spectroscopic techniques such as FTIR and Raman. The analysis has been done in two parts: first one is verification of structural mode to understand the visibility of characteristic band to confirm the PLLA structure; where interestingly, as the thickness of the film increased, the structural features were found to be more explicit. The second part of the study was to observe the features of the film having been annealed for 1 h in two separate temperatures, one at specific annealing temperature 120 °C and the other at 160 °C to enable PLLA chains to reorient to get crystallized from its soften state at two such specific temperatures. The isothermal crystallization behavior of PLLA film at 120 °C and 160 °C from the melt was monitored by FTIR as well as Raman spectroscopies. More importantly, the band at 921 cm^{-1 corresponds to a crystalline phase of PLLA has been observed even in this ultrathin film with the effective application of temperature as selected in this study.}

4 illus, 2 tables, 26 ref