Search

Bacillus species are ubiquitous and diverse both in the terrestrial and marine ecosystems. In this investigation, predominant Bacillus species from sea water of three different sites of Orissa Coast were isolated and identified. In total, 16 Bacillus species were identified using morpho-physiological and biochemical characterisation. These identified bacterial strains include B. fastidiosus (CMB1), B. alvei (CMB2), B. coagulans (CMB3), B. marinus (CMB5), B. mycoides (CMB8), B. coagulans (PMB1), B. circulans (PMB2), B. cereus (PMB3), B. subtilis (PMB4), B. alcalophilus (GMB1), B. licheniformics (GMB2), B. polymyxa (GMB3) and B. pumilus (GMB4). The isolates CMB4, CMB6 and CMB7 were identified only up to genus level. These isolates were further screened for their salt tolerance and growth under varied temperature and pH conditions. Ability of these strains to produce extracellular enzymes such as protease, amylase, lipase, gelatinase, casein hydrolase, lecithinase, chitinase and pectinase were also screened and found that most of the Bacillus spp. possess extracellular enzymes.

The present work investigated the effect of rice, chickpea flour, mango peel powder, and guar gum addition on nutritional and functional properties of gluten-free pasta. Experiments were conducted to formulate protein-fortified gluten-free pasta using rice and chickpea flour at different proportions (90:10, 80:20, and 70:30) as base flour ingredients. This mixture was incorporated with mango peel powder to enhance the phytonutrients, and guar gum as a binding agent. The three best pasta samples were selected based on the cooking qualities, colour, and overall acceptability of 27 formulations. The optimised proportions of ingredients were estimated to be 80:20 of base flour and mango peel powder, and guar gum to be 10 and 4.5% of base flour. The optimised sample was found to possess 11.36 ± 0.42% protein content, 1.04 ± 0.01% ash content, 154.17 ± 2.42 mg GAE/100 g total phenolic content, 72.53 ± 0.84% radical scavenging activity, and a sensory score of 8.33 ± 0.65 as overall acceptability. The microstructural and FTIR analyses of the novel pasta exhibited a composite starch-protein matrix due to the incorporation of mango peel powder. Therefore, this novel pasta with low-cost ingredients could be commercially viable, and used as a dietetic alternative for people with celiac disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the lattice parameter variation and the band gap tuning of CdO with Ca by preparing thermodynamically stable Cd1-xCaxO solid solution in the entire composition range 0≤x≤1. The functional dependence of the lattice parameter on Ca concentration is found to deviate from Vegard's law. The principal band gap is found to vary nonmonotonically over a wide range, from 1.4 to 3.9 eV for 0≤x≤0.8. First principles density functional theory calculations, using full potential linearized augmented plane wave methods also predict a nonlinear variation for the lattice parameter and the optical band gap with Ca concentration. From these calculations, contributions from volume deformation, electron transfer, and structural relaxation are estimated and the results are compared with experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The valence state, hybridization and electronic band structure of charge ordered AlV2O4 are investigated by measuring the electron energy loss spectra (EELS) and performing band structure calculations using the WIEN2k code. White line ratio and O K edges of V2O5, VO2, V2O3 and AlV2O4, obtained using electron energy loss spectroscopy, are analysed specifically to probe systematically the VO6 octahedra in all of them. The systematic decrease of the L2 intensity and the O K edge intensity from V(5+) in V2O5 to AlV2O4 indicates a progressive increase in the occupancy of the hybridized states, which is corroborated by the absence of a transition from O 1s to hybridized 2t(2g). Band structure calculations on the parent charge frustrated cubic phase and the charge ordered rhombohedral phase clearly document a band gap in the charge ordered state. From the structural information obtained after convergence and the spectroscopic information from EELS, it appears that partial orbital occupancy may lead to a deviation from an integral valence state on all the vanadium in this exotic charge ordered spinel system.

AlV2O4 is the only spinel compound so far known that exists in the charge ordered state at room temperature. It is known to transform to a charge frustrated cubic spinel structure above 427 ° C. The presence of multivalent V ions in the pyrochlore lattice of the cubic spinel phase brings about the charge frustration that is relieved in the room temperature rhombohedral phase by the clustering of vanadium into a heptamer molecular unit along with a lone V atom. The present work is the first demonstration of pressure-induced frustration in the charge ordered state of AlV2O4. Synchrotron powder x-ray diffraction studies carried out at room temperature on AlV2O4 subjected to high pressure in a diamond anvil cell show that the charge ordered rhombohedral phase becomes unstable under the application of pressure and transforms to the frustrated cubic spinel structure. The frustration is found to be present even after pressure recovery. The possible role of pressure on vanadium t2g orbitals in understanding these observations is discussed.

Jaundice and renal failure in yellow oleander poisoning have not been reported previously. Similarly no post-mortem report has shown renal tabular necrosis and glomerular pathology, liver and brain changes in this poisoning. Four cases of yellow oleander poisoning with jaundice and renal failure and the postmortem findings in another three cases are reported.