Structural Properties and Luminescence Characteristics of Eu3+ Doped Lithium Triborate (LiB3O5) Phosphors.

Lithium triborate LiB3O5:Eu has been prepared by precipitation assisted high-temperature solid state (PAS) reaction method using lithium hydroxide (LiOH), boric acid (H3BO3) and europium chloride (EuCl3). The as prepared powders were calcined at various temperatures. As prepared and calcined powders were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectrometry (EDS), UV-Vis spectrometry and Photoluminescence (PL). The XRD profiles of the powder products revealed the presence of crystalline phase at 650 °C. Increasing bandgap with increasing dopant concentration was studied by UV-Vis spectra. The effect of dopant concentration on photoluminescence properties of LiB3O5 was also studied. The optimized Eu3+ dopant concentration for potential luminescent LiB3O5 phosphor was 0.25 mol%.

Expression and purification of recombinant H5HA1 protein of H5N1 avian influenza virus in E. coli and its application in indirect ELISA.

The PCR amplified HA1 fragment of H5N1 (H5HA1) avian influenza virus (AIV) hemagglutinin gene was cloned into pET28a (+) expression vector and expressed in Rosetta Blue (DE3) pLysS cells. The recombinant H5HA1 (rH5HA1) protein purified by passive gel elution after SDS-PAGE of the inclusion bodies reacted specifically with H5N1 serum in Western blot analysis. A subtype specific indirect enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (iELISA) using the rH5HA1 protein as the coating antigen was developed for detecting antibodies to H5 subtype of AIV. The assay had 89.04% sensitivity and 95.95% specificity when compared with haemagglutination inhibition test. The Kappa value of 0.842 indicated a perfect agreement between the tests. The iELISA developed can be used for serosurveillance of avian influenza in chickens.

Amelioration of hepatotoxicity induced by aflatoxin using citrus fruit oil in broilers (Gallus domesticus).

This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of citrus fruit oil (CFO; 2.5 g kg(-1)) on the clinicopathological changes in broilers fed with diets containing 1 ppm of aflatoxin (AF). A total of 160 Ross 308 broiler chicks of 1-day-old were procured from a commercial hatchery, divided randomly on 7th day of age into four groups with two replicates of 20 birds each and fed with basal diet (group A), basal diet + CFO (group B), basal diet + AF (group C) and CFO + basal diet + AF (group D). The gross and histopathological changes in the liver, kidney, spleen, thymus and bursa of Fabricius were investigated and relative organ weights were calculated. Slight to moderate hydropic degeneration, fatty change with the formation of cyst in some cases, periportal necrosis, infiltration of heterophils and mononuclear cells and bile duct hyperplasia were observed in chicks fed with 1 ppm AF-containing diet. The addition of CFO to AF-containing diet moderately decreased the magnitude and severity of lesions (hydropic degeneration and bile duct hyperplasia) in the liver. The supplementation of CFO to the basal diet did not produce any adverse effects in birds.

Compost maturity assessment using physicochemical, solid-state spectroscopy, and plant bioassay analysis.

The vermicompost produced from flower waste inoculated with biofertilizers was subjected to compost maturity test: (i) physicochemical method (pH, OC, TN, C:N); (ii) solid state spectroscopic analysis (FTIR and (13)C CPMAS NMR); and (iii) plant bioassay (germination index). The pH of vermicompost was decreased toward neutral, C:N ratio < 20; reduced organic carbon with increased nitrogen indicates the compost attains maturity. The final vermicomposts result shows reduction of complex organic materials into simple minerals which indicates the maturity of the experimental vermicompost product than the control. The increased aliphatic portion incorporated with flower residues may be due to the synthesis of alkyl, O-alkyl, and COO groups by the microbes present in the gut of earthworm. Plant bioassays are considered the most conventional assessment of compost maturity analysis, and subsequently, it shows the effect of vermicompost maturity on the germination index of Vigna mungo .