Journal of Scientific & Industrial Research

VOLUME 61

/ NUMBER 6 / JUNE 2002

CONTENTS

Editorial

411 / Global scenario on ozone, water vapor and carbon dioxide — an overview / Discusses the major issues concerning ozone, water vapor, and carbon dioxide that increase and hence result in global warming and changes in precipitation patterns. The trends in increase of these gases are identified. The accumulation of the data facilitates the use of ozone, water vapor, and carbon dioxide measurements in numerical weather prediction.
Review papers
414 / Telemedicine: E-health and hospital of the future
Sanjoy Kumar Pal, G S Pandey, Akanchha Kesari, G Choudhuri & Balraj Mittal / With the phenomenal expansion of the Internet, telemedicine is now a reality. However, there are many medico-legal and technological problems that have to be sorted out before telemedicine concept really turns to virtual hospitals of future. This paper highlights the current status and the future prospects of telemedicine, especially in developing countries.
423 / Prospect of herbal drugs in the age of globalization — Indian scenario
A Goswami, P K Barooah & J S Sandhu / Describes the efforts being made to reach the goal of development of new drugs, herbal preparations, pest management agents, bio-enhancers, and drug delivery systems. A few examples are presented in the face of globalisation and WTO.
Papers
432 / Comparative evaluation of activated
carbon with natural adsorbents for the
decolorisation of dye solution
Rashmi Sanghi & Bani Bhattacharya /
Comparative evaluation of low cost and biodegradable naturally occurring adsorbents of animal (chitin) and plant origin (radish leaves) as potential adsorbent is made against granular activated carbon for the removal of reactive dye Remazol Brilliant Violet 5R from aqueous solution. All variables studied are found to have significant influence on the adsorption process at the level of 1-3 per cent probability.
437 / Studies on Leucaena leucocephala seed gum: rheological properties
P R P Verma & Balkrishen Razdan / The apparent viscosity (pseudoplastic viscosity) of mucilage of leucaena seed gum is calculated, based on flow curves, obtained with multiple point viscometer. Attempts are made to correlate the various rehological properties, describing the overall flow behaviour of gum, with their concentrations. The relationship between N (exponential constant) and concentration is found to be a zero order function. Log pseudoplastic viscosity exhibits first order relationship with concentration. Effects of temperature, heating hour, pH, and preservatives on viscosity of leucaena seed gum are investigated.

444 / Chemical modification of wood
C C Menon / The properties of the modified wood and some other inferior grade timbers are described. The development of novel fibreboard, namely Weather-proof hardboard with remarkable strength and durability is also presented.
449 / Chemical and chemi-mechanical
processes for degumming of Ramie fibre and their characterization by XRD,
FT-IR and microscopic methods
R K Boruah, P P Baruah, A K Bordoloi & A Rahman / Decorticated Ramie collected from Ramie Research Station, Sorbhog, Assam, India are degummed, using both chemical and chemi-mechanical processes. Microstructural and morphological properties of these degummed fibres are studied by XRD, FT-IR and microscopic methods. Results indicate that these degummed fibres are suitable for use as a raw material for fibre and pulp-paper industries.

454 / Applications of polymer-supported
reactions in the synthesis of
pesticides I: alkylation and acylation of
N-hydroxy phthalimide
N S Pawar, U R Kapadi, D G Hundiwale & P P Kumbhar / N-alkyloxy and N-acyloxy phthalimides are synthesized in high yields by alkylation and acylation, respectively, of N-hydroxy phthalimide using polymer-supported anion of N-hydroxy phthalimide. The advantages of this rapid method are extremely mild reaction conditions, easy work-up, and clean reaction without undesired byproducts.
457 / Effect of temperature on solubilization of tricalcium phosphate by Pseudomonas corrugata
Anita Pandey, Lok Man S Palni,
Pariksha Mulkalwar & M Nadeem / Pseudomonas corrugata, a soil isolate, initially obtained from a temperate location in Sikkim (Himalaya), is examined for its tricalcium phosphate solubilizing ability along a wide temperature range, from psychrophillic to mesophillic. The phosphate solubilization, by indirect petridish assay, is in conformity with the results of direct estimation of phosphate solubilization in broth. While the maximum solubilization is found to occur at 21°C, the bacteria solubilized more phosphate at 4°C than at 28°C. The species show affinity towards lower temperature range. The study has implications for developing carrier-based microbial inoculants for improved growth of plants in the mountains.
461 / Preparation, evaluation and storage of preserve made from Amla cultivars grown in Kandi area of Punjab State
P S Ranote, R K Hothe & A S Bawa / Studies on physico-chemical and preserve making characteristics of these cultivars of amla, viz. Chakaiya, Francis, and Kanchan grown in relatively backward area of Kandi in Punjab revealed that fruits of Francis cultivars gave the best performance followed by Chakaiya and Kanchan cultivars, respectively, based on several parameters.

Book Reviews

466 /
  • Firm size, innovation and market structure — the evolution of industry concentration and instability
    Reviewer: C P Gupta

  • The economics of biotechnology
    Reviewer: Ashok Pandey

Sci-Tech Update

471 /
  • Translation automation — hurdle the language barrier

  • Internet and privacy

  • Understanding and reducing web delays

  • Multidimensional database technology

  • Database technology for decision support systems

  • Healthcare data warehousing and quality assurance

  • Designing data warehouses with OO conceptual models

  • Seven steps to optimizing data warehouse performance

  • Boosting system performance with optimistic distributed protocols

  • Function-class decomposition: a hybrid software engineering method

  • Quantum effects of gravity revealed

  • Wearing disposable contact lenses is safe

  • Magnetic refrigerator developed

  • Applications on piping polypropylene

  • Fingerprint sensor — an excellent impression

  • Re-usable and recyclable thermoplastic polyester adhesive tape developed

  • Non-addictive painkillers developed

  • Sixth taste sensation

  • Exposure of lager to sunlight decreases its stability

  • Statins — the latest wonder drugs

  • Improved magnetic resonance technique for imaging of brain disorders