National Chemical Laboratory

About: National Chemical Laboratory is a facility organization based out in Pune, Maharashtra, India. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Catalysis & Nanoparticle. The organization has 8891 authors who have published 14837 publications receiving 387600 citations.

Transneuronal propagation of mutant huntingtin contributes to non-cell autonomous pathology in neurons

Abstract: In Huntington's disease (HD), whether transneuronal spreading of mutant huntingtin (mHTT) occurs and its contribution to non-cell autonomous damage in brain networks is largely unknown. We found mHTT spreading in three different neural network models: human neurons integrated in the neural network of organotypic brain slices of HD mouse model, an ex vivo corticostriatal slice model and the corticostriatal pathway in vivo. Transneuronal propagation of mHTT was blocked by two different botulinum neurotoxins, each known for specifically inactivating a single critical component of the synaptic vesicle fusion machinery. Moreover, healthy human neurons in HD mouse model brain slices displayed non-cell autonomous changes in morphological integrity that were more pronounced when these neurons bore mHTT aggregates. Altogether, our findings suggest that transneuronal propagation of mHTT might be an important and underestimated contributor to the pathophysiology of HD.

Ethnodevelopment: Social Movements, Creating Experts and Professionalising Indigenous Knowledge in Ecuador

Abstract: Indigenous social movements have become important development actors in recent years. As the targets of “socially inclusive” neoliberal policies and protagonists in global anti-capitalist movements, the position of these social movements in mainstream development is often ambivalent. This ambivalence reflects contradictions between economic neoliberalism and goals of social development as well as different understandings and practices in development-with-identity. We explore the relationship between the institutionalisation of ethnodevelopment and the creation of indigenous experts through indigenous social movements’ engagement in popular training that emphasises indigenous knowledge. Drawing on Michael Watt's notion of governable spaces of indigeneity, we examine how institutionalisation is occurring in a range of ways that establish new alliances and cut across scales. Analysing the politics occurring at the development policy interface, we focus on the processes of representation, negotiation and embodiment involved in indigenous professionalisation, as activism shapes “scaled up” policy making.

Silica functionalised sulphonic acid groups: synthesis, characterization and catalytic activity in acetalization and acetylation reactions

Abstract: A simple synthesis procedure for the immobilization of propyl thiol groups on silica is investigated using various concentrations of 3-mercapto propyl trimethoxy silane (3-MPTS) in the range of 5–40%. The thiol group functionalised silicas (SiO2–SH) were then oxidized to Bronsted sulphonic acid silica materials (SiO2–SO3H) using aqueous H2O2 as oxidizing agent. The surface structures of the functionalized catalysts were analyzed by a series of characterization techniques like elemental analysis, FTIR, TG-DTA, Surface area measurements, XPS, 13 C CP MAS NMR and 29 Si MAS NMR. The 13 C CP MAS NMR analyses confirm that disulphide species are not formed under the present preparation condition of catalysts. The acidity of the synthesized catalysts were further confirmed by the temperature programmed desorption of ammonia. The catalytic activity of the sulphonic acid functionalized silicas was evaluated in the liquid phase acetalization of ethyl acetoacetate with ethylene glycol and in the acetylation of anisole with acetic anhydride. The catalysts were found to be active in the acetalization reaction, which needs mild acidic sites, while the acetylation reactions gave lower activity, probably it needs stronger acid sites. A 30 wt.% SO3H loaded silica (SiO2–SO3H30) was recycled two times in the acetalization of ethyl acetoacetate and no major change in the conversion of EAA and selectivity to fructone is seen, which further argue against the possibility of leaching of the anchored sulphur containing species during reactions.