Posted on 21. August, 2014.

Scutellarein (5, 6, 7, 4′‑tetrahydroxyflavone, SCUE, 1,) is the aglycone of scutellarin (scutellarein-7-O-glucuronide, SCU, 2,), and is the main active constituent of breviscapine, an extract from the Chinese traditional herb Erigeron breviscapus (vant.) Hand.-Mazz.

Posted on 20. August, 2014.

Harvesting solar energy using photovoltaic devices is being increasingly recognised as an essential component of future global renewable energy generation. The finite supply of fossil fuel sources and the detrimental long term effects of carbon dioxide and other emissions, into the Earth’s atmosphere, emphasises the importance of developing and commercialising renewable energy technologies.

Posted on 19. August, 2014.

Nesting in tree cavities evolved and was lost repeatedly in different groups of passerines, resulting in specific patterns between and within avian families.  In Paridae, nesting is almost exclusively restricted to holes in trees.

Posted on 18. August, 2014.

Parrots from over 200 species are maintained in zoos, breeding facilities, private homes, etc. In all captive settings, parrots can develop feather-damaging behaviour, in which birds repetitively chew or pluck out their feathers.  Believed to be rare or absent in wild parrots , this behaviour is of concern for many reasons.

Posted on 18. August, 2014.

The nucleophilic addition reactions of carbonyl compounds with water and amines are of fundamental importance in organic chemistry. The reaction between water and formaldehyde is a simple and typical example of hydration of carbonyl compounds. Theoretical studies have been carried out on this reaction aiming to find those details that cannot be observed by experimental methods.

Posted on 15. August, 2014.

In this study, the distribution of possible chemical forms of Al, Si, Sn, Pb, Zn, Fe, Hg, Cd and Cu in marine sediments of Cape Town harbour was investigated using a modified Tessier’s sequential extraction procedure and ICP-MS and ICP-AES for heavy metals determination.

Posted on 14. August, 2014.

Flavonoids are phenolic secondary metabolites that are widely distributed throughout the plant kingdom. Chalcones which are flavonoids precursors, are open-chain flavonoids in which the two aromatic rings are joined by a three carbon α, β‑unsaturated carbonyl system. They have been identified as antitumour agents, antiinflammatory, antivirus agents, antioxidants and free radical scavengers.