The molecular regulation of mammalian peri-implantation development is complex and difficult to study in vivo. We successfully cultured hamster blastocysts through hatching and peri-attachment stages, using a chemically defined medium, HECM-2h. Using this system, we showed that a species-specific, embryonic cysteine-like protease is involved in blastocyst hatching and that the process is modulated by growth factors. In particular, heparin binding-epidermal growth factor (HB-EGF) or leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) enhance blastocyst hatching, and the former also improves attachment and trophoblast outgrowth. We observed interesting changing patterns of expression of mRNA and/or immunoreactive protein for EGF, HB-EGF, LIF and transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) in the embryo and/or endometrial tissue, during peri-implantation development. Together, it appears that hamster blastocyst hatching, attachment and trophoblast outgrowth are regulated by autocrine and/or paracrine growth factors, produced by the embryo-endometrial tissues.

A completely automated temperature-programmed reaction (TPR) system for carrying out gas-solid catalytic reactions under atmospheric flow conditions is fabricated to study CO and hydrocarbon oxidation, and NO reduction. The system consists of an all-stainless steel UHV system, quadrupole mass spectrometer SX200 (VG Scientific), a tubular furnace and micro-reactor, a temperature controller, a versatile gas handling system, and a data acquisition and analysis system. The performance of the system has been tested under standard experimental conditions for CO oxidation over well-characterized Ce 1-x-y Pt x (La/Y) y O 2-δ catalysts. Testing of 3-way catalysis with CO, NO and C 2 H 2 to convert to CO 2 , N 2 and H 2 O is done with this catalyst which shows complete removal of pollutants below 325°C. Fixed oxide-ion defects in Pt substituted Ce 1-y (La/Y) y O 2-y/2 show higher catalytic activity than Pt ion-substituted CeO 2 .

In the present study, SrTiO 3 (STO) was synthesized using oxalate method. A series of V 2 O 5 nanoparticles supported on SrTiO 3 (V 2 O 5 / STO) with the vanadia content ranging from 0.5 to 2 wt. % was synthesized by wet impregnation method. Physicochemical properties of the synthesized catalysts were determined by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Transmission electron microscopy, N 2 physisorption and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and acidity by pyridine adsorption method. XPS studies of the catalysts reveal that vanadium is in + 5 oxidation state. Particle size of the catalysts calculated from TEM image analysis was found to be in the range of 86-92 nm. Pyridine adsorption studies reveals presence of Lewis acidity in the catalysts and the number of Lewis acid sites increase with vanadium content of the catalysts. Their catalytic activity was evaluated for the liquid phase oxidation of benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde. STO is found to be least active and highly selective for the formation of benzaldehyde product where as V 2 O 5 /STO catalysts were found to be highly active and selective for the oxidation of benzyl alcohol reaction. Among all the catalysts the one with 1 wt. % loading of vanadia contains a greater number of active sites is found to be highly efficient heterogeneous catalyst system for selective oxidation of benzyl alcohol with 100 % benzaldehyde selectivity. The catalytic activity of the catalysts was correlated with the physico-chemical properties of the catalysts.

A fully automated, versatile Temperature Programmed Desorption (TDP), Temperature Programmed Reaction (TPR) and Evolved Gas Analysis (EGA) system has been designed and fabricated. The system consists of a micro-reactor which can be evacuated to 10-6 torr and can be heated from 30 to 750~ at a rate of 5 to 30~ per minute. The gas evolved from the reactor is analysed by a quadrupole mass spectrometer (1-300 amu). Data on each of the mass scans and the temperature at a given time are acquired by a PC/AT system to generate thermograms. The functioning of the system is exemplified by the temperature programmed desorption (TPD) of oxygen from YBa2Cu3_xCoxO 7 + 6, catalytic ammonia oxidation to NO over YBa2 Cu3 07-~ and anaerobic oxidation of methanol to CO2, CO and H20 over YBa2CuaOT-~ (Y123) and PrBa2Cu307_8 (Pr123) systems.