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This paper presents novel radiation hardening design techniques to substantially reduce the single event effects (SEE) on high-frequency receivers subject to various radiations when operating in space. A W-band (75-110 GHz) receiver front-end implemented in Global Foundry’s 90 nm SiGe BiCMOS technology is used for studying SEE and investigating the effectiveness of the proposed techniques. Specifically, the mixer is modified to allow for different modes of operation, in addition to introducing matching considerations between the mixer’s gain and switching stages. The receiver includes integrated high frequency signal sources to provide the input radio frequency (RF) and local oscillator (LO) signals for full operation of the proposed millimeter-wave (mmW) receiver. Measurements are taken while the receiver is in normal operation (RF and LO are applied.) The design techniques are carefully analyzed via extensive simulations using equivalent transient current pulses obtained from calibrated Technology Computer-Aided Design (TCAD) simulations. A two-photon-absorption (TPA) pulsed laser experiment is used to induce transient currents in the silicon–germanium heterojunction bipolar transistor (SiGe HBT) circuit. Various devices within the mixer are hit from the back side through a hole in the designed printed circuit board (PCB.) The propagated transients are then captured using a high-speed oscilloscope at the output of the receiver. The measurement results, supported by simulations and analysis, validate the robustness of the proposed radiation hardened receiver to SEE.

Aim: A polymeric in situ gelling delivery system for localized and sustained delivery to jawbone infections was developed. Materials & methods: In situ gelling delivery systems were prepared using either Poly(dl-lactic acid) or chitosan and Pluronic F127/Pluronic F68. Metronidazole nanoparticles were prepared using poly(dl-lactide-co-glycolide) or chitosan. Poly(dl-lactide-co-glycolide) was used for microparticles. Particles were characterized for size, charge and morphology. Results: Viscosity and yield stress of the gels were 0.4 Pa.s and 2 Pa, respectively, with 70% cell viability over 72 h. Around 90% of loaded metronidazole was released at a sustained rate over 1 week. Conclusion: Use of appropriate amount of nano/microparticles in the gel resulted in a sustained release over a period of 1 week – needed for jawbone infection.

Background: Despite the advancement in the fields of medical science and molecular biology, cancer is still the leading cause of death worldwide. Chemotherapy is a choice for treatment; however, the acquisition of chemoresistance is a major impediment for cancer management. Many mechanisms have been postulated regarding the acquisition of chemo-resistance in breast cancer and the impact on cellular signalling and the induction of apoptosis in tumour cells. The mechanism of the apoptotic mutation ofp53 and bcl-2 proteins is commonly associated with increased resistance to apoptosis and, therein, to chemotherapy. Objectives: The current study was aimed to investigate A172 and MDA-MB-231 cancer cells’sensitivity against chemotherapeutic drugs, including cisplatin, doxorubicin, and paclitaxel with different doses. Moreover, it estimates resistance of cancer cells by evaluating Nitric Oxide Synthase (NOS) expression and evaluate its correlation with the expression profile proteins of the apoptosis regulating Bcl-2 family. Methods: Dose-dependent sensitivity to cisplatin, doxorubicin or paclitaxel was evaluated on spheroid cultured A172 and MDA-MB-231 cells lines, was measured by time-lapse microscopy over a 72h period. Expressions of two Nitric Oxide (NO) synthases isoforms (iNOS, eNOS), anti-apoptotic (Bcl-2, phospho-Bcl-2, Mcl-1, and Bcl-xL) and proapoptotic (BID, Bim, Bok, Bad, Puma, and Bax) were evaluated by Western blot. The effect of NO modulation on antiand pro-apoptotic molecule expression was also studied using Western blot. Result: A172 cells show more resistance to chemotherapy drugs than MDA-MB-231 cancer cells, therefore, they need higher doses for apoptosis. Resistance of gliomas might be returned to higher significant expression of endothelial eNOS expression. It was clear that there is not a significant effect of NO modulation on the expression of pro- andantiapoptotic proteins on both cell lines. Conclusion: The present work provides a putative mechanism for the acquisition of drug resistance in breast cancer and glioma, which might be significant for clinical outcomes.

Cocaine is a commonly abused drug worldwide. Acute as well as repeated exposure to cocaine activates persistent cellular and molecular changes in the brain reward regions. The effects of cocaine are predominantly mediated via alterations in neuronal gene expression by chromatin remodeling. Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) catalyzed PARylation of chromatin has been reported as an important regulator of cocaine-mediated gene expression. PARP-1 dependent ADP-ribosylation is an energy-dependent process. In this study, we investigated the cellular energy response to cocaine-induced upregulation of PARP-1 expression. Exposure of differentiated SH-SY5Y cells to varying concentrations of cocaine resulted in the induction of PARP-1 dependent PARylation of p53 tumor suppressor. Further analysis revealed that PARylation of p53 by cocaine treatment resulted in nuclear accumulation of p53. However, induction and nuclear accumulation of p53 did not correlate with neuronal apoptosis/cell death upon cocaine exposure. Interestingly, cocaine-induced p53 PARylation resulted in the induction of proline oxidase (POX)—a p53 responsive gene involved in cellular metabolism. Given that cocaine-induced p53 PARylation is an energy-dependent process, we observed that cocaine-induced PARP-1/p53/POX axes alters cellular energy metabolism. Accordingly, using pharmacological and genetic studies of PARP-1, p53, and POX, we demonstrated the contribution of POX in maintaining cellular energy during neuronal function. Collectively, these studies highlight activation of a novel metabolic pathway in response to cocaine treatment.

Aim: To evaluate the efficacy of foliar application of Ascophyllum nodosum extract, homobrassinolide, and triacontanol for improving fruit retention, yield, and quality in mango. Methodology: The experiment was laid out in a randomized block design with 10 treatments, comprising Ascophyllum nodosum extract (1000, 3000, and 5000 ppm), homobrassinolide (0.1, 0.3, and 0.5 ppm), triacontanol (1, 3, and 5 ppm), and water as control. Treatments were foliar sprayed at panicle initiation, pea, and marble stages of fruit growth. Observations were recorded on flowering, fruiting, yield, and fruit quality parameters. Results: All the treatments of Ascophyllum nodosum extract and triacontanol exhibited significant improvement in fruit retention, fruit weight, yield, and fruit quality parameters over control. However, 3000 and 5000 ppm Ascophyllum nodosum extract treatments outperformed all the treatments of triacontanol. Plants sprayed with 5000 ppm Ascophyllum nodosum extract recorded the maximum value for fruit retention (48.15, 36.74, 29.48, and 25.76% at 3, 6, 9, and 12 weeks after pea stage, respectively), number of fruits (133.25 per tree), fruit weight (188.84 g per fruit), and yield (25.16 kg per tree), whereas the lowest values were recorded under control. With respect to fruit quality, 3000 ppm ANE produced the fruits with the highest TSS (19.62 °B), whereas the highest TSS/acid ratio was recorded with 5000 ppm ANE (62.29) treatment. Interpretation: In mango, foliar application of Ascophyllum nodosum extract (3000-5000 ppm) thrice at panicle initiation, pea, and marble stages of fruit growth is effective for reducing fruit drop and enhancing quantum and quality of produce.

The phytochemical-rich extract obtained from black jamun pulp were encapsulated using vibrating dripping extrusion technique. The utilisation of alginate (AL) with four variations of core-shell material comprising gum Arabic (AL-GA), guar gum (AL-GG), pectin (AL-P) and xanthan gum (AL-X) was engaged to form calcium-alginate based lyophilised jamun extract encapsulated beads. It resulted that among four variations, lyophilised alginate with AL-GG based encapsulated jamun extract filled beads have better physicochemical characteristics and 95% encapsulation efficiency. The results revealed the morphological comparison of each variation. The release behaviour of AL-GG based beads has a higher release of total phenolics (TPC) and total anthocyanin content (TAC). The release kinetics model involving Ritger-Peppas and Higuchi model were applied for release TPC and TAC of all variations of beads. The Ritger-Peppas model was found best suitable in terms of average R2 (0.965) and lowest χ2 (0.0039). The release kinetics study showed that AL-GA based beads followed by AL-GG could also be the best suitable in release behaviour using simulated gastrointestinal fluids at 140–160 min. Overall, results shown the encapsulated Jamun beads have the best agro-industrial efficacy in form of phytochemical compounds based microparticles, holding decent antioxidant potential.

A series of Cu–Ag bimetal alloys decorated on SiO2 and the fabrication of few-layer S-doped graphitic carbon nitride (SC) warped over it to form a core–shell nanostructured morphology have been demonstrated and well characterized through various physiochemical techniques. HRTEM data confirmed the formation of a compact nanojunction between the SiO2 and SC, where Cu–Ag is embedded uniformly with an average particle size of 1.3 nm. The Ag : Cu (1 : 3) between SiO2 and SC produces 1730 μmol h−1 g−1 of H2 under visible light illumination. Moreover, 6.2-fold current enhancement in the case of Ag : Cu (1 : 3) as compared to the Ag-loaded core–shell nanostructured photocatalyst indicates higher electron–hole-pair separation. The excellent activity was due to the synergistic alloying and plasmonic effect of Ag and Cu. DFT studies reveal that the Cu atom in the Cu–Ag bimetal alloy plays a pivotal role in the generation of H2, and the reaction proceeds via a 4-membered transition state. The mechanistic insight proceeds from the generation of hot electrons due to the LSPR effect and their transfer to the SC layer via a compact nanojunction.

The Hydroxymethyl (•CH2OH) radical is an important intermediate species in both atmosphere and combustion reaction systems. The rate coefficients for •CH2OH + 3O2 and (CH2OH + 3O2 (+H2O) reactions were calculated using Rice−Ramsperger−Kassel−Marcus (RRKM)/master equation (ME) simulation and canonical variational transition state theory (CVT) between the temperature range of 200 to 1500 K based on the potential energy surface constructed using CCSD(T)//ωB97XD /6-311++G(3df,3pd). The results show that •CH2OH + 3O2 leads to form CH2O and HO2 in the temperature 1000K). When water molecule added to the reaction favored the formation of CH2O and HO2 in all the temperature. The calculated rate coefficient for the •CH2OH + 3O2 (2.8×10-11 cm3 molecule-1 s-1 at 298K) is in good agreement with the previous experimental values (~1×10-11 cm3 molecule-1 s-1 at 298K). The rate coefficients for the water-assisted reaction (2.4×10-16 cm3 molecule-1 s-1 at 1000K) is at least 3-4 order magnitude smaller than the water-free reaction (6.2×10-12 cm3 molecule-1 s-1 at 1000 K). This result is consistent with the similar types of reaction system. Our calculations also predict that the effect of a single water molecule favors the formation of CH2O in the combustion condition however, the water-free reaction favors the formation of CH2O in the atmospheric condition. The current study helps to understand how a single water molecule changes the reaction mechanism and chemical kinetic behaviour under atmospheric and combustion conditions.

Investigation of the intracellular generation of H2O2, one of the most important reactive oxygen species (ROS), is crucial for preventing various diseases since it is closely linked with different physiological and complex cell signaling pathways. Despite the development of various fluorescent probes, the majority of the fluorescent probes cannot move across the nuclear membrane. However, detection of the nuclear level of H2O2 is very important since it can directly cause oxidative DNA damage which ultimately leads to various diseases. Therefore, in this study, p-phenylenediamine based carbon quantum dots (B-PPD CDs) have been synthesized and integrated with 4-formylbenzeneboronic acid as a doping agent for the detection of H2O2. The detection mechanism showed that, upon exposure to H2O2, the fluorescence of the B-PPD CDs was immediately quenched. Further investigation has been done in the in vitro RAW 264.7 cell line by both exogenous and endogenous exposure of H2O2 to demonstrate the feasibility of the method. It is shown successfully that the exogenous presence and endogenous generation of H2O2 in RAW 264.7 cells can be detected using B-PPD CDs. The limit of detection (LOD) was determined to be 0.242 μM. The development of such imaging probes using carbon quantum dots will lead to live-cell imaging as well as ROS detection.

Relevance. Dislipidemia is one of the major manifestation of thyroid disease process due to alteration of metabolic parameters which are also seen in metabolic syndrome. Though oxidative stress has been implicated in both processes, controversial results have been obtained. Objective. To determine the status of lipid peroxidation product (Lpx) in the study group and identify the association of different components of metabolic syndrome. Material and Methods: 102 patients comprising of 60 healthy euthyroid controls and 42 hypothyroid patients served as the study group. Blood samples were collected for fasting blood sugar, renal parameters, lipid profile, tri-iodothyronin (T3), thyroxine (T4) and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). Level of lipid peroxidation in the samples was determined by monitoring the level of thiobarbituric acid like substances (TBARS) like substances. Results. The demographic parameters were significantly altered in hypothyroid patients. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure amongst both the groups was observed to have higher mean value in hypothyroid patients. The fasting blood sugar (FBS), total cholesterol, triacylglycerol, low density lipoprotein (LDL) and high density lipoprotein (HDL) in the hypothyroid was significantly higher than euthyroid control groups. The most frequent alteration in the hypothyroid patients was rise in SBP (95 %), Hypertriglyceridemia (50 %) and raised waist circumference (48 %) and DBP (42 %). A fourfold rise in Lpx was observed in hypothyroid subjects (p0.001). Robust positive association was observed between TSH and Lpx. Multiple linear regressions revealed strongest and statistically significant association between serum serum thyroid stimulating hormone and waist circumference. Conclusion. The hypothyroid patients have significant higher degree of oxidative stress and the components of metabolic syndrome. They are the candidates for preventive health intervention.

We report the mechanism to enhance the dielectric and ferroelectric behavior of polymer-ceramic composites through surface hydroxylation of 0.5Ba(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O3-0.5(Ba0.7Ca0.3)TiO3 (BZT-BCT) ceramic filler-particles embedded in PVDF-HFP copolymer matrix. Varying the hydroxylated h-(BZT-BCT) filler particle-content (φ = 0–40 wt%) in PVDF-HFP copolymer matrix, composite films (of ~75 μm thickness) were prepared. We observed that, with an increase in filler content up to an optimum concentration of 15 wt%, a microstructure with gradually denser particle-arrangement and enhanced particles-polymer surface interaction is exhibited, which leads to improved dielectric and ferroelectric behavior. The energy storage density (728 mJ/cm3 at an electric field of 750 kV/cm) of the composite with 15 wt% of h-(BZT-BCT) is found to be much higher than those of the pure BZT-BCT sample, pure PVDF-HFP copolymer and their composites. Our work demonstrates the method of enhancing the functional properties through a suitable microstructure of composite materials with surface-hydroxylation of filler particles.

Monocytes and macrophages participate in both pro- and anti-inflammatory responses during sepsis. Integrins are the cell adhesion receptors that mediate leukocyte migration and functions. To date, it is not known whether integrin profiles correlate with their trafficking, differentiation, and polarization during sepsis. In this study, using endotoxemia and cecal ligation and puncture model of murine sepsis, we have analyzed the role of surface integrins in tissue-specific infiltration, distribution of monocytes and macrophages, and their association with inflammation-induced phenotypic and functional alterations postinduction (p.i.) of sepsis. Our data show that Ly-6Chi inflammatory monocytes infiltrated into the peritoneum from blood and bone marrow within a few hours p.i. of sepsis, with differential distribution of small (Ly-6CloCD11bloF4/80lo) and large peritoneal macrophages (Ly-6CloCD11bhiF4/80hi) in both models. The results from flow cytometry studies demonstrated a higher expression of integrin α4β1 on the Ly-6Chi monocytes in different tissues, whereas macrophages in the peritoneum and lungs expressed higher levels of integrin α5β1 and αvβ3 in both models. Additionally, F4/80+ cells with CD206hiMHCIIlo phenotype increased in the lungs of both models by six hours p.i. and expressed higher levels of integrin αvβ3 in both lungs and peritoneum. The presence of such cells correlated with higher levels of IL-10 and lower levels of IL-6 and IL-1β transcripts within six hours p.i. in the lungs compared with the mesentery. Furthermore, bioinformatic analysis with its experimental validation revealed an association of integrin α4 and α5 with inflammatory (e.g., p-SRC) and integrin αv with regulatory molecules (e.g., TGFBR1) in macrophages during sepsis.

In this survey, some methods of extraction of thorium such as selective extraction of thorium using phosphorodiamidate, selective cloud point extraction of thorium, extraction of thorium from sulfuric acid baking and leaching of monazite, extraction of thorium from chloride solution using Schiff base were discussed. The decomposition of monazite was manifested by sulfuric acid baking and leaching at an elated temperature. The recovery of thorium (Th) from various sources of rare earth and some selective extraction of thorium by using phosphorodiamidate as an extractant was also reported. Using a special synthesized surface-active ionic liquid extractant (SAIL), the cloud point extraction of thorium was analyzed. A synthesized Schiff base was applied for the extraction of thorium in the strategic solvent extraction method. Thorium, using α-amino phosphate extractant from bastnaesite, recovered by using Cyanex 572 and N1923, recovery of Th from industrial residues and recovery of Th from radioactive waste by using IREPO and monazite leached solution were discussed. In this study, the recovery of thorium from the industrial residue as well as from radioactive residue was also discussed.

Background The major by-products of mango processing are the seeds, which represent approximately 15 to 20% of the fruit. The process protocol for isolation of starch from mango kernel was standardized based on starch yield, starch purity and color values using centrifugation and chemical method. Optimized starches obtained from both the methods were further investigated for estimation of functional properties and were characterized through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry and pasting properties analysis. Results The slurry making of mango kernels with solid to water ratio of 1:3 at centrifugation frequency of 3 times was found to be the best among all the experimental combinations (solid to water proportion (1:2, 1:3 and 1:4 w/v) and centrifugation frequency (2, 3, and 4 times)) with a starch yield of 48.43 ± 1.08% and purity of 76.46 ± 0.83%. In chemical method of starch isolation (washing was done with 0.1 N NaOH and 0.1 N HCl at three level each), the sample treated with 60% (w/v) of 0.1 N NaOH and 10% (w/v) of 0.1 N HCl resulted in 36.50 ± 0.58% starch yield with a purity of 92.03 ± 0.87%. Among the functional properties, the chemically isolated starch showed significantly higher paste clarity (45.79 ± 2.36%) than starch obtained using centrifugation process (12.50 ± 1.57%). The chemically isolated starch also exhibited better color attributes which were very close to those of laboratory grade starch. Conclusion Detailed characterization studies inferred that both the starches possessed good functional, structural, and thermal properties indicating suitability for food and nonfood applications. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

In this work, stannic oxide (SnO2) nanoparticles were biologically synthesized utilizing the polysaccharide extract of gum acacia by performing the calcination of stannous chloride precursors at 450° centigrade. The confirmation of SnO2 nanoparticles was done through various characterizations. Making use of the Scherer formula within the XRD analysis, the dimensions confirmed for the synthesized nanoparticles of SnO2 was obtained to be 4.66 nm. SnO2 NPs are 4.22 nm in size, according to TEM images. ciprofloxacin is a frequently utilized antibiotic as well as exclusive therapy for bacterial infections, and not viral pathogens. In this report, ciprofloxacin photocatalytic degradation in presence of stannic oxide was investigated, which was confirmed by the UV–Vis characterization. The results also optimized using RSM optimization and indicated that the efficiency of ciprofloxacin removal is 99.7% under the optimum conditions of experimental factors (catalyst concentration (R1) in 50 mg/L, ciprofloxacin dose (R2) in 0.5 g/L, and Reaction time (R3) in 120 min). These results suggest that these nanoparticles possess great potential for removing ciprofloxacin from aqueous solutions.

Cancer progresses by evading the immune system. Elucidating diverse immune evasion strategies is a critical step in the search for next-generation immunotherapies for cancer. Here we report that cancer cells can hijack the mitochondria from immune cells via physical nanotubes. Mitochondria are essential for metabolism and activation of immune cells. By using field-emission scanning electron microscopy, fluorophore-tagged mitochondrial transfer tracing and metabolic quantification, we demonstrate that the nanotube-mediated transfer of mitochondria from immune cells to cancer cells metabolically empowers the cancer cells and depletes the immune cells. Inhibiting the nanotube assembly machinery significantly reduced mitochondrial transfer and prevented the depletion of immune cells. Combining a farnesyltransferase and geranylgeranyltransferase 1 inhibitor, namely, L-778123, which partially inhibited nanotube formation and mitochondrial transfer, with a programmed cell death protein 1 immune checkpoint inhibitor improved the antitumour outcomes in an aggressive immunocompetent breast cancer model. Nanotube-mediated mitochondrial hijacking can emerge as a novel target for developing next-generation immunotherapy agents for cancer. Cancer cells adopt a series of strategies to evade the immune response mounted by the organism against them. Here we find that tumour cells can hijack mitochondria from immune cells by forming physical nanotubes, and suggest that inhibiting this process might represent a potential immunotherapy approach.

The present study was aimed to examine the antibacterial potential of Brassica nigra essential oil (BNEO) against Ralstonia solanacearum, causal agent of bacterial wilt and Nitrosomonas sp., the nitrifying bacteria. In poisoned food assay, BNEO showed 100% growth inhibition of R. solancearum at ≥ 125 µg mL-1. Revalidation of findings by volatile assay employing inverted Petri plate technique exhibited 100% bacterial growth inhibition caused by vapors of BNEO, even at 50 µg mL-1 concentration. In the broth microdilution assay, the BNEO exhibited significant antibacterial activity only at higher concentrations (>500 µg mL-1). At 500 µg mL-1, BNEO showed 80% bacterial growth inhibition over control, which was at par with that of streptomycin (5 µg mL-1). In resazurin microtitre-plate assay, the maximum concentration of BNEO, at which color change occurred was 512 µg mL-1 (T9), and thus 512 µg mL-1 was concluded as the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). BNEO effectively inhibited the activity of Nitrosomonas spp. with 30-65% nitrification inhibition at the dose of 400 mkg-1 of Urea-N. Homology modeled protein targets assisted computational tool-based novel analysis helped to understand that the antibacterial potency of BNEO is due to preferable binding efficiency of allyl isothiocyanate (AITC), the major active ingredient of BNEO.

Background Despite intense research, the prognosis for patients with advanced colorectal cancer (CRC) remains poor. The prostaglandin D2 receptors DP1 and DP2 are explored here as potential therapeutic targets for advanced CRC. Methods A CRC cohort was analysed to determine whether DP1 and DP2 receptor expression correlates with patient survival. Four colon cancer cell lines and a zebrafish metastasis model were used to explore how DP1/DP2 receptor expression correlates with CRC progression. Results Analysis of the clinical CRC cohort revealed high DP2 expression in tumour tissue, whereas DP1 expression was low. High DP2 expression negatively correlated with overall survival. Other pathological indicators, such as TNM stage and metastasis, positively correlated with DP2 but not DP1 expression. In accordance, the in vitro results showed high DP2 expression in four CC-cell lines, but only one expressed DP1. DP2 stimulation resulted in increased proliferation, p-ERK1/2 and VEGF expression/secretion. DP2-stimulated cells exhibited increased migration in the zebrafish metastasis model. Conclusion Our results support DP2 receptor expression and signalling as a therapeutic target in CRC progression based on its expression in CRC tissue correlating with poor patient survival and that it triggers proliferation, p-ERK1/2 and VEGF expression and release and increased metastatic activity in CC-cells.

Objectives: Electrochemical fabrication and characterization of a gold-polyaniline/multi-walled carbon nanotubes/manganese dioxide (Au-PANI/MWCNT/MnO2) composite electrode. Methods: The MnO2 nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared by heating 1% Mn(NO3)2.4H2O at 100 0C for 24 h and characterized by using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Ultraviolet/visible (UV/Vis) spectrophotometry. The size and shape of the NPs were determined from the transmission electron microscopic image. MWCNTs were functionalized with carboxyl groups on their sidewalls by sonicating in H2SO4:HNO3 (3:1, v/v) for 12 h at 40 kHz. The functionalization was further confirmed through UV/Vis spectrophotometry. The working Au surface was first activated and then electropolymerized by using 50 μl of 0.005% C6H5NH2 in 01 N HCl followed by electrodeposition with 0.1% each of the c-MWCNTs and manganese oxide NPs through 20 cycles of cyclic voltammetry (-0.2-0.9 mV) at the rate of 20 mV/s. The Au-PANI/MWCNT/MnO2 composite was then characterized by using FTIR spectra and scanning electron microscopy. Findings: An Au-PANI/MWCNT/MnO2 composite electrode was fabricated and characterized. Novelty: The nanocomposite electrode was designed by using screen printed electrode, which is very simple to construct, portable, and economic. The composite can be used to design a sensors or sensor array in future. Keywords: Electrochemical Fabrication, Manganese Dioxide, Multi-walled Carbon Nanotubes, Nanocomposite Synthesis, Screen Printed Electrodes

Lead is produced from ores, concentrates and secondaries using pyrometallurgical process routes. Different hydrometallurgical techniques are also employed to recover lead as metal or its compound. In the present study, an attempt was made to recover lead from the anode slime (12.75% Pb and 18.50% Cu as major elements) that is obtained during electrorefining of copper. Before lead extraction, decopperization was carried out using very dilute sulphuric acid leaching, where Cu was completely removed. Lead was extracted using brine solution as the leachant. The maximum leaching efficiency of 80.66% was obtained using 35% brine solution under the conditions of 5% pulp density, 90 °C temperature and 1 h duration. Lead was further recovered from the brine leach solution as lead sulphide using sodium sulphide by precipitation technique. It is found that lead sulphide of high purity can be produced from anode slime.

Adulteration of milk poses a severe health hazard, and it is crucial to develop adulterant-detection techniques that are scalable and easy to use. Water and urea are two of the most common adulterants in commercial milk. Detection of these adulterants is both challenging and costly in urban and rural areas. Here we report on an evaporation-based low-cost technique for the detection of added water and urea in milk. The evaporative deposition is shown to be affected by the presence of adulterants in milk. We observe a specific pattern formation of nonvolatile milk solids deposited at the end of the evaporation of a droplet of unadulterated milk. These patterns alter with the addition of water and urea. The evaporative deposits are dependent on the concentrations of water and urea added. The sensitivity of detection of urea in milk improves with the dilution of milk with water. We show that our method can be used to detect a urea concentration as low as 0.4% in milk. Based on the detection level of urea, we present a regime map that shows the concentration of urea that can be detected at different extents of dilution of milk.

A compressive pelletization study, for the utilization of an Indian Banded Hematite Quartzite ore, is presented in this communication. Iron ore concentrates have been generated utilizing the conventional beneficiation process and also by the approach of reduction roasting-magnetic separation. The Fe contents of the hematite and the synthesized magnetite concentrate were found to be 64.22 and 63.80%, respectively. The influence of different factors on the respective physical, chemical, and metallurgical properties of the fired pellets, generated through both the routes, have been compared. The pellets prepared from the synthesized magnetite attain the threshold Cold Crushing Strength (CCS) of 50 kg/pellet at a lower temperature of 1050 °C in comparison to hematite pellets (1100 °C). Also, the threshold CCS of 250 kg/pellet is attained by synthesized magnetite pellets at a lower temperature of 1250 °C compared to hematite pellets (1360 °C). The fired synthesized magnetite pellets also achieve the desired metallurgical properties i.e., Reduction Degradation Index (RDI), Reducibility Index (RI), and Swelling Index (SI) at par with the hematite pellets. Moreover, unlike the hematite pellets, the synthesized magnetite pellets do not need the addition of external carbon during the pellet making.

A modular and flexible three-step synthetic strategy has been developed for the synthesis of acridone natural products of biological significance. The tetracyclic core of acridone derivatives has been achieved efficiently in high yield from commercially available anthranilic acid and phenol derivatives via condensation reaction, followed by regioselective annulation. Acridone alkaloids acronycine and noracronycine are synthesized in improved overall yields in fewer steps than the previously reported approaches. The method has further been used for the synthesis of atalaphyllidine and 5-hydroxynoracronycine in excellent yields for the first time. Moreover, the synthetic utility of the present strategy has been showcased by the synthesis of oxa and thia analogues of acronycine alkaloid.

Background Kajjali is used as a base for Ayurvedic herbo-mineral medicines. It is a combination of mercury with sulfur in varying proportions. The ratio of sulfur (S) added to mercury (Hg) directly relates to the therapeutic efficacy of the compound. Objective To analyze the physico-chemical characteristics of samaguna gandhaka kajjali (Hg: S = 1:1) and shadaguna gandhaka kajjali (Hg: S = 1:6). Materials and methods X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transmission infrared spectroscopy, thermo-gravimetry analysis, and atomic absorption spectroscopy were applied to characterize each type of kajjali. Results It was found that the particle size of the formed kajjali compound increases with a decrease in the mercury to sulfur ratio. The presence of excess sulfur does not change the surface oxidation states as revealed by the XPS analysis. No trace of mercury has been found in both samaguna gandhaka kajjali (SGK-1) and shadguna gandhaka kajjali (SGK-6), indicating a complete Hg reaction with S. Conclusion Kajjali simulates nanomaterial of the modern era and possesses therapeutic efficacy as mentioned in classical Ayurveda texts. Complete trituration of mercury and sulfur combination ends up with this kajjali formation incorporating the potency of nanotherapeutics., Graphical abstract Image 1, Highlights • Kajjali, a combination of mercury and sulfur, is an example of nanomaterial used for therapeutics in ancient India. • Proportion of sulfur added to mercury is either samaguna (Hg:S = 1:1) or shadaguna (Hg:S = 1:6). • It is β-HgS and αS; with nanorange particles; devoid of free mercury; containing number of functional groups. • Particle size increases with a decrease in the mercury to sulfur ratio. • The presence of excess sulfur does not change in the surface oxidation states.

We herein report an efficient synthetic protocol to access heterocyclic dihydroquinazolinones by a transition-metal-free process, involving the reaction of 2-aminobenzonitriles with aldehydes in the presence of KOtBu. The method is compatible with aromatic ketones providing 2,2-disubstituted dihydroquinazolinones in high yields. This reaction proceeds feasibly at room temperature and features a broad substrate scope and tolerance to a range of functional groups. The mechanism follows a radical pathway.

Methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions coupled with climate change are issues which are of great concern for modern rice cultivation. It is very difficult and costly affair to quantify the CH4 and N2O emissions at regional and national scales due to large scale spatial and temporal variability in soil and crop management practices. In this study, the denitrification and decomposition (DNDC) model was used for simulating the CH4 and N2O gas emissions from rice fields in Eastern India. For simulating the gaseous emission, the maps of pH, bulk density, soil organic carbon and clay content were prepared using geostatistics and ordinary kriging with study area divided into 1178 grids with an area of 32 ha for each grid. The maps along with other datasets used for running the DNDC model were compiled as model input parameter. The model was then applied for simulation of methane and nitrous oxide emissions from rice fields with various management practices. Simulated CH4 emission in the study area ranged from 9.38 to 110.63 kg C ha−1 and N2O emissions ranged from 0.01 to 1.82 kg N ha−1 as simulated by the DNDC for the crop growing season. Simulated CH4 emission ranged from 0.07 to 1.15 kgC/ha/day, whereas N2O reached upto 8.96 g N ha−1 day−1. The study suggested that the DNDC model can be used for estimating the CH4 and N2O emissions by capturing the information about the different crop management practices from rice fields.

In the present study, the extracted volatiles from dried leaf and fruit of Piper longum were analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and each detected 53 constituents having 92.41% and 96.31% of the total volatiles respectively. E-nerolidol (19.56%), β-pinene (17.07%) and α-pinene (6.8%) were main constituents in leaf volatiles whereas the fruit volatiles dominated by germacrene-D (23.38%), 8-heptadecene (8.95%) and β-caryophyllene (8.20%). Antioxidant potential of the volatiles were assessed by DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) and ABTS (2,2′-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) assays. The fruit volatiles revealed higher radical scavenging activities as compared to leaf. The samples were also evaluated against multidrug resistant (MDR) isolates including one non MDR fungal strain. The fruit volatiles showed a very strong activity against Acinetobacter baumannii than others whereas leaf volatiles possessed strong activity against Klebsiella pneumoniae as compared to other strains. Thus, the dried fruits can be exploited for drug development towards therapeutic purpose.

In the present investigation extracts of four species of cyanobacteria, (Pseudanabaena limnetica, Pseudanabaena minima, Anabaena oscillarioides and Oscillatoria princeps) using three solvents namely methanol, acetone and benzene were used to evaluate the pigments and phytochemical constituents, total phenolic, total flavonoid, antibacterial, antifungal and antioxidant activities. The test species possess distinctive amount of carotenoids and phycobiliproteins. The phytochemical screening indicated significant presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins and resin. The antibacterial activity results indicated that, the methanol extract of O. princeps exhibited highest zone of inhibition i.e. 19 ± 1 mm and least MIC value (125 µg/ml) was obtained for Gram-negative pathogens than Gram-positive pathogens (250 µg/ml). The antifungal activity was more prominent in methanol extract of O. princeps against Candida albicans exhibiting higher zone of inhibition (20 ± 2 mm and MIC value 125 µg/ml). The antioxidant activity (DPPH. and ABTS assay) revealed highest activity in methanol extract of O. princeps (79.78% and 71.75%) and lowest was recorded in P. limnetica, (70.45% and 53.17%), while the standard (BHT) was 83.39% for DPPH and 75.04% for ABTS. Likewise, in DPPH assay, the IC50 for O. princeps and A. oscillarioides was (285.98 and 290.19 µg/ml) as compared to BHT (200.00 µg/ml) whereas for ABTS the IC50 was 338.29 and (339.15 µg/ml) against the standard (BHT) 274.07 µg/ml. O. princeps exhibited highest SOD activity as well as protein content (28.4 U/mg and 38.13 mg/g) and lowest was observed in P limnetica (11.8 U/mg and 10.03 mg/g). In GC–MS analysis a total of twelve bioactive compounds were identified in methanol extract of O. princeps. The Methyl-11-Octadecenoate with percentage composition of (28.23%) was the major compound followed by Methyl Hexadecanoate (26.14%). Hence, the present study revealed that cyanobacteria thriving in Chilika lake possess excellent antimicrobial and antioxidants potential and further exploration can open new horizon.

Heavy metals (Cadmium, Nickel, Lead and chromium) which are natural components of the Earth's crust are usually associated with toxicity. Exposure to heavy metal , even at trace level, is known to be a risk for human being . The presence of zinc, heavy metals, nickel and others metal in the aqueous environment has potentially damaging effect on human physiology and other biological system when the acceptable levels are exceeded. Heavy metals (Heavy metals),Nickel(NI) ,Lead(Pb), Chromium are the common heavy metal and is often released into aquatic environment during mining activities and metallurgical processes. At high concentrations, heavy metal are highly toxic to most organisms and can be accumulated in organisms before entering human body through food chains. Many technologies have been developed to remediate heavy metals contamination, among which Biosorbents hydrogel Agar-agar is one of the most sustainable and promising. However, high pricing of Biosorbents today is plaguing its large –scale applications. The increased use of heavy metal in industry has resulted in increased availability of metallic substances in natural water sources. Many technologies like adsorption, precipitation , membrane ltration, and ion –exchange have been used to remove metal pollutants from water. However , adsorption has proven to be economical and efcient for removing heavy metal, organic pollutants and dyes form polluted waters. Several adsorbents such as Biosorbents and Silica can be used in the purication of water. Biosorbents has shown to be an efcient adsorbent for the removal of a wide variety of organic and inorganic contaminants present in the aquatic environment. Because of its high surface areas is widely used in the treatment of wastewaters. The effectiveness of Hydrogel Agar-agar in cleaning up polluted water is due to its well developed porosity structure as well as the presence of a wide spectrum of surface functional groups. This makes it capable of distributing pollutants on its large internal surface , making them accessible to reactants.

MiR-124 is a highly expressed miRNA in the brain and regulates genes involved in neuronal function. We report that miR-124 post-transcriptionally regulates PARP-1. We have identified a highly conserved binding site of miR-124 in the 3′-untranslated region (3′UTR) of Parp-1 mRNA. We demonstrate that miR-124 directly binds to the Parp-1 3′UTR and mutations in the seed sequences abrogate binding between the two RNA molecules. Luciferase reporter assay revealed that miR-124 post-transcriptionally regulates Parp-1 3′UTR activity in a dopaminergic neuronal cell model. Interestingly, the binding region of miR-124 in Parp-1 3′UTR overlapped with the target sequence of miR-125b, another post-transcriptional regulator of Parp-1. Our results from titration and pull-down studies revealed that miR-124 binds to Parp-1 3′UTR with greater affinity and confers a dominant post-transcriptional inhibition compared to miR-125b. Interestingly, acute or chronic cocaine exposure downregulated miR-124 levels concomitant with upregulation of PARP-1 protein in dopaminergic-like neuronal cells in culture. Levels of miR-124 were also downregulated upon acute or chronic cocaine exposure in the mouse nucleus accumbens (NAc)-a key reward region of brain. Time-course studies revealed that cocaine treatment persistently downregulated miR-124 in NAc. Consistent with this finding, miR-124 expression was also significantly reduced in the NAc of animals conditioned for cocaine place preference. Collectively, these studies identify Parp-1 as a direct target of miR-124 in neuronal cells, establish miR-124 as a cocaine-regulated miRNA in the mouse NAc, and highlight a novel pathway underlying the molecular effects of cocaine.

Crushing mechanism plays a vital role in liberation of coal macerals (organic constituents), which aid in coke making. Due to the use of impact mills, vitrinite maceral grains shatter and participa...

Background: Osteoarthritis is the leading cause of chronic disability affecting more than 80% of people over the age of 55. Several treatment options are there for early Osteoarthritis (OA) knee, like- rest, ice, brace, NSAIDs, intra-articular corticosteroid, Intra-Articular Hyaluronic Acid (IAHA), and intra-articular platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection. Growth factors in PRP (PDGF, IGF, VEGF) promote matrix synthesis, cell growth, and migration, thus facilitating protein transcription. Several studies regarding PRP injection in the management of OA knee support this line of management without any documented complications of PRP at the knee joint. Case Report: We report 4 cases of acute inflammation related to PRP injection for the treatment of OA knee. Two patients developed mild inflammation which was treated with oral medication on an outpatient basis. Another two patients developed moderate to severe inflammation which warranted surgical intervention. Conclusion: Intraarticular PRP injection has been reported in the literature as a successful modality of treatment in OA knee without any significant adverse effect. We are reporting four cases of adverse events following intraarticular PRP injection. Two cases were mild inflammations while the other two were moderate to severe. All four patients recovered and the outcome was satisfactory compared to the preinjection status. The exact cause for the reaction after PRP injection in the knee is not known. Further study is needed for the cause of the inflammatory reaction. Keywords: PRP, OA Knee, Inflammation.

Bioactive lipids, presumably lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) and sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), play a critical role in regulating an array of cellular functions ranging from cellular fate determination, inflammation, immunity, and cancer. Epidemiological evidence suggests that both the metabolites play a prominent role in the development and progression of oncogenic phenotype in a variety of cancers including breast, colorectal, pancreatic, and lymphoma. Previous studies have demonstrated the possible association of LPA, S1P and their receptor in regulating the pathogenesis of retinoblastoma, however, the exact mechanism involved in this event has not been studied in detail. Importantly, understating the mechanistic basis of LPA and S1P regulation is of utmost significance, as far the phenotypical complexity of retinoblastoma (RB) is concerned. Findings from the recent investigations elucidate the prospective role of S1P in provoking the chemoresistant behavior of RB cells for etoposide. In this context, the current paper will enable the identification of novel diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets for better treatment and clinical efficacy in children with RB.

Background: Since time immemorial, the ethnic community of Mayrubhanj District, Odisha, India has preferred Olecophylla smaragdina as traditional medicine for their multiple ailments. Hence, the objective of this investigation is to scientifically examine the myth behind ethno-zoological claims using chemometric analysis as well as in vitro and in silico study. Materials and Methods: The maceration method was used for the extraction of O. smaragdina using hexane and methanol. In this study, various bioactive compounds of O. smaragdina were identified through GC-MS analysis followed by an antimicrobial activity. The species were further studied for their binding modes for in silico inhibition of a choice of bacterial proteins using Biovia Discovery studio software. Results: Tetradecanoic acid, hexadecanoic acid, methyl ester, hexadecenoic acid, n-hexadecanoic acid, 9-octadecenoic acid, methyl ester, oleic acid and 9-octadecenamide are some important bioactive constituents identified through GCMS analysis. The hexane extract was found to have maximum inhibitory activity against Staphyllococus aureus. The inhibitory activity of hexane and methanolic extract against S. aureus at a concentration of 400 μg/mL was found to be 90% and 83%, respectively. The high inhibitory capacity of the n-hexane extract was comparable to the standard drug Gentamycin which further supported the high receptor binding affinity of the identified compound Octadecanoic acid towards Tyrosol-t RNA synthetase of staphylococcus aureus (PDB ID: 1JIK). Conclusion: Interestingly, this is probably the first report that obtained bioactive molecules from O. smaragdina showing the binding site identification to carry out molecular docking studies, and better affinity to bind with suitable targeted moiety.

The authors would like to acknowledge the support received for this work from ISIRD, IIT Kharagpur, under seed grant. The research reported in this publication was partially supported by a competitive research funding from the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a now a major global health problem and its incidence is increasing day by day in whole world. There are various medicinal plants in India those possess antidiabetic property which are traditionally used in management of diabetes. Tectona grandis Linn. (TG) plant belonging to family Verbenaceae is medicinally reported and claims to cure various diseases in Indian traditional system of medicine (Ayurveda) and also in folklore. The purpose of this present study is to examine the hypoglycemic potential of methanol fractions (50, 100 and 200mg/kg body weight) of Tectona grandis bark (MFTG) from defatted hydro-alcoholic extract in normoglycemic, streptozotocin induced (45mg.kg‒1) diabetic and glucose loaded hyperglycemic rats by single and multiple oral administration in comparison to standard drug Glibenclamide (2.5 mg/kg body weight). Initially acute oral toxicity study of MFTG was carried out in rats to estimate the dose for animal study. The study report showed that the MFTG (200mg/kg) significantly (p

Background: Metabolomic analyses from our group and others have shown that tumors treated with glutamine antagonists (GA) exhibit robust accumulation of formylglycinamide ribonucleotide (FGAR), an intermediate in the de novo purine synthesis pathway. The increase in FGAR is attributed to the inhibition of the enzyme FGAR amidotransferase (FGAR-AT) that catalyzes the ATP-dependent amidation of FGAR to formylglycinamidine ribonucleotide (FGAM). While perturbation of this pathway resulting from GA therapy has long been recognized, no study has reported systematic quantitation and analyses of FGAR in plasma and tumors. Objective: Herein, we aimed to evaluate the efficacy of our recently discovered tumor-targeted GA prodrug, GA-607 (isopropyl 2-(6-acetamido-2-(adamantane-1-carboxamido)hexanamido)-6-diazo-5-oxohexanoate), and demonstrate its target engagement by quantification of FGAR in plasma and tumors. Methods: Efficacy and pharmacokinetics of GA-607 were evaluated in a murine EL4 lymphoma model followed by global tumor metabolomic analysis. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) based methods employing the ion-pair chromatography approach were developed and utilized for quantitative FGAR analyses in plasma and tumors. Results: GA-607 showed preferential tumor distribution and robust single-agent efficacy in a murine EL4 lymphoma model. While several metabolic pathways were perturbed by GA-607 treatment, FGAR showed the highest increase qualitatively. Using our newly developed sensitive and selective LC-MS method, we showed a robust >80- and >10- fold increase in tumor and plasma FGAR levels, respectively, with GA-607 treatment. Conclusion: These studies describe the importance of FGAR quantification following GA therapy in cancer and underscore its importance as a valuable pharmacodynamic marker in the preclinical and clinical development of GA therapies.

Crop plants have an innate capacity to acclimatize and survive myriad stresses in field conditions. This acclimatization to stress enhances crop stand in field and productivity of plant. Inter alia field crops withstand drought stress (hydropenia) by inducing synthesis or accumulation of osmolytes such as (i) proline and other amino acids, (ii) glycine betaine (GB), (iii) soluble carbohydrates, and (iv) reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging system as intrinsic drought antagonizing molecules. Precise in vivo induction of osmolytes and their effect on ROS scavenging system in flax/linseed has not been elucidated. The investigation was carried out to identify a tolerant and susceptible cultivar of flax from a core collection of 53 core accessions and evaluate the role of compatible osmolytes in Linum usitatissimum under hydropenia. We screened eight morphometrically diverse flax genotypes in field under irrigated and un-irrigated condition and classified them as tolerant and susceptible genotypes. Further, we examined the effect of ex-foliar glycine betaine application - a signature molecule involved in drought tolerance, on selected tolerant and susceptible varieties. Our results showed stimulatory impact of glycine betaine on accumulation of ROS scavenging antioxidants, total soluble protein and on its own accumulation. While the ex-foliar application had no inhibitory effect on the growth of plants; accumulation of free proline, amino acids and carbohydrates are inhibited par se in flax. Our findings reveal, flax is a non-accumulator of glycine betaine and exogenous application of glycine betaine enhances its own levels during drought stress.

Organotin(IV) complexes are gaining major attention as drug candidates, accordingly we have synthesized a cluster of novel diorganotin(IV) complexes R2SnClL (where R is Me, Et, n-Bu and Ph) of Schiff base ligands 2-{[4-(4-bromo-phenyl)-thiazol-2-ylimino]-methyl}-phenol (HL1), 4-{[4-(4-bromo-phenyl)-thiazol-2-ylimino]-methyl}-benzene-1,3-diol (HL2), 2-{[4-(4-bromo-phenyl)-thiazol-2-ylimino]-methyl}-4-nitro-phenol (HL3) and 2,4-dibromo-6-{[4-(4-bromo-phenyl)-thiazol-2-ylimino]-methyl}-phenol (HL4). The structural elucidation of the compounds was done by using different spectroscopic techniques (UV–Vis, FT-IR, 1H, 13C and 119Sn NMR), mass spectrometry, melting point and molar conductance measurement. The spectroscopic data recommend that Schiff bases are bidentate (NO) in nature and bind to tin metal via azomethine nitrogen, phenolic oxygen atom and have pentacoordinated environment around central tin metal. To check the biological utility, the synthesized compounds were tested for antimicrobial activity against different bacterial and fungal strains using serial dilution method and inhibitory activity noted in terms of MIC values (μmol/mL) which displayed that the complexes were more efficient than corresponding Schiff bases and complex 20 (Ph2SnClL4) was most active antimicrobial agent. The compounds were also evaluated for cytotoxic activity against human cancer cell lines- A549 (Lung), PC-3 (Prostate), MDA-MB-231 (Breast), MIA PaCa-2 (pancreas) and human normal cell line fR2 by using MTT method. The results of cytotoxic activity showed that compounds 5, 6, 7, 10, 11 and 14 are active and compounds 10 and 11 having IC50 values ranging from 0.01 to 1.42 μM are almost equally potent to the standard drug doxorubicin against all examined cell lines and are even less toxic against normal cell line. Diorganotin(IV) complexes of 4-(4-bromophenyl)thiazol-2-amine and salicylaldehyde derivatives were synthesized. Complex 20 (Ph2SnClL4) is most active antimicrobial agent, and complex 11 (Bu2SnClL2) is most efficient cytotoxic agent against tested human cancerous cell lines.

The present communication describes an investigation on the preparation of metallized composite pellets from ilmenite concentrate. It was observed that the pellet size in the range of 8–12 mm, a binder dosage of 4 wt%, and internal carbon of 5 wt% are the optimum levels that help the pellets attain the desired drop number (~ 10) and dry strength (~ 30 kg/pellet). When subjected to reduction tests at a temperature of 1200 °C for 6 h, the composite pellets show better metallization (~ 80%) than the raw ilmenite pellets with an equal amount of reductant. The reduced ilmenite composite pellets also display a reasonable decrepitation value of 4.9%, thereby making them suitable to be used directly in arc furnaces for titania slag production. A comparative characterization study by SEM–EDS indicated that larger amounts of metallic grains are uniformly distributed throughout the matrix in the composite pellets.

Mimusops elengi Linn. is a plant with high medicinal and commercial value. Although several secondary metabolites have been reported from different species of this plant, there has been not much information available on the complete profile of phytochemical constituents in Mimusops elengi Linn. The HPTLC fingerprinting of methanol extract showed 6 peaks having maximum Rf values 0.10, 0.27, 0.34, 0.51, 0.72, and 0.80 at 254nm. The same extract showed 3 peaks having maximum Rf value 0.25, 0.29 and 0.49 at 366 nm. This study applies Gas chromatography-Mass spectrometry technique to determine the possible chemical components in the methanol extract of Mimusops elengi Linn. Unripened fruits reports for the first time most extensive profile of the plant. The determination and identification of bioactive chemical compounds is established and based on the peak area, retention time molecular weight, and molecular formula. GC-MS analysis of Mimusops elengi Linn. revealed the existence of the 2,2’ Methylenebis [3,4,6-trichloroanisole] which was found to be major component followed by Z-1,9-Hexadecadiene, Cyclopentaneundecanoic-acid, 4-Methyloctanoic acid and E-10-Dodecen-1-ol propionate. The results obtained may be helpful to the further study of pharmacological action for their promising utilization as therapeutic agents.

Objective: The focus of this research was to establish a validated high-performance thin layer chromatographic (HPTLC) method for analysing Flupirtine maleate and Paracetamol in a combined dosage form. Method: Paracetamol and Flupirtine maleate were measured using a mobile phase of Ethyl acetate: Chloroform (7:5 v/v) at 286 nm. This technique was validated in accordance with the International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) guidelines. Results: The Rf value for paracetamol was 0.31 and 0.52 for Flupirtine maleate in this existing technique. Paracetamol's linearity was found to be in the range of 3250-6500 ng/band, while Flupirtine maleate's linearity was found to be in the range of 1000-2000 ng/band. The method's accuracy was determined by recovery experiments, which revealed a percent recovery of 98 to 102 percent. The % RSD was determined to be less than 2 in the Precision investigation, and the assay result for both compounds was within the limit.

Rapid industrialization and intensive agriculture activities have led to a rise in heavy metal contamination all over the world. Chhattisgarh (India) being an industrial state, the soil and water are thickly contaminated with heavy metals, especially from arsenic (As). In the present study, we isolated 108 arsenic-resistant bacteria (both from soil and water) from different arsenic-contaminated industrial and mining sites of Chhattisgarh to explore the bacterial gene pool. Further, we screened 24 potential isolates out of 108 for their ability to tolerate a high level of arsenic. The sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene of bacterial isolates revealed that all these samples belong to different diverse genera including Bacillus, Enterobacter, Klebsiella, Pantoea, Acinetobacter, Cronobacter, Pseudomonas and Agrobacterium. The metal tolerance ability was determined by amplification of arsB (arsenite efflux gene) and arsC (arsenate reductase gene) from chromosomal DNA of isolated RnASA11, which was identified as Klebsiella pneumoniae through in silico analysis. The bacterial strains RpSWA2 and RnASA11 were found to tolerate 600 mM As (V) and 30 mM As (III) but the growth of strain RpSWA2 was slower than RnASA11. Furthermore, atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) of the sample obtained from bioremediation assay revealed that Klebsiella pneumoniae RnASA11 was able to reduce the arsenic concentration significantly in the presence of arsenate (44%) and arsenite (38.8%) as compared to control.

Thiazolidinedione derivative have Antihyperglycemic activity, they are agonists for the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR), which controls glucose synthesis, transport, and utilization via regulating the transcription of insulin-responsive genes. A number of novel insulin sensitizers are currently being researched. Several of these are derivatives of Thiazolidinedione, but others have different chemical structures. In this work, we created some new Thiazolidinedione derivative based on structure–activity relationship as closely as feasible. The Thiazolidine-2,4-Dione derivatives were manually developed and synthesized using the proper synthetic techniques, then tested in vitro for antihyperglycemic action using the Sucrose loading model (SLM) and the Alloxan induced diabetes model (AIDM). The newly synthesized Thiazolidine-2,4-Dione derivative was characterized using infrared (IR) and proton (H) nuclear magnetic resonance. In this study we found that Compound M-4 has a lot of antihyperglycemic action, thus it's a good idea to think about using it as a lead material for the creation of anti-diabetic drugs.

Curcuma xanthorrhiza Roxb. (Zingiberaceae) is a herbaceous perennial plant valued for its use in the pharmaceutical and food industry. In spite of its multipurpose use, the chemical composition of ...

COVID-19 is a disease that puts most of the world on lockdown and the search for therapeutic drugs is still ongoing. Therefore, this study used in silico screening to identify natural bioactive compounds from fruits, herbaceous plants, and marine invertebrates that are able to inhibit protease activity in SARS-CoV-2 (PDB: 6LU7). We have used extensive screening strategies such as drug likeliness, antiviral activity value prediction, molecular docking, ADME, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation, and MM/GBSA. A total of 17 compounds were shortlisted using Lipinski’s rule in which 5 compounds showed significant predicted antiviral activity values. Among these 5, only 2 compounds, Macrolactin A and Stachyflin, showed good binding energy of −9.22 and −8.00 kcal/mol, respectively, within the binding pocket of the Mpro catalytic residues (HIS 41 and CYS 145). These two compounds were further analyzed to determine their ADME properties. The ADME evaluation of these 2 compounds suggested that they could be effective in developing therapeutic drugs to be used in clinical trials. MD simulations showed that protein–ligand complexes of Macrolactin A and Stachyflin with the target receptor (6LU7) were stable for 100 nanoseconds. The MM/GBSA calculations of Mpro–Macrolactin A complex indicated higher binding free energy (−42.58 ± 6.35 kcal/mol). Dynamic cross-correlation matrix (DCCM) and principal component analysis (PCA) on the residual movement in the MD trajectories further confirmed the stability of Macrolactin A bound state with 6LU7. In conclusion, this study showed that marine natural compound Macrolactin A could be an effective therapeutic inhibitor against SARS-CoV-2 protease (6LU7). Additional in vitro and in vivo validations are strongly needed to determine the efficacy and therapeutic dose of Macrolactin A in biological systems. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12010-021-03608-7.