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This work presents the hydrothermal synthesis of Dandelion flower-like bimetallic oxide for the hydrodesulfurization (HDS) of dibenzothiophene (DBT). The synthesized oxide and respective activated catalysts were characterized by Fourier transform infrared- attenuated total reflectance (FTIR-ATR) spectroscopy, nitrogen physisorption, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanned electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The oxide sample exhibited a flower-like core-shell structure (TEM) and suitable BET surface area for the intended application, (133.4 m2.g−1). The FTIR-ATR analysis confirmed the decomposition of the organic precursor in the synthesized catalyst. Two activation methods were followed for the oxide sample sulfidation, namely, in-situ high-pressure sulfidation and ex-situ low-pressure sulfidation. Also, the TEM micrographs of sulfided catalysts showed that the core-shell structure prevailed. The HDS of DBT activity results showed that catalyst sulfided under high-pressure resulted in enhanced activity, 2.4 times than the low-pressure sulfided catalyst, owing to the high degree of sulfidation (XPS) and the presence of short/curved MoS2 slabs (XRD & TEM). The activity of the df-NiMo catalyst was compared with the trimetallic NiYMo catalyst.

Nowadays, there is heavy demand for the present materials of different grades due to their important properties like high impact strength, high hardness, corrosion resistance, high tensile and compressive strength, etc. These properties make these materials rely on them for most of the application. These fiber laminates are very good material for automobile and aerospace applications, especially for automobiles used for car bumpers due to their high impact strength. One of the most important matters in making this laminate is its adhesive bonding between fiber glass and aluminium. Here in this study, both glass fiber and glass fiber reinforced with aluminium are manufactured. Various mechanical tests like tensile, compressive, and impact tests are carried out based on the ASTM standards, and the strength of these laminates is observed for the applied load. It is concluded that the impact, tensile, and compression strength of glass fiber reinforced with aluminium is greater than that of only glass fiber laminate. It will result in more dynamic and fusible properties in the composite structure. Thus the strength of glass fiber with Al is higher than that of only glass fiber laminate.

In this paper, we investigated the thermoelectric (TE) properties of doped Ti-doped Zirconium Oxide (ZrO2) via first principal calulations together with the Boltzmann transport theory. We computed various TE properties of Zr1−xTixO2 for x = 0.03 and 0.06 within the temperature range of 10 K to 1200 K. This material shows the p- type behaviour in prestine and doped configurations. We achieved Figure of Merit (ZT) arround 0.82 for 3% doping of Ti at 290 K, and this is higher than that of various ZrO2 composites and several oxides like SnO2 and TiO2. Even though Zirconia has low thermal conductivity as compared to other oxides, it is not considered a good TE candidate. Despite this fact we achieved surprisingly good ZT maxima of 0.819 for 3% Ti-doping at 290 K which is 34.22% more than that of the pure material at the same temperature which makes it a good choice for room temperature applications. Hence, we believe that Ti-doped ZrO2, along with its low thermal conductivity, has a great potential to be an efficient TE material.

A novel photovoltaic thermal air (PVTa) system with semi length fins in the downstream portion of the air channel was tested experimentally for its performance capability for the generation of hydrogen in the present work. Fins are passive devices used to overcome the main detrimental effect of reduced power output due to photovoltaic panel heating. For this purpose, 2 semi length fin configurations namely longitudinal fin and wavy fin were placed in second half length of the channel in the direction of air flow. To compare the impact of PVTa systems with semi lengthened fins in hydrogen generation, the performance study of PV and PVTa system assisted hydrogen generation were also conducted. The experiments were conducted at the site of Tiruchirappalli district, Tamilnadu state, India having latitude and longitude of 10.82 and 78.70 respectively during March–June 2019 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on clear and sunny days. The results indicated PVTa system with semi length wavy fins yielded maximum generation of hydrogen among the 4 cases of PV assisted hydrogen generation techniques considered. It was observed that downstream located longitudinal and wavy fins provided enhanced PV panel cooling which increased the current supply to the electrolyzer unit. The hydrogen generation rate was 13.5, 12.1, 9.5 and 7.8 ml/min for PVT with wavy fins, longitudinal fins, PVT and PV respectively. Keywords: Solar PV, fins, hydrogen, heat transfer.

Background Biomedical research, recently, focus more on searching for biomasses that contain extractable biologically active components for formulating new drugs. Halophytes growing in hyper saline conditions are expected to produce stress alleviating bioactive compounds. These phytochemicals could be the better raw materials for formulating new drugs. Methods The purpose of this work was to describe physiologically active compounds from Acanthus ilicifolius and Heliotropium curassavicum that had antimicrobial, antioxidant and nutraceutical properties utilizing a variety of solvents. Analysis of bioactive compounds included the application of common phytochemical screening assays, proximate analysis, FTIR analysis and antioxidant assays. The disc diffusion technique was used to determine the antibacterial activity of the plant extracts. Results Highest extraction yield was observed with methanol. A. ilicifolius methanolic extracts included a variety of bioactive components, including alkaloids, saponins, phenolics, flavonoids, steroids, cardiac glycosides, tannins, and terpenoids. H. curassavicum extracts showed the presence of all the phytochemicals except cardiac glycosides. The overall phenolic concentration and antioxidant capacity of A. ilicifolius were substantially greater. The antimicrobial assays explored that among the tested bacterial pathogens viz., Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, significant level of control was observed in E. coli, K. pneumoniae and B. subtilis, which were significantly susceptible to both the plant extracts at a concentration of 50 μg/ml. Conclusion The reports from the current investigation explored the possibility of utilizing these halophytes in nutraceutical formulations. The current study sheds light on the possibility of halophytes as natural secondary metabolites and bioactive chemicals with potential for antimicrobials.

Many patients with coronavirus disease 2019 in intensive care units suffer from cytokine storm. Although anti-inflammatory therapies are available to treat the problem, very often, these treatments cause immunosuppression. Because angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) on host cells serves as the receptor for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), to delineate a SARS-CoV-2–specific anti-inflammatory molecule, we designed a hexapeptide corresponding to the spike S1–interacting domain of ACE2 receptor (SPIDAR) that inhibited the expression of proinflammatory molecules in human A549 lung cells induced by pseudotyped SARS-CoV-2, but not vesicular stomatitis virus. Accordingly, wild-type (wt), but not mutated (m), SPIDAR inhibited SARS-CoV-2 spike S1–induced activation of NF-κB and expression of IL-6 and IL-1β in human lung cells. However, wtSPIDAR remained unable to reduce activation of NF-κB and expression of proinflammatory molecules in lungs cells induced by TNF-α, HIV-1 Tat, and viral dsRNA mimic polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid, indicating the specificity of the effect. The wtSPIDAR, but not mutated SPIDAR, also hindered the association between ACE2 and spike S1 of SARS-CoV-2 and inhibited the entry of pseudotyped SARS-CoV-2, but not vesicular stomatitis virus, into human ACE2-expressing human embryonic kidney 293 cells. Moreover, intranasal treatment with wtSPIDAR, but not mutated SPIDAR, inhibited lung activation of NF-κB, protected lungs, reduced fever, improved heart function, and enhanced locomotor activities in SARS-CoV-2 spike S1–intoxicated mice. Therefore, selective targeting of SARS-CoV-2 spike S1-to-ACE2 interaction by wtSPIDAR may be beneficial for coronavirus disease 2019.

Potassium titanyl phosphate (KTiOPO4) is a well-known material for nonlinear optical device applications, but its electrochemical properties are not yet well understood. This study investigates sod...

The present investigation describes the use of bioadsorbent, ozonolysis, and integrated process (ozone integrated with bioadsorbent) treatment for leather industrial dye (Acid Yellow 2GL) removal from simulated wastewater. The morphological characterization of agriculturally based, chemically activated bioadsorbent was presented using SEM, FTIR, XRD, and BET analysis which suggested the high potential of the adsorbent for the removal from leather industry effluent. Maximum Acid Yellow 2GL removal of 98.3 ± 2.3% by integrated treatment was achieved at 30 min, bioadsorbent dose of 3 g/L and pH 7.5. Adsorption isotherms and kinetic models were measured for the validation of bioadsorption process for removal of dye. Langmuir’s isotherm was best fitted for Acid Yellow 2GL dye sorption in comparison to Freundlich isotherm. The phytotoxicity analysis of treated effluent ensured that the integrated process could be a prospective candidature for the treatment of dyeing effluent from the leather industry.

The aim of this study is to harness and store solar energy through Indigo Carmine dye–Formic acid photogalvanic cells. The photogalvanic cells based on photo-sensitizer Indigo Carmine dye-surfactant Sodium Lauryl Sulphate-reductant Formic acid–NaOH alkaline medium has shown encouraging and very impressive improvement in solar energy conversion and storage. This combination of chemicals has shown harnessing of 985.6 μ W maximum powers with a storage capacity of 115 min as half change time from the 10.4 mWcm−2 artificial and low illumination intensity. In this study, the observed optimum cell performance in terms of the maximum potential, maximum photocurrent, and short-circuit current is 1086 mV, 6400 μ A, and 3800 μ A, respectively.

Graphic Abstract Spike S1 of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) binds to angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) on host cells to enter the cell and initiate COVID-19. Since ACE2 is a favorable enzyme, we were interested in finding a molecule capable of binding spike S1, but not ACE2, and inhibiting the interaction between spike S1 and ACE2. Holy basil (Tulsi) has a long history as a medicine for different human disorders. Therefore, we screened different components of Tulsi leaf and found that eugenol, but not other major components (e.g. ursolic acid, oleanolic acid and β-caryophylline), inhibited the interaction between spike S1 and ACE2 in an AlphaScreen-based assay. By in silico analysis and thermal shift assay, we also observed that eugenol associated with spike S1, but not ACE2. Accordingly, eugenol strongly suppressed the entry of pseudotyped SARS-CoV-2, but not vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), into human ACE2-expressing HEK293 cells. Eugenol also reduced SARS-CoV-2 spike S1-induced activation of NF-κB and the expression of IL-6, IL-1β and TNFα in human A549 lung cells. Moreover, oral treatment with eugenol reduced lung inflammation, decreased fever, improved heart function, and enhanced locomotor activities in SARS-CoV-2 spike S1-intoxicated mice. Therefore, selective targeting of SARS-CoV-2 spike S1, but not ACE2, by eugenol may be beneficial for COVID-19 treatment.

Capillary electrophoresis (CE), after being introduced several decades ago, has carved out a niche for itself in the field of analytical characterization of biopharmaceutical products. It does not only offer fast separation, high resolution in miniaturized format, but equally importantly represents an orthogonal separation mechanism to high-performance liquid chromatography. Therefore, it is not surprising that CE-based methods can be found in all major pharmacopoeias and are recommended for the analysis of biopharmaceutical products during process development, characterization, quality control, and release testing. Different separation formats of CE, such as capillary gel electrophoresis, capillary isoelectric focusing, and capillary zone electrophoresis are widely used for size and charge heterogeneity characterization as well as purity and stability testing of therapeutic proteins. Hyphenation of CE with MS is emerging as a promising bioanalytical tool to assess the primary structure of therapeutic proteins along with any impurities. In this review, we confer the latest developments in capillary electrophoresis, used for the characterization of critical quality attributes of biopharmaceutical products covering the past 6 years (2015-2021). Monoclonal antibodies, due to their significant share in the market, have been given prioritized coverage.

Over the past few decades, the dynamic progress in the synthesis and screening of heterocyclic compounds against various targets has made a significant contribution in the field of medicinal chemistry. Among the wide array of heterocyclic compounds, triazole moiety has attracted the attention of researchers owing to its vast therapeutic potential and easy preparation via copper and ruthenium-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition reactions. Triazole skeletons are found as major structural components in a different class of drugs possessing diverse pharmacological profiles including anti-cancer, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-viral, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, anti-tubercular, and anti-depressant among various others. Furthermore, in the past few years, a significantly large number of triazole hybrids were synthesized with various heterocyclic moieties in order to gain the added advantage of the improved pharmacological profile, overcoming the multiple drug resistance and reduced toxicity from molecular hybridization. Among these synthesized triazole hybrids, many compounds are available commercially and used for treating different infections/disorders like tazobactam and cefatrizine as potent anti-bacterial agents while isavuconazole and ravuconazole as anti-fungal activities to name a few. In this review, we will summarize the biological activities of various 1,2,3-triazole hybrids with copious oxygen-containing heterocycles as lead compounds in medicinal chemistry. This review will be very helpful for researchers working in the field of molecular modeling, drug design and development, and medicinal chemistry.

Graphene and Multi Walled Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNT) admixtured Bismuth Iron Oxide (hereafter referred to BIO) nanocomposite ceramics have been synthesized using the sol-gel process. A comparative study on their structural, optical, dielectrical and electrochemical sensing properties has also been made for the first time in an “as-prepared” state. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) peaks clearly indicate the existence of mixed crystalline phases of BIO with graphene and MWCNT. SEM images reveal the distinct morphologies of BIO nano structures, even in the admixtured phase with graphene and MWCNT. The characteristic vibrations and possible scattering modes of BIO admixtured carbonaceous materials (graphene & MWCNT) have been identified through FT-IR and Raman spectra. Band gap (Eg) variation was noticed in the synthesized composites upon loading graphene and MWCNT on the BIO matrix. Enhancement of relative permitivity (er) has been witnessed in the graphene admixtured BIO composite. This increase is significant, when compared to the MWCNT-BIO composite and it may be due to the effective dispersion of graphene over BIO. The pseudo capacitive behaviour of the BIO composite powder with graphene and MWCNT was also ascertained from the Cyclic Voltammetry (CV) studies.

The present investigation focuses on the development of metal casting mold using stone-dust as an alternative mold material to silica sand. The stone-dust aggregate mold having 4 wt.% of moisture and 11 wt.% of bentonite clay shows desired mold properties as per AFS standard. The mold properties such as permeability number, hardness (B-scale), compressive, and shear strength are 147, 88, 1.48, and 0.33 kgf/cm2, respectively. The fusion point of stone-dust is found to be below 1350 °C and phase changes are observed above 1000 °C. Hence, the stone-dust mold is suitable for Al alloy casting. Therefore, a laboratory-scale casting trial is taken to cast A356 alloy using green stone-dust and silica sand mold. The hardness (HRB), as cast surface roughness (Ra) and microstructure of silica sand and stone-dust mold casting are evaluated and compared. It is observed that stone-dust mold shows higher hardness as compared to silica sand mold. Hence, stone dust mold may be used as an alternative to silica sand in Indian foundries for aluminum alloys casting.

Mushrooms are well-known for their richness of health-beneficial bioactive metabolites. In recent years, consumer interests regarding fatty acid compositions of different foods are increasing. Thus, the present study was designed to characterize sterols and fatty acid compositions of fifteen types of edible mushrooms marketed in Korea utilizing gas chromatography (GC)-flame ionization detection (FID) and GC-mass spectrometry (MS). Among all studied samples, significant variations were recorded for contents of sterols. Among all sterols identified and quantified, ergosterol (ergosta-5,7,22-trien- 3β-ol) was found to be the most abundant (774.2–82.1 mg/100 g dry weight (DW)), with minor presence of ergosta-5,7-dien-3β-ol, ergosta-7-3β-ol, and ergosta-7,22-dien-3β-ol. Regarding fatty acid compositions, linoleic (C18:2n6c) was recorded in the highest quantity (79.5% of total fatty acids), followed by palmitic, oleic, and stearic acid. These four fatty acids together accounted for 64.8% (Santali; No 3) to 96.6% (‘DDL01’ ferulae; No 9) of total fatty acids. Exceptionally, in ‘Nolu’ Lion's mane (No. 5) mushrooms, palmitic acid had the highest quantity (34.9% of total fatty acids), followed by linoleic (24.5% of total), oleic, and stearic acid. Fat quality indices such as the ratio of hypocholesterolemic/hypercholesterolemic fatty acids, atherogenic index, and thrombogenic index from these studied mushrooms indicate that mushroom fats are beneficial for health.

We evaluated the dynamics of hepatic encephalopathy (HE) and ammonia estimation in acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) patients due to a paucity of evidence. ACLF patients recruited from the APASL-ACLF Research Consortium (AARC) were followed up till 30 days, death or transplantation, whichever earlier. Clinical details, including dynamic grades of HE and laboratory data, including ammonia levels, were serially noted. Of the 3009 ACLF patients, 1315 (43.7%) had HE at presentation; grades I–II in 981 (74.6%) and grades III–IV in 334 (25.4%) patients. The independent predictors of HE at baseline were higher age, systemic inflammatory response, elevated ammonia levels, serum protein, sepsis and MELD score (p

Host plant resistance mechanisms play an important role in developing cultivars with resistance to the target pests; information regarding morphological and biochemical factors contributing to the resistance is essential for developing pest-resistant cultivars. As a result, we investigated the contribution of various morphological and biochemical characters in forty-two eggplant genotypes against Leucinodes orbonalis Guenée, in Himachal Pradesh, India. Out of all the phenotypic parameters evaluated, pericarp thickness (r = 0.89) has significantly positive correlation with fruit infestation, whereas trichome density had significantly negative correlation (r = - 0.89). Analysis of the biochemical compounds in the eggplant genotypes revealed that total phenols (r = - 0.71), polyphenol oxidase (r = - 0.63), peroxidases (r = - 0.35), phenylalanine ammonium lyase (r = - 0.71) and solasodine (r = - 0.81) had significantly negative correlation with the per cent fruit infestation by L. orbonalis while the reducing sugars (r = 0.66) and non-reducing sugars (r = 0.62) showed a significantly positive correlation. Molecular characterization by random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) primers also revealed the presence of high genetic diversity among different eggplant genotypes, where 17 polymorphic RAPD primers produced a total of 167 amplicons, among which 144 amplicons were polymorphic and 23 monomorphic bands. PCR-amplified DNA fragment size ranged from 100 to 2500 bp, mean polymorphism was 86.42% and the average PIC value was 0.444. Jaccards coefficient-based dendrogram grouped 40 eggplant genotypes into two major clusters. Results also revealed that the resistant genotypes accumulated higher levels of defensive biochemical enzymes such as phenols, PO, PPO, PAL and solasodine to confer insect resistance. Molecular characterization also revealed that genotypes in the present study were genetically diverse and could be used in future breeding and improvement programmes in this crop. Genotypes, IC411485 and IC090951, in particular, can be used as varied parents in breeding programmes to generate improved lines in terms of resistance to L. orbonalis.

The main objective of this study was to determine the hydration activity and shrinkage of high-strength concrete (HSC) after the incorporation of different particle sizes of calcium carbonate (CaCO3). Three different sources of calcium carbonate – lime sludge (a residue collected from the paper and pulp industry, size ∼43 μm), commercial micro-calcium carbonate (size ∼13 μm) and commercial nano-calcium carbonate (size

Benzothiazole and its derivatives have been manifested as an optimistic scaffold due to their immense biological importance. Several methodologies have been reported as modifications after the first report of 2-substituted benzothiazole. Among them, many involve a shift from the conventional synthetic approach by utilizing different catalytic systems. Moreover, synthetic methodologies focused on improvements in terms of product yield, reaction duration, use of environmentally benign conditions and simplified workup procedures predominate among the recently developed approaches. Solid-phase organic synthesis received considerable attention with the pioneering findings of Merrifield's solid-phase peptide synthesis in 1963. A diverse range of organic, inorganic and organic-inorganic substances have been utilized as polymeric solid supports in various catalytic applications. The recyclability and reusability of the immobilized catalysts over consecutive cycles establish them as an attractive alternative over conventional catalytic systems from the environment as well as industrial perspective. The present review summarizes the recent developments in the environmentally benign synthesis of benzothiazole derivatives using supported reagents. Different solid supports along with their catalytic application, mechanistic perspective and substrate tolerance have been discussed comprehensively.

The present investigation focuses on the design and development of low-cost carbon and glass fiber-reinforced polymer hybrid composite with optimum flexural strength and modulus, Charpy impact strength, resistance to low-velocity impact, and abrasive wear. There are three hybrid composites ([C2G8], [C3G7], and [C4G6]) along with a plain glass ([G10]) and carbon ([C10]) fiber-reinforced polymer composites are fabricated using hand lay-up method. The results revealed that [C2G8] type hybrid composite possessed optimum flexural strength (394.35 MPa), resistance to low-velocity impact (92.42 J), Charpy impact strength (160 kJ/m2), and minimum specific wear rate (22.87 × 10–3 mm3/Nm) in comparison to other hybrid composites. The damaged area due to low- velocity impact was found to be least for [C2G8] type hybrid composite compared to other hybrid composites. Furthermore, fractography analysis was carried out by visual inspection and scanning electron microscopy to make possible structure–property co-relationship.

Deposition of amyloid beta plaques in adult rat or human brain is associated with increased production of proinflammatory cytokines by associated glial cells that are responsible for degeneration of the diseased tissue. The expression of these cytokines is usually under check and is controlled at the post-transcriptional level via several microRNAs. Computational analysis of gene expression profiles of cortical regions of Alzheimer’s disease patients’ brain suggests ineffective target cytokine mRNA suppression by existing micro-ribonucleoproteins (miRNPs) in diseased brain. Exploring the mechanism of amyloid beta-induced cytokine expression, we have identified how the inactivation of the repressive miR-146 miRNPs causes increased production of cytokines in amyloid beta-exposed glial cells. In exploration of the cause of miRNP inactivation, we have noted amyloid beta oligomer-induced sequestration of the mTORC1 complex to early endosomes that results in decreased Ago2 phosphorylation, limited Ago2-miRNA uncoupling, and retarded Ago2-cytokine mRNA interaction in rat astrocytes. Interestingly, constitutive activation of mTORC1 by Rheb activator restricts proinflammatory cytokine production by reactivating miR-146 miRNPs in amyloid beta-exposed glial cells to rescue the disease phenotype in the in vivo rat model of Alzheimer’s disease., Graphical abstract, Inactivation of miRNPs is observed in amyloid beta-exposed glial cells in Alzheimer’s disease, which is linked with reduced mTORC1 activity. Activator protein Rheb restores mTORC1 activity to prevent the effect of Aβ1–42 oligomer in degenerating brain tissue and restores cognitive function by augmenting miR-146 activity.

Developing strategies to optimize double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) delivery remains a significant challenge in improving RNA interference (RNAi) in insects. Nanoformulations may provide an avenue for the safe and effective delivery of dsRNA. We investigated nanoparticle-mediated gene silencing using biodegradable polymers, poly-l-lysine (PLL), and polyphenol (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) for dsRNA delivery into

In the present comparative study, the authors studied the antioxidant and anticancer activity of commercially available polyherbal Indian Ayurvedic products namely Divya Sarvakalp Kwath (DSKK), Divya Sanjivani Vati (DSV), Kanchanar Guggulu (KG) and Shakti Drop (SD). Authors also quantified phenolic and flavonoid contents in the samples. Solid powdered samples (DSKK, DSV, and KG) were extracted in methanol and water (1:1) using cold extraction method. Spectrophotometry technique was used to quantify the phytochemicals present in test samples. DSKK showed comparatively higher content of total phenolics (247.65 ± 0.05 μgPGE/g) and flavonoid (34.66 ± 0.19 µgQE/mg). Radical scavenging, metal ion chelation and reducing potential of test products were studied using nitric oxide scavenging, DPPH, metal ion chelation, reducing power ability, and phosphomolybdate in vitro antioxidant assays at different concentration. Dose-dependent antioxidant activity was observed in all the test samples at 100–500 µg or µl/ml concentration. Anticancer efficacy of the test samples were studied in lung (A549), colon (Colo205), and breast cancer (MCF7) cell lines at different concentrations (10–100 µg or µl/ml) using MTT assay. Confocal microscopy was used to reveal the apoptotic induction, mitochondrial membrane integrity disruption and reactive oxygen species production ability of test products in cancer cells. The present study revealed that DSKK possesses comparatively better antioxidant potential and SD has potent anticancer activity against breast cancer cells.

ZnO–SnO2 nanocubes were used as promising material for efficient sensing of p-nitrophenol and faster photocatalytic degradations of dyes like methyl orange (MO), methylene Blue (MB) and acid orange 74 (AO74). ZnO–SnO2 nanocubes were prepared by the facile solution process at 50 °C using Zn(NO3)2·6H2O and SnCl2·2H2O as a precursor in the presence of ethylenediammine. The synthesized material was examined for its morphological, structural, crystalline, optical, vibrational, and compositional studies by using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and photoluminescence spectroscopy. FESEM studies revealed the formation of well-defined ZnO–SnO2 nanocubes where the structural examinations revealed the formation of a crystalline tetragonal rutile phase for SnO2 with some crystal sites doped with Zn. The as-synthesized nanocubes were explored for their photocatalytic activities towards three different dye viz. MO, MB, and AO74. Practically, complete degradation of AO74 was seen within 4 minutes of photo-irradiation in the presence of 0.05 g ZnO–SnO2 nanocubes. However, 97.17% and 41.63% degradations were observed for MB and MO within 15 and 60 minutes, respectively. All the dye degradation processes followed the pseudo-first-order kinetic model. Moreover, the as-synthesized nanocubes were utilized to fabricate highly sensitive and selective fluorescent chemical sensor for the detection of p-nitrophenol (PNP). ZnO–SnO2 nanocubes showed a very low detection limit of 4.09 μM for the detection of PNP as calculated according to the 3σ IUPAC criteria. Further, the as-synthesized ZnO–SnO2 nanotubes were found to be highly selective for p-nitrophenol as compared to the other two isomers.

Purpose The textile industry is one of the largest and most important industrial sectors in India. Because the textile industry consumes large quantities of water and produces highly polluted water discharge, its environmental impact is high. Water is expensive to use, treat and dispose of. Therefore, water conservation and reuse are critical necessity for the textile industry because decreasing water and wastewater treatment and recycling costs can be beneficial. Design/methodology/approach This research neutralized the pH during dyeing industry wastewater treatment. The system should be robust to erroneous sensor measurements. A pH meter was developed and used to monitor the pH of wastewater hourly before and after HCl treatment. Findings HCl was used to neutralize the pH of wastewater from 9 to 7.5. The amount of HCl was optimized depending on the wastewater. Three wastewater treatment methods were used, namely, HCl, wash water and reverse osmosis (RO) treatments. The HCl treatment was the most effective for decreasing the pH; the wash water treatment was the most effective for decreasing the total dissolved solids (TDS), total suspended solids (TSS) total hardness and chemical oxygen demand; and the RO treatment was the most effective for decreasing the biochemical oxygen demand, TDS, TSS, total hardness and Cl− concentration. Originality/value The pH should be monitored during the textile dyeing because the addition of color to textile fabrics is the most effective at neutral pH. This study evaluated several parameters of wastewater, including pH, color, TSS and TDS. The fabricated digital pH meter provided superior results than conventional measuring devices. The goal was to maintain a neutral pH during dyeing and recycle wastewater to improve environmental sustainability. The newly developed digital pH meter was less expensive and more precise than traditional pH meters. Before reusing and recycling, wastewater underwent ultrafiltration and RO treatment.

Zn–air and other metal–air batteries suffer from limited shelf life due to carbonization by CO2 and evaporation of water through the cathode. Bioinspired oxygen selective membranes (OSMs) with common similarities to lungs alveoli were prepared and applied as an oxygen selective passive membrane on the cathode of the Zn–air batteries, which limit CO2 and H2O transport while actively supporting O2 flux. The OSMs were prepared from polycarbonate and iron(II) phthalocyanine in volatile chlorogenic solvent (“breath figures self-assembly” mechanism) under controlled humidity conditions. Membranes were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, UV–visible spectroscopy, and gas chromatography. These membranes contain polycarbonate in a pulmonary alveolus-like structure of 0.2–4.0 microns thick, inclosing iron(II) phthalocyanine as an oxygen carrier molecule. The electrochemical measurements are performed to evaluate the membrane O2 permeability in both half- and full-cell Zn–air configurations. The effect of relative humidity, iron(II) phthalocyanine, and polycarbonate content is investigated during the optimization of membrane permeabilities and selectivity results. By installing the OSM on top of the cathode of a Zn–air prototype cell, we were able to reduce the water evaporation by 88% while supporting an oxygen limiting current of 73 mA cm−2OSM with an OSM (PC 11%, FePc 9.1%). In this contribution, we present an oxygen selective membrane (OSM) to increase the shelf life of the Zn–air cell. By applying OSM on top of the Zn–air cell cathode, we successfully demonstrated the reduction in the water evaporation by 88% while supporting an oxygen limiting current of 73 mA cm−2OSM.

Syzygium aromaticum (Clove), Cinnamonum tamala (Bay leaf), Cinnamonum cassia (Cinnamon bark) are well known plants in India. All three plants are a rich source of secondary metabolites that find use as antimicrobial agent, in pharmaceutical industry, cosmetics, food and agriculture industry. In regards of antimicrobial activity, green silver nanoparticles were synthesised by using these plants aqueous extract (25%w/v). For silver nanoparticle synthesis different concentration of plant extract were mixed with AgNO3 solution and exposed to sunlight and estimated by the UV-Visible spectrophotometer. Powdered silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were dissolved in autoclaved distilled water at different concentration (20mg/ml, 10mg/ml, 5mg/ml, and 2.5mg/ml) and performed antimicrobial activity through agar well diffusion method. Silver nanoparticles of all three plants were showed antimicrobial activity against human bacterial pathogen Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis. The inhibition zone increased with increasing concentration of all three plants (S. aromaticum, C. tamala and C. cassia) AgNPs, so maximum inhibition zone was observed at 20mg/ml for both pathogens. At higher concentration, the inhibition zone of E. coli were 2.25 ±0.05, 1.7 ±0.1 and 1.85 ±0.05 cm in presence of S. aromaticum, C. tamala and C. cassia AgNPs respectively. Although, The presence of phytochemical terpenoids, tannin and glycosides are was confirmed by the chemical reagent test. In modern era, the nanoparticle based medicine is explored in pharmaceutical and medical science. Therefore this green synthesis of silver nanoparticle can be explored in pharmaceutical science.

Liver damage is a common liver disorder, which could induce liver cancer. Oral antioxidant is one of the effective treatments to prevent and alleviate liver damage. In this study, three flavonoids namely myricetin, isoquercitrin, and isorhamnetin were isolated and identified from Laba garlic. The isolated compounds were investigated on the protective effects against H2 O2 -induced oxidative damages in hepatic L02 cells and apoptosis inducing mechanism in hepatic cancer cells HepG2 by using MTT assay, flow cytometry and western blotting analysis. Myricetin, isoquercitrin, and isorhamnetin showed proliferation inhibition on HepG2 cells with IC50 value of 44.32 ± 0.213 µM, 49.68 ± 0.192 µM, and 54.32 ± 0.176 µM, respectively. While they showed low toxicity on normal cell lines L02. They could significantly alleviate the oxidative damage towards L02 cells (P < 0.05), via inhibiting the morphological changes in mitochondria and upholding the integrity of mitochondrial structure and function. The fluorescence intensity of L02 cells pre-treated with myricetin, isoquercitrin, and isorhamnetin (100 µM) was 89.23 ± 1.26%, 89.35 ± 1.43% and 88.97 ± 0.79%, respectively. Moreover, the flavonoids could induce apoptosis in HepG2 cells via Bcl-2/Caspase pathways, where it could up-regulate the expression of Bax and down-regulate the expression of Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, pro-Caspase-3, and pro-Caspase-9 proteins in a dose dependent manner. Overall, the results suggested that the flavonoids from Laba garlic might be a promising candidate for the treatment of various liver disorders. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Flavonoids from Laba garlic showed selective toxicity towards HepG2 cells in comparison to L02 cells via regulating Bcl-2/caspase pathway. Additionally, the isolated flavonoids expressively barred the oxidative damage induced by H2 O2 in L02 cells. These results suggested that the flavonoids from laba garlic could be a promising agent towards the development of functional foods.

Alcohol-based fuels are slowly emerging as most promising alternative fuel. Among different alcohols, diethyl ether (DEE) appears to have the largest potential to be used as fuel. In this study, a ...

Al-Si-Mg aluminum alloy samples were subjected to solution heat treatment at the temperature of 520 °C for 2 h to attain T42 condition. The heat-treated samples were quenched further in air and water mediums. After quenching, the fatigue life was analyzed with the total strain amplitude (TSA) of 0.4% at the cyclic frequency of 0.3 Hz using a low cycle fatigue testing machine. Air quenched sample has higher life with 1286 cycles than heat-treated and water quenched sample, which were having a fatigue life of 836 cycles and 708 cycles. Tensile mean stress was observed in all samples due to residual stress. Due to fatigue striation, ripple formation was observed in the air quenched sample, and the ripple having the size of 2-3 μm observed under SEM fractography. XRD peaks of Mg2Si and Al3Fe precipitates confirm the proper dispersion during the solution heat treatment.

Nepeta cataria L., commonly known as catmint or catnip, belongs to the family “Lamiaceae” and is indigenous to Europe and Asia. The essential oil of this species is known for the richness and diversity of nepetalactones (NPL) which are used as mosquito/insect repellents in perfumery and cosmetic industries. Reports on Indian catmint germplasm are very meager and warrants exploration of its commercial potential as a natural, non-toxic source of insect repellents. With this objective, commercial open-pollinated seeds of catmint collected from its native, temperate habitat in Himalayas were introduced in the tropical plains. Subsequent to adaptation to a new zone we were able to isolate nineteen individual plants based on plant growth. Hydrodistillation of the fresh herb yielded essential oil in the range of 0.01% to 0.2%. Gas Chromatography (GC) and GC-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) analyses of the oil revealed the dominance of monoterpene hydrocarbon, namely, 4aα,7α,7aα NPL (1) isomer (84%). The other two isomers of nepetalactone, 4aα,7α,7aβ NPL (2) and 4aα,7β,7aα NPL (3) were also present, although in very less amounts (1.0% and 1.6%, respectively). Sesquiterpenes identified were α-humulene (traces), (E)-caryophyllene (0.6%) and caryophyllene oxide (1.7%). We compared the identified Indian catmint chemotype with the other oils from temperate, sub-tropical and tropical locations based on literature search. The Indian chemotype was found to be similar to the oils from Burundi, France, Turkey, UK and USA, mainly due to more accumulation of 4aα,7α,7aα NPL (1) isomer. These oils grouped together in Principal Component Analysis. Breeding lines are presently being developed to improve yield related traits in this plant. Multidisciplinary R&D efforts along with setting up industry related guidelines are required to successfully commercialize catmint cultivation. Several species of Nepeta genus have high nepetalactone content too and their potential as a commercial source of these isomers still needs to be explored.

In the present times, a lot of research are being conducted in automobile sector for improving the performance of Internal Combustion Engines. In this paper, an attempt has been made to enhance the performance aspects and reduce emissions of High Velocity Oxy Fuel thermal spray coated piston incorporated Internal Combustion engine, by using Exhaust Gas Recirculation. By using Zirconium Dioxide and Aluminium Oxide, the piston was coated and used in the combustion evaluation experiments. The important internal combustion engine process parameters were optimized by using a central composite design model, which was evaluated using Analysis of variance. The combustion process parameters were optimized so as to enhance the Brake Thermal Efficiency to maximum extent and reduce emission of Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx) to minimum. At optimized combustion process parameters maximum Brake Thermal Efficiency of 29.1% and minimum NOx at 688 ppm, 21.8 ppm of unburnt hydro carbons and 11.08% smoke opacity was observed, which was validated to a very high level of predictability.

A triphenylamine-derived fluorescent covalent organic cage molecule (F-COC) shows enhanced emission when doped in polystyrene (PS) upon exposure to chloroform vapours. A systematic investigation of the fluorescence emission intensity of F-COC in various solvents reveals the gradual enhancement of the emission intensity as a function of the dielectric constant of the solvent; a maximum is observed for chloroform and this gradually decreases in solvents with a higher dielectric constant. The probable reason for the selective high emission of F-COC in chloroform solution or vapor is linked to the orientation polarizability of chloroform, which changes the F-COC molecular orientation. Computational modelling of the model structures illustrates that the optimized excited state energy as a function of the dielectric constant of the solvent deviates from the usual trend, and the specific role of hydrogen bonding interactions with chloroform was elucidated. Picric acid (PA) detection was studied using an F-COC fluorescence quenching technique in solution. The quenching was observed to be a static process, confirming that fluorescence quenching occurs in the ground state. Enhanced solid-state fluorescence arose from the complexation of F-COC with metal ions such as Zn2+ and Cu2+, as well as harmful Cd2+ and Pb2+ ions.

In the present study, chitosan functionalized magnetite nanoparticles (CS@MNPs) were synthesized by a simple and economical coprecipitation technique for efficient magnetic removal of allura red dye (ARD) by adsorption technique from the aqueous solution. Size and surface properties of the bare and surface functionalized MNPs were determined with the help of XRD and TEM technique. Surface functionalization of the bare MNPs was confirmed with the help of FT-IR spectroscopy and TGA techniques. Magnetic properties of the synthesized bare and functionalized MNPs were determined by VSM technique. The effect of various parameters including adsorbent dosages, contact time, temperature on adsorption capacity of the CS@MNPs for allura red dye were investigated with the help of UV-vis spectrophotometer. The pseudo second order kinetics and Langmuir adsorption isotherm model were found to fitted well with the adsorption process of dye onto the chitosan functionalized magnetite nanoparticles (CS@MNPs).

Citrus fruit tree has great commercial importance with mandarin (Citrus reticulata) as the second most important citrus crop and includes a wide range of true and hybrid cultivars; however, there is a lack of studies about the characterization and evaluation of germplasm for Physico-chemical and morphological traits. A study on varietal selection and evaluation has been underway at National Citrus Research Programme since 2005-06. Evaluation of citrus species for various quantitative and qualitative traits related to leaf, fruit and seed morphology at phenotypic and genotypic level using morphological and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and inter-simple sequence repeats (ISSR) markers confirmed the existence of a significant variability among all genotypes. The juice content has maximum positive association with pulp weight and then with the fruit weight, equatorial diameter and polar diameter with respect to genotypic and phenotypic level only. TSS and specific gravity was negatively correlated with juice content with respect to genotypic and phenotypic levels. Thus, morphological and molecular markers can be effective tool for successful establishment of genetic correlation among different citrus group. The present review paper will emphasize the evaluation of mandarin germplasm through correlation and path analysis for growth and yield related traits and various Physico-chemical attributes.

Friction welding is one of the method to join two or more metals, similar or dissimilar, to accomplish a certain fabrication. Two methods of joining prevail, one by the fusion state and the other by the solid-state. The selection of the joining method depends upon the materials used and the required performance of the joint. Friction welding is the solid-state welding process preferable for joining similar and dissimilar metals. Ti Grade 2 and stainless steel 304L of different compositions are used in this welding by the copper interlayer methodology. This material composition of welding has been very challenging of late. Friction welding components are very popular in automobile components, like ball link joint, turbocharger shafts, clutch hub, and axles housing. In the nuclear industry, dissimilar pipe joints and transition joints are used for nuclear reactors. This article describes friction welding of titanium and stainless steel with copper as intermediate layer.

Ionic liquids are molten salt substances combined with the nature of ions that have the capability of using additional elements to metal cutting fluids. Ionic liquids with less than 25 °C are called Room Temperature Ionic Liquids. i.e. which melts at room temperature and it turns into liquids. They are considered as green solvents mainly because of their chemical and physical properties. Since the traditional approach of using conventional cutting fluids have more disadvantages like high toxicity, non-biodegradable, skin irritation and affecting groundwater sources. To avoid these negative impacts, ionic liquids with metal cutting fluid improve the cutting performance and make the process environmentally friendly. The study's outcome is to view the composition of ionic liquids, physical effects, and working mechanisms of ionic liquids with cutting fluids.

The quality of the composite is mainly depends on the nature of reinforcements. The correct proportions, selection and properties of reinforcement are playing an essential role on metal composite. The substance properties may be changed with varying the different factors such as weight percentage, size of the particles and grit size. The present investigation describes the evaluation of hardness through parametric changes of reinforcements. Aluminium 7068 is chosen as the testing material for these investigations. Tantalum carbide is the reinforcement material for Al 7068. The parametric changes and their effect has been studied through Taguchi method. The novelty of the work is to increase the hardness (398–512 BHN) of the material due to the addition of reinforcement for advanced applications such as aerospace and modern manufacturing industries.

The present study represents a formulation of nanocurcumin based hybrid virosomes (NC-virosome) to deliver drugs at targeted sites. Curcumin is a bioactive component derived from Curcuma longa and well-known for its medicinal property, but it exhibits poor solubility and rapid metabolism, which led to low bioavailability and hence limits its applications. Nanocurcumin was prepared to increase the aqueous solubility and to overcome all the limitations associated with curcumin. Influenza virosomes were prepared by solubilization of the viral membrane with 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycerol-3-phosphocholine (DSPC). During membrane reconstitution, the hydrophilic nanocurcumin was added to the solvent system, followed by overnight dialysis to obtain NC-virosomes. The same was characterized using a transmission electron microscope (TEM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM), MTT assay was used to evaluate it's in vitro-cytotoxicity using MDA-MB231 and Mesenchyme stem cells (MSCs). The results showed NC-virosomes has spherical morphology with size ranging between 60 and 90 nm. It showed 82.6% drug encapsulation efficiency. The viability of MDA-MB231 cells was significantly inhibited by NC-virosome in a concentration-dependent manner at a specific time. The IC50 for nanocurcumin and NC-virosome was 79.49 and 54.23 µg/ml, respectively. The site-specific drug-targeting, high efficacy and non- toxicity of NC-virosomes proves its future potential as drug delivery vehicles.

We developed synthetic methods for the doping of metals (M) with metallic nanoparticles (NPs). To the best of our knowledge – unlike oxides, polymers and carbon-based supports – metals were not used so far as supporting matrices for metallic NPs. The composites (denoted M1-NPs@M2) comprise two separate phases: the metallic NPs (the dopant) and the entrapping 3D porous metallic matrix, within which the NPs are intimately held and well dispersed. Two different general synthetic strategies were developed, each resulting in a group of materials with characteristic structure and properties. The first strategy uses pre-prepared NPs and these are entrapped during reductive formation of the metallic matrix from its cation. The second strategy is in situ growth of the doped metallic NPs within the pre-prepared entrapping metallic matrix. These two methods were developed for two types of entrapping metallic matrices with different morphologies: porous aggregated metallic matrices and metallic foams. The leading case in this study was the use of Pt as the NP dopant and Ag as the entrapping matrix, using all of the four combinations – entrapment or growth within aggregated Ag or Ag foam matrices. Full physical and chemical properties analysis of these novel types of materials was carried out, using a wide variety of analytical methods. The generality of the methods developed for these bi-metallic composites was investigated and demonstrated on additional metallic pairs: Au NPs within Ag matrices, Pd NPs within Ni matrices and Ir-NPs within a Rh matrix. As the main application of metallic NPs is in catalysis, the catalytic activity of M1-NPs@M2 is demonstrated successfully for entrapped Pt within Ag for reductive catalytic reactions, and for Pd within Ni for the electrocatalytic hydrogen oxidation reaction.

The present manuscript describes the synthesis, α-amylase inhibition, in silico studies and in-depth quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR) of a library of aroyl hydrazones based on be...

Mixed-cation mixed-halide perovskites have gained a lot of attention due to their superior device properties, optoelectronic properties, and improved structural stabilities over methyl ammonium lea...

This study has been carried out to obtain the thermochemical parameters of drugs used for Alzheimer’s disease. The measurement of gas-phase basicity (GB) and proton affinity (PA) values of four important and commercially available drugs for Alzheimer's disease namely, rivastigmine, galantamine, memantine, and tacrine, is attempted for the first time. This study also includes the measurement of GB and PA values for the proposed drug curcumin, a natural product. We calculated the GB and PA values for all these drugs by applying electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS) with the extended kinetic method. Since, all these drugs possessing amino groups (basic nature), the PA values for all these drugs are high i.e., the PA values range from 923.6 to 979.7 kJ/mol and the GB values range from 886.2 to 943.3 kJ/mol. The GB and PA values obtained from the mass spectrometric experiments are well supported with the theoretical calculations. A high-level theoretical B3LYP/6-311 + G(d,p) method is used for the PA and GB calculation and the deviations are in the acceptable range.

The photogalvanic cells (PG) are the promising and renewable electrochemical energy devices capable of doing the simultaneous solar power generation and storage. To realize the aim of the practical application of the PG cells in daily life, the electrical output of these cells has to be further enhanced to a level at least comparable to that of the photovoltaic cells. The present study of the PG cells based on so far unexplored Congo red dye-formaldehyde as a photosensitizer-reductant couple along with efficiency enhancer surfactant reagent (sodium lauryl sulfate) in the sodium hydroxide alkaline medium has shown greatly enhanced cell performance over published results. The present study has shown electrical cell performance of the PG cell as Ppp 782 μW, isc 3200 μA, Voc 1074 mV, and CE 11.02% at artificial and low illumination intensity. The storage capacity (t0.5) of the PG cell has been observed in the present study as 120 min in the dark. The study of variation of the different cell fabrication parameters has shown optimum cell performance at an optimal value of these cell fabrication parameters. The most plausible mechanism of the photo-generation of the current in PG cells is also proposed on the basis of observed potential values and published literature.