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Identifying the characteristic properties of gas hydrates – including thermo-physical properties – is essential for determining their formation condition and in turn, controlling their yield/growth-rate for/in various applications/environments. Gathering these properties, during in-situ crystallization of gas hydrates, is rather challenging due to the harsh conditions they form and limited by the lack of co-existence of multiple characterization techniques. Owing to these limitations, crystallization process of some sII type gas hydrates and their characteristic properties are ill-defined. Therefore to unveil the complete picture of crystallization process of sII type gas hydrates, in this study, in-situ formation of a model system “cyclopentane hydrate” was monitored using a customized DSC sample holder with a transparent window on top. To this end, in-situ crystallization of cyclopentane hydrate was simultaneously followed by coupling optical microscopy along with scanning calorimetry. Further, we show that the cyclopentane hydrate formed by consuming a part of fresh water appearing after the fusion of ice instead of at a very low temperature ≤ −20 °C.

Dipeptide repeats (DPRs) are known to play important roles in C9ORF72-related amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Studies on DPRs have reported on the kinetics of aggregation, toxicity, and low-resolution morphology of the aggregates of these peptides. While the dipeptide hexa-repeats of Gly-Pro [(GP)6] have been shown to be nonaggregating, Gly-Ala [(GA)6] and Gly-Arg [(GR)6] exhibited the formation of neurotoxic aggregates. However, structural studies of these DPRs have been elusive. In this study, we explored the feasibility of a high-resolution monitoring of a real-time aggregation of these peptides in a solution by using NMR experiments. Although (GP)6 is disordered and nonaggregating, the existence of cis and trans conformations was observed from NMR spectra. It was remarkable that the (GR)6 exhibited the formation of multiple conformations, whereas the hydrophobic and low-soluble (GA)6 aggregated fast in a temperature-dependent manner. These results demonstrate the feasibility of monitoring the minor conformational changes from highly disordered peptides, aggregation kinetics, and the formation of small molecular weight aggregates by solution NMR experiments. The ability to detect cis and trans local isomerizations in (GP)6 is noteworthy and could be valuable to study intrinsically disordered proteins/peptides by NMR. The early detection of minor conformational changes could be valuable in better understanding the mechanistic insights into the formation of toxic intermediates and the development of approaches to inhibit them and, potentially, aid in the development of compounds to treat the devastating C9ORF72-related ALS and FTD diseases.

A series of ternary ZnO hollow sphere/carbon quantum dots/reduced graphene oxide (ZnO/CQDs/r-GO) nanocomposites were successfully prepared via solvothermal technique in the presence of the polyethylene glycol 400 (PEG 400) as a solvent. The structural details of as-prepared ZnO/CQDs/r-GO nanocomposites were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction analysis. The morphological properties of the composite were analyzed using field emission scanning microscopy (FE-SEM). The visible light absorption ability of the as-prepared pristine and ternary nanocomposites was examined using UV–visible (UV–Vis) spectrophotometry. The photocatalytic activity of ZnO, ZnO/CQDs, ZnO/r-GO, and ZnO/CQDs/r-GO nanostructures were evaluated for the degradation of organic pollutants such as methylene orange (MO), rhodamine B (RhB), and methylene blue (MB). The different composites with various amounts of reduced graphene oxide (r-GO) and carbon quantum dots (CQDs) were synthesized to enhance photocatalytic activity. The ZnO/CQDs/r-GO composites showed excellent potential for photocurrent generation compared with ZnO, ZnO/CQDs and ZnO/r-GO under-stimulated sunlight. The effect of various parameters such as the effect of reaction temperature, catalyst concentration, pH, and concentration of MB dye has been also studied. The photo-assisted catalytic degradation properties of the catalyst after five cycles exhibit high stability.

ZSM-5:CeO2 nanocomposites were prepared by two-step hydrothermal method in combination with the wet impregnation method. The synthesized nanocomposites were characterized by XRD, FESEM, TEM, EDX, elemental mapping, FTIR and UV–vis analysis. The bandgap investigations were done using tauc plot and the bandgap of ZSM-5 has been reduced from 3.90 to 3.15 eV upon CeO2 loading. The synthesized nanocomposites were tested for photocatalytic activity under a halogen lamp and the effect of CeO2 loading on ZSM5 has been examined. Among the various nanocomposites synthesized, ZSM-5:CeO2 25 wt% exhibited better methyl orange degradation of about 95.6% with an initial dye concentration of 10 mg/l, pH 7, 100 mg of photocatalyst under halogen lamp for 75 min. Additionally, the effect of various reaction parameters like dye concentration (10–25 mg/l), photocatalyst dosage (25–125 mg), and pH (3–9) was probed to get better performance. Tapping experiments were conducted with various radical scavengers to get insight into the key active species responsible for the photodegradation of methyl orange. The result portrays the importance of hydroxyl radical for the degradation of methyl orange dye. Cycle test and stability studies showed that the photocatalyst was stable even after four cycles. In summary, ZSM-5:CeO2 nanocomposites can be a suitable photocatalyst for numerous applications in the field of photodegradation of organic contaminants.

Sacrificial template-assisted iron(III) oxide (Fe2O3) nanofibers have been prepared by simple electrospinning process on the surface of fluorine-doped tin dioxide (FTO) substrate and used as an efficient photoanode in photoelectrochemical water splitting. The Fe2O3 nanofibers with different thicknesses were obtained on FTO substrate by electrospinning of composite polycaprolactone-FeCl3 (0.16 g of FeCl3 in 10 ml of 15 % PCL solution) at different time durations (3, 5, 7, and 9 h). The systematic study on crystallinity, morphology, specific surface area, and charge recombination process of the photoanodes was performed. The high optical absorbance and band-gap energy were observed for the Fe2O3 photoanodes prepared from 5 h electrospun fibers on the FTO surface (E-spin Fe2O3 NFs@FTO/5 h). The Nyqust plots and Mott-Schottky plots of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements were validated that E-spin Fe2O3 NFs@FTO/5 h photoanode suppresses the charge recombination rates, enhances the electron density, and subsequently improves the performance of photoelectrochemical water splitting. The E-spin Fe2O3 NFs@FTO/5 h photoanode has attained the highest photocurrent density of 0.25 mAcm−2 at 1.23 V vs. RHE applied potential. Moreover, the prepared photoanodes were well attributed to the nanofiber morphology with high crystallinity and, thus, increased the optical absorption rate with improved charge transport properties.

Bixin is an apocarotenoid derived from Bixa orellana L. well known as a food colorant along with its numerous industrial and therapeutic applications. With the current surge in usage of natural products, bixin has contributed immensely to the world carotenoid market and showcases a spike in its requirement globally. To bridge the gap between bixin availability and utility, owed to its bioactivity and demand as a colouring agent in industries the sustainable production of bixin is critical. Therefore, to meet up this challenge effective use of multidisciplinary strategies is a promising choice to enhance bixin quantity and quality. Here we report, an optimal blend of approaches directed towards manipulation of bixin biosynthesis pathway with an insight into the impact of regulatory mechanisms and environmental dynamics, engineering carotenoid degradation in plants other than annatto, usage of tissue culture techniques supported with diverse elicitations, molecular breeding, application of in silico predictive tools, screening of microbial bio-factories as alternatives, preservation of bixin bioavailability, and promotion of eco-friendly extraction techniques to play a collaborative role in promoting sustainable bixin production.

The present study examines the effectiveness of DNA vaccine against Aeromonas hydrophila through oral route using chitosan-tripolyphosphate (Cs-TPP) nanoparticles encapsulation. The virulent gene of outer membrane protein (OMP) and hemolysin (hly) related to pathogenicity of A. hydrophila was used to construct a DNA vaccine using pVAX1, and the construct was named as pVAX-OMP and pVAX-hly DNA vaccines. The pVAX-OMP and pVAX-hly DNA vaccines were encapsulated by Cs-TPP nanoparticles and size measured by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). The encapsulation efficiency of Cs-TPP nanoparticles was found to be 79.6% for pVAX-OMP DNA and 82.3% for pVAX-hly DNA binding with Cs-TPP nanoparticles. The stability and invitro release profile of plasmid DNA was also determined after encapsulation using DNase and chitosanase. DNA vaccines distribution in tissues was investigated in fish fed with the pVAX-OMP, pVAX-hly and pVAX-OMP+pVAX-hly encapsulated in Cs-TPP nanoparticles and confirmed by PCR and multiplex PCR. The results suggest that Cs-TPP nanoparticles encapsulated DNA vaccine delivered into fish by feeding. After oral vaccination of Labeo rohita were challenged with A. hydrophila by intraperitoneal injection. Relatively, gene expression of c- and g-type lysozyme followed by pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines (Interlukin-10 and Tumor Growth Factor β) was up-regulated in heart and kidney for pVAX-OMP+pVAX-hly vaccinated group. Moreover, fish fed with pVAX-OMP+pVAX-hly encapsulated in Cs-TPP nanoparticles had a significantly higher survival rate (76.2%) against A. hydrophila. This study concludes that pVAX-OMP and pVAX-hly DNA vaccines can be delivered orally using Cs-TPP nanoparticles for protection against A. hydrophilainfection.

Here, we propose a novel photocatalyst of europium doped calcium titanate (Eu:CaTiO3) were synthesized by simple sol–gel method. The synthesized catalyst samples were further annealed at various temperatures (500, 700 and 900 °C) under air environment in order to get the high order crystalline nature. Role of annealing temperature is vital to improving the structural, optical and photocatalytic behavior of the samples. XRD, SEM and TEM results illustrate that Eu:CaTiO3 catalyst have nanocrystalline with orthorhombic structure and individual spherical shaped morphology (size of the nanoparticles of 35–50 nm). A considerable red shift in the absorption edge and significant decrease in the band gap energy was found while the annealing temperature is increased from 500 to 700 °C. Recombination of photo-generated electron–hole pair was further demonstrated by PL spectra investigation. The photo-degradation test was monitored methyl orange (MO) and rhodamine B (RhB) dye solutions under visible light irradiation. The 900 °C annealed sample showed superior photocatalytic performance such as high degradation efficiency (93%), huge first order kinetics (0.0932 min−1) and long term stability towards MO dye than RhB.

The establishment of cell fates involves alterations of transcription factor repertoires and repurposing of transcription factors by post-translational modifications. In embryonic stem cells (ESCs), the chromatin organizers SATB2 and SATB1 balance pluripotency and differentiation by activating and repressing pluripotency genes, respectively. Here, we show that conditional Satb2 gene inactivation weakens ESC pluripotency, and we identify SUMO2 modification of SATB2 by the E3 ligase ZFP451 as a potential driver of ESC differentiation. Mutations of two SUMO-acceptor lysines of Satb2 (Satb2K →R) or knockout of Zfp451 impair the ability of ESCs to silence pluripotency genes and activate differentiation-associated genes in response to retinoic acid (RA) treatment. Notably, the forced expression of a SUMO2-SATB2 fusion protein in either Satb2K →R or Zfp451−/− ESCs rescues, in part, their impaired differentiation potential and enhances the down-regulation of Nanog. The differentiation defect of Satb2K →R ESCs correlates with altered higher-order chromatin interactions relative to Satb2wt ESCs. Upon RA treatment of Satb2wt ESCs, SATB2 interacts with ZFP451 and the LSD1/CoREST complex and gains binding at differentiation genes, which is not observed in RA-treated Satb2K →R cells. Thus, SATB2 SUMOylation may contribute to the rewiring of transcriptional networks and the chromatin interactome of ESCs in the transition of pluripotency to differentiation.

We report on a corroborative study of the structural, morphological and electrical property alterations of free-standing graphene oxide (GO) papers subject to thermal reduction. Structural analysis performed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman techniques prove that the onset of major structural changes, characterized by removal of oxygen functionalities, occur in the 200–300 °C temperature range. The results are corroborated with related morphological changes observed using Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Atomic force microscopy (AFM) imaging. Elemental analysis shows the GO paper reduced at 600 °C to contain an 85 wt. % carbon content and a remnant oxygen level of 13.31 wt. %. At the highest reduction temperatures, we see evidence of vacancy-type defects impeding the overall effectiveness of the reduction process. Detailed electrical resistance measurements and current–voltage (I-V) profiling conducted using four-point probe method reveals a several orders of magnitude drop in the sample resistance once the reduction temperature exceeds 200 °C, in good agreement with the structural and morphological changes. The fundamental insights revealed through these studies will be important for future applications where the electrical and mechanical properties of free-standing GO and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) are exploited in practical devices. Graphical abstract

We report the synthesis of silver-integrated silica nanostructures using rice hulls and silver chloride through a facile thermal combustion process. The formation of mesoporous silica nanomatrix embedded with silver nanoparticles (SiO2:Ag 5 wt% and SiO2:Ag 10 wt%) was confirmed by XRD, FTIR, EDX, BET, and TEM analysis. Also, the obtained results from the above studies revealed that the concentration of silver ions significantly increases the particle size and number of silver nanoparticles formed in the silica matrix. The electrochemical performance was studied using silver-integrated silica nanostructures as a working electrode in KOH electrolyte. The maximum specific capacitance of SiO2:Ag 5 wt%- and SiO2:Ag 10 wt%-coated electrode was found to be 517 and 580 F/g at current density of 1 A/g. It was also found that SiO2:Ag 10 wt% electrode exhibit an excellent stability with the capacitance retention of 94% than SiO2:Ag 5 wt% (capacitance retention of 85%) after 1000 cycles at a current density of 1 A/g. These results may be attributed to the inherent characteristic of more silver nanoparticles present in the silica nanomatrix in SiO2:Ag 10 wt%. The intrinsic characteristic of rice hull-derived silica nanostructures such as high surface area and mesoporous structure along with the advantage of silver nanoparticles (conductivity) can facilitate the Faradic redox processes at electrode surface which are responsible for the supercapacitive behavior of the prepared silver-integrated silica nanostructures.

Background Central venous access devices (CVAD) are an essential part of safe practices in critical care, which enable effective venous access and help in avoiding repeated venipuncture. Discard method is widely practiced for blood sampling. A single occasion of blood sampling may cause minimal blood loss; however, the cumulative volume sequential sampling may become clinically significant. The study aims to reduce diagnostic blood loss, ensuring that the subsequent blood sample is not diluted or contaminated by residual intraluminal fluid. Patients and Methods Within-subjects comparative design was adopted for 64 adult patients in the medical intensive care unit of a tertiary hospital. Two blood samples, using 3 mL and 5 mL discarded volume methods, were collected from each patient. Six serum parameters were measured on each of the paired samples and compared. Statistical Analysis Used Paired t-test and Wilcoxon signed rank test were used for comparing the two methods. Bland–Altman plot analysis and intraclass correlation were used for clinically meaningful analysis. Results When tested for fixed bias, there is no statistically significant difference between the methods. Potassium and creatinine levels showed significant proportional bias. The agreement limits of sodium, potassium, creatinine, and direct bilirubin were outside the clinically accepted interval, but the proportion of samples outside these intervals was less than 10%. All serum parameters showed excellent reliability, except for sodium which demonstrated good reliability. Conclusions The practice of discarding 3 mL of blood for discard method is suggested, instead of the standard 5 mL to reduce iatrogenic blood loss. Thus, nurses in critical care are uniquely positioned to limit the diagnostic blood loss while obtaining blood samples.

This study investigates the effects of dietary Aeromonas veronii V03 supplementation on growth performances, innate immunity, and expression of immune-related genes in lymphoid organs of Cyprinus carpio and resistance to Aeromonas hydrophila infection. Fish were fed for 4 weeks with basal diet (BD; without probiotic), and experiment diet containing different doses of A. veronii V03 at 3.2 × 107 (DI) and 3.5 × 109 (DII) CFU g−1 of diet. At the end of the probiotic feeding trial, fish were challenged with A. hydrophila, and the percentage of survival rates was recorded over 7 days. Results revealed that fish fed with A. veronii V03 demonstrated a significant improvement in growth and enhancement of innate immunity, including respiratory burst, myeloperoxidase, and lysozyme activities, and total immunoglobulin level compared with BD fed to fish. Relatively, expression of cytokines (MyD88, IL-1β1, IL-8, and IL-10) and c- and g-type lysozymes were significantly up- and downregulated in lymphoid organs of fish. Moreover, dietary supplementation of A. veronii V03 exhibited significantly (p

The thyroid is an important endocrine gland, which plays a major role in the functions of almost all normal metabolic processes. In present study, by focusing the sections at very high magnification (100x, oil immersion level) AgNOR dots are visible as black dots inside the nucleus. Our studies which have reported that thyroid lesions with less AgNOR counts are more likely to regress as compared to those with high AgNOR counts and that showed its prognostic significance. Thus, the AgNOR technique can be useful as a supportive tool in both the prognosis and therapeutic value in thyroid lesions most commonly in malignant lesions that are stained by routinely performed haematoxylin and eosin. The Present Study is aim to find out the prevalence of thyroid lesions in the patients and also to Study and find out the different types of neoplastic and non- neoplastic thyroid lesions and their relation with AgNOR and Ki-67 proliferation makers. The Present Study focuses on to evaluate the association of AgNOR vs Ki-67 in the prognostic value of thyroid lesions.

Zingiber officinale (ZO) and Terminalia chebula (TC) are plants used for the treatment of diverse illnesses in traditional medicine. The present study investigates the preventive effect of Zingiber officinale-Terminalia chebula extract (ZOTC) against DMBA-induced breast cancer in a rat model. Bioactive compounds from ZO (6-gingerol, 6-shogaol) and TC (gallic acid, ellagic acid, corilagin, chebulinic acid, and chebulagic acid) were detected using high-performance liquid chromatography. Mammary carcinogenesis was induced in rats with a single subcutaneous injection of 7,12-Dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA). Oral administration of ZOTC ameliorated the antioxidant status in mammary tissues, serum lipid levels, and serum cytokines. Histological analysis of the mammary tissue (normal and tumor) was carried out to obtain pathological alterations due to ZOTC treatment. The effect of ZOTC on the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) gene and accumulation of corresponding gene product was also investigated. mTOR plays a central role in cell metabolism and proliferation in normal and cancer cells. Transcriptional and immunohistochemical analysis showed the downregulation of mTOR expression in the mammary tissues of ZOTC-treated rats. In conclusion, the results obtained suggest that ZOTC can suppress tumor progression in DMBA-induced breast cancer rats via inhibition of the mTOR pathway.

Among cancers, leukemia is a multistep progression that involves genetic modifications of normal hematopoietic progenitor cells to cancerous cells. In recent times, leukemia cases and their mortality rate have increased rapidly. Therefore, the immense need for a therapeutic approach is crucial that can control this type of cancer. Phyllanthin is a lignan compound constituent from the Phyllanthus species and has numerous beneficial effects as a dietary component. The present study aims to determine the impact of phyllanthin on the MOLT-4 cytotoxic effect. MOLT-4 cells and MS-5 cells were cultured at different concentrations of phyllanthin (5, 10, 25, 50, 75, and 100 μM/ml), and the viability was assessed by the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide method. The level of reactive oxygen species, the membrane potential of mitochondria, apoptosis by 2',7'-dichlorofluorescin-diacetate (DCF-DA), rhodamine, acridine orange (AO)/ethidium bromide (EB), 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI)/propidium iodide (PI) staining, gene expression of signaling molecules, and protein levels were assessed by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis. Phyllanthin did not show toxicity toward MS-5 cells and significantly decreased the cell viability of MOLT-4 cells with an IC50 value of 25 µM/ml. Also, phyllanthin induced the production of reactive oxygen species and led to the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential. AO/EB and DAPI/PI staining fluorescent image confirmed the induction of apoptosis by phyllanthin treatment. The messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of cell cycle regulator cyclin D1, antiapoptotic gene Bcl-2, NF-κB, and TNF-α decreased, but the proapoptotic Bax mRNA expression was increased. The phosphorylated protein levels of p-PI3K1/2, p-ERK1/2, and p-AKT were decreased, whereas the levels of p-p38 and p-JNKT1/2 increased. Our results confirmed that phyllanthin inhibits the MOLT-4 cells, increases apoptosis, and inhibits MOLT-4 migration and cell invasion. Therefore, phyllanthin can be used as a potential target for leukemia treatment.

Pure and other concentrations of cobalt (Co2+) ions incorporated into cuprous oxide Cu2−xCoxO (x = 0–14 mM) thin films were successfully deposited in fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) glass substrate by employing electro deposition technique. The crystallite size of pure and Co-doped thin films was investigated from 29.03 to 43.38 nm using X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images display three-sided pyramid shape morphology of pure Cu2O thin films that get significantly changed, as and when Co concentrations get increased. The optical bandgap value gets continuously increased from 2.128 to 2.297 eV for a 0–14 mM change in Co doping concentration. Vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) pictures the film that exhibits a better ferromagnetic property with a saturation magnetism of 159.96 E−6 emu for 14 mM Co dopant. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) confirm the presence of cobalt (Co2+) as a dopant in the host Cu2O thin films. The Cu2−86Co14O (x = 14 mM) thin film has a higher specific capacitance of 164.90 F/g with 3.66 Wh/kg energy density at the current density of 2 A/g. It has a good energy and a power density in the higher concentration Co-doped Cu2O thin films applicable for energy storage devices.

MYCN is amplified in 20% to 25% of neuroblastoma, and MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma contributes to a large percent of pediatric cancer–related deaths. Therapy improvements for this subtype of cancer are a high priority. Here we uncover a MYCN-dependent therapeutic vulnerability in neuroblastoma. Namely, amplified MYCN rewires the cell through expression of key receptors, ultimately enhancing iron influx through increased expression of the iron import transferrin receptor 1. Accumulating iron causes reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and MYCN-amplified neuroblastomas show enhanced reliance on the system Xc- cystine/glutamate antiporter for ROS detoxification through increased transcription of this receptor. This dependence creates a marked vulnerability to targeting the system Xc-/glutathione (GSH) pathway with ferroptosis inducers. This reliance can be exploited through therapy with FDA-approved rheumatoid arthritis drugs sulfasalazine (SAS) and auranofin: in MYCN-amplified, patient-derived xenograft models, both therapies blocked growth and induced ferroptosis. SAS and auranofin activity was largely mitigated by the ferroptosis inhibitor ferrostatin-1, antioxidants like N-acetyl-L-cysteine, or by the iron scavenger deferoxamine (DFO). DFO reduced auranofin-induced ROS, further linking increased iron capture in MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma to a therapeutic vulnerability to ROS-inducing drugs. These data uncover an oncogene vulnerability to ferroptosis caused by increased iron accumulation and subsequent reliance on the system Xc-/GSH pathway. Significance: This study shows how MYCN increases intracellular iron levels and subsequent GSH pathway activity and demonstrates the antitumor activity of FDA-approved SAS and auranofin in patient-derived xenograft models of MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma.

Background and aims It is not known if new onset diabetes during Coronavirus-19 disease (COVID-19; NOD COVID) is phenotypically or biochemically different than new onset diabetes before COVID-19 (NOD). Methods All adults diagnosed with new onset diabetes from during the time of COVID-19 were compared with new onset diabetes prior to COVID-19, from two tertiary care hospitals in Chennai and Delhi. RTPCR test for SARS-CoV-2 virus was done as appropriate, and COVID-19 antibody test was done in all other NOD COVID patients. Result A total of 555 patients with new onset diabetes were included in the study (282 NOD and 273 NOD COVID patients). Patients with NOD COVID had higher fasting and post prandial blood glucose and glycated hemoglobin vs. NOD patients. Both the groups had high average body mass index; ∼28 kg/m2. Interestingly, fasting C-peptide levels were significantly higher in the NOD COVID group vs. NOD group. There was no difference in C-peptide or glycemic parameters between the COVID-19 antibody positive and negative NOD COVID cases. Conclusion Individuals who were diagnosed with diabetes during COVID-19 epidemic (NOD COVID) do not significantly differ from those diagnosed before COVID-19 in symptomatology, phenotype, and C-peptide levels but they had more severe glycemia., Highlights • We studied 282 patients with new-onset diabetes before COVID-19 (NOD), and 273 new onset patients with diabetes during COVID-19 (NOD COVID). • Patients with NOD COVID had higher fasting blood glucose, post prandial blood glucose and glycated hemoglobin as compared to NOD patients. • There was no difference in C-peptide or glycemic parameters between the COVID-19 antibody positive and negative NOD COVID cases.

Background: Amphetamine (AMPH) and other psychostimulants act on the norepinephrine (NE) transporter (NET) and the dopamine (DA) transporter (DAT) and enhance NE and DA signaling. Both NET and DAT share anatomical and functional characteristics and are regulated similarly by psychostimulants and receptor-linked signaling pathways. We and others have demonstrated that NET and DAT are downregulated by AMPH and substance P/neurokinin-1 receptor (NK1R)-mediated protein kinase C pathway. Objectives: Since both NET and DAT are downregulated by AMPH and NK1R activation and share high sequence homology, the objective of the study was to determine the catecholamine transporter specificity in NK1R modulation of AMPH-induced behaviors. Methods: The effect of NK1R antagonism on AMPH-induced conditioned place preference (CPP) as well as AMPH-induced NET and DAT downregulation was examined using NET and DAT knockout mice (NET-KO and DAT-KO) along with their wild-type littermates. Results: Aprepitant (5 mg/kg i.p.) significantly attenuated AMPH (2 mg/kg i.p.)-induced CPP in the wild-type and DAT-KO but not in the NET-KO. Locomotor activity measured during the post-conditioning test (in the absence of AMPH) showed higher locomotor activity in DAT-KO compared to wild-type or NET-KO. However, the locomotor activity of all 3 genotypes remained unchanged following aprepitant. Additionally, in the ventral striatum of wild-type, the AMPH-induced downregulation of NET function and surface expression but not that of DAT was attenuated by aprepitant. Conclusions: The results from the current study demonstrate that aprepitant attenuates the expression of AMPH-induced CPP in DAT-KO mice but not in NET-KO mice suggesting a role for NK1R-mediated NET regulation in AMPH-induced behaviors.

The research on chiral recognition and selection is not only fundamental in deciding the mystery of homochirality, but also informative in terms of substrate recognition in biological processes and asymmetric catalysis. We report an enantiomeric pair of phosphonium salts having chiral (R and S) amino substituents that are utilized towards the enantioselective recognition of a variety of chiral compounds having functional groups, such as carboxylic acid, amine, and alcohol. These simple phosphonium salts are found to exhibit a high enantiomeric discrimination for 1-cyclohexylethylamine (CY). A remarkable guest selectivity (ξ) value of 5.3×108 is achieved for the enantiomer of R-CY over S-CY by using the R-isomer of the phosphonium salt. Such high binding selectivities and discrimination capabilities is attributed to multiple non-covalent interactions between the host and guest molecules as inferred from the DFT optimized structures of the host-guest pairs.

Astaxanthin (AXN) is known to have health benefits by epidemiological studies. Therefore, it is of interest to assess the effect of AXN (derived from indigenous unicellular green alga Haematococcus lacustris) to modulate cell cycle arrest, lysosomal acidification and eventually apoptosis using in vitro in A549 lung cancer cells. Natural extracts of astaxanthin were obtained by standardized methods as reported earlier and characterized by standard HPLC and MS. Treatment of A549 cells with AXN (purified fraction) showed significant reduction in cell viability (about 50%) as compared to crude extract at 50µM concentration. Thus, we show the anticancer effects and lysosomal acidification in A549 cells by Astaxanthin from Haematococcus lacustris for further consideration. Together, our results demonstrated the anticancer potential of AXN from Haematococcus lacustris, which is found to be mediated via its ability to induce cell cycle arrest, lysosomal acidification and apoptotic induction.

In this work, glow discharge plasma pre-treatment was used for bio-ethanol production from a mixture of waste surgical cotton and cardboard. After compositional analysis, the plasma pre-treatment for the biomass mixture resulted in 68 ± 1% lignin removal and 22.2 ± 1.2% hemicellulose removal. The pre-treated mixture was analyzed using Fourier Transform-Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and X-ray Diffraction (XRD). After saccharification using in-house cellulases (saccharification – 43.6 ± 0.5%), bio-ethanol fermentation was performed using Saccharomyces cerevisiae RW 143. 48 ± 0.5 g/L bio-ethanol (0.4 g bio-ethanol/g of glucose) was obtained (cellulose conversion – 56.5 ± 0.2%). 90% (v/v), 180 proof pure bio-ethanol, was dehydrated to 99.9% (v/v) and 200 proof purity using molecular sieves. E-10 and E-20 blends containing 10% (v/v) and 20% (v/v) bio-ethanol with diesel fuel, respectively, were prepared. In an Internal Combustion engine, the combustion and emission characteristics were studied for E-10, E-20, and commercial diesel fuels.

One of the key compounds engaged in the carbon dioxide fixation cycle (Calvin-Benson-Bassham cycle) is Ribulose 1, 5-Bisphosphate Carboxylase/ Oxygenase (RuBisCo). These are known to act as a carbon sink thus leading to decrease of the carbon level in the atmosphere. This unique property of RuBisCo can therefore help in diminishing an Earth-wide global warming problem, a noteworthy risk in the present world. In the present study, presence of RuBisCo in Sulfobacillus acidophilus strain NY-1 was studied. This strain was isolated from Neyveli lignite mines and their growth parameters such as pH and temperature wereoptimized. The ideal pH and temperature for S. acidophilus was at pH 1.7 and at 45oC respectively. The correlation of growth of S. acidophilus with light, carbon dioxide and aeration was investigated by enumerating the number of cells/mL using a hemocytometer. The cell count was highest in light condition whereas no growth was observed in dark condition. At the 60th hour of incubation, a cell density of 1.60×106 cells/mL was observed. Similarly, in the presence of carbon dioxide the maximum cell count was 2.72×106 at the 40th hour of incubation with aeration. The presence of RuBisCo in S. acidophilus was affirmed by ion exchange chromatography technique.

This work reports the synthesis and electrochemical performance of the nickel-doped lithium manganese oxide along with the surface modification of the mentioned oxide coated with the aluminum oxide via a solid state route. The structural and functional groups were confirmed by the X-ray powder diffraction and Raman spectroscopy studies, respectively. A pyramid-like structure of the pure lithium manganese oxide and a plate-like structure of lithium manganese nickel oxide coated by Al2O3 were confirmed by the field emission scanning electron microscopy. The exchange current density and the charge transfer resistance were calculated via electrochemical impedance spectroscopy in an aqueous electrolyte system. In that system, the electrochemical behaviour of the lithium manganese oxide, of the lithium manganese nickel oxide, and of the Al2O3 coated lithium manganese nickel oxide was studied by the charge/discharge analysis. The Al2O3 coated lithium manganese nickel oxide exhibits 91% capacity retention up to 100 charge/discharge cycles as well as a lower charge transfer resistance which are far better than previously reported values.

A semi-flexible binder-free graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) intercalated polypyrrole (PPy) nanocomposite thin film was prepared via hybrid electrospray technique. A homogeneous thin film was achieved by the controlled spray process. A deposited thin film illustrated the amorphous nature of composite with high surface purity and good chemical composition. The surface analysis confirmed the smoother surface with well-defined distinct phases of g-C3N4 and PPy matrix in the composite thin film. The electrochemical studies exhibited that a maximum areal capacity of the thin film was achieved to be 289.6 mF/cm2 at a current density of 0.4 mA/cm2, which is higher than that of pristine PPy (194.8 mF/cm2). The heterostructure electrode illustrated that the life cycles of 99% could be up to 10,000 cycles with low resistance due to the synergetic effect of g-C3N4 and PPy matrix with strong material adhesion (hybrid spray process) on the surface. A binder-free heterostructure thin film will play a significant role in the energy storage application.

Thyroid cancer is the most important malignant tumor reported in human populations where, its treatment remains undeveloped. Fisetin, a plant flavonoid exhibits several pharmacological properties like antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer function. In the existing study, we assessed fisetin mediated cytotoxic effects and action potential of fisetin on cell proliferation in TPC-1 human cancer cells. Also, examined the apoptosis in TPC-1 cells by reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and apoptotic morphological changes through AO/EtBr staining. Additionally, we analyzed the effects of fisetin through ELISA analysis to evaluate the caspases expression and studied JAK 1 and STAT3 signaling molecule in TPC1 cells. Our results demonstrated that fisetin stimulated apoptosis, which confirmed through reduced cell viability, improved ROS generation, altered MMP and cell cycle phases in TPC-1 cells. Further, the fisetin up-regulated the expression of caspase (3, 8, and 9) expressions in TPC-1 cells. Also, we observed the fisetin down-regulated the JAK 1 and STAT3 expression in TPC1 cells. Thus, the fisetin induced apoptosis in TPC-1 cells by the induction of oxidative damage and enhanced caspases expression by down-regulating JAK 1 and STAT3 signaling molecules. Hence, the fisetin would be considered as a beneficial therapeutic agent for the thyroid cancer treatment.

Cyanide based framework compounds are known to show large negative thermal expansion behaviour. Here we report the phonon and anomalous lattice behavior of two metal cyanide framework compounds i.e...

Diabetic Retinopathy is a type of eye condition induced by diabetes, which damages the blood vessels in the retinal region and the area covered with lesions of varying magnitude determines the severity of the disease. It is one of the most leading causes of blindness amongst the employed community. A variety of factors are observed to play a role in a person to get this disease. Stress and prolonged diabetes are two of the most critical factors to top the list. This disease, if not predicted early, can lead to a permanent impairment of vision. If predicted in advance, the rate of impairment can be brought down or averted. However, it is not easy to detect the presence of this disease, given the time-consuming and tedious process of diagnosis. Presently, digital color photographs are evaluated manually by trained clinicians to observe the presence of lesions caused due to vascular abnormalities, which is the major effect of Diabetic Retinopathy. This method, although it is pretty accurate, proves to be costly. The delay brings out the need to automate the diagnosing, which will, in turn, have a significant positive impact on the health sector. In recent times, the adoption of AI in disease diagnosis has ensured promising and reliable results and this serves as the motivation for this journal. The paper employs Deep learning methodologies for automatic detection of Diabetic Retinopathy, resulting in a maximum accuracy of 80%, as compared to traditional Machine learning approaches giving only a maximum accuracy of 48% on the same IRDiR Disease Grading Dataset (413 images with 5 levels of DR-Training set; 103 images with 5 levels of DR-Test set). The data set contains digital fundus images of different levels of Diabetic Retinopathy in discrete frequency distributions.

International audience; Protein misfolding and subsequent self-association are complex, intertwined processes, resulting in development of a heterogeneous population of aggregates closely related to many chronic pathological conditions including Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Alzheimer’s disease. To address this issue, here, we develop a theoretical model in the general framework of linear stability analysis. According to this model, self-assemblies of peptides with pronounced conformational flexibility may become, under particular conditions, unstable and spontaneously evolve toward an alternating array of partially ordered and disordered monomers. The predictions of the theory were verified by atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP) used as a paradigm of aggregation-prone polypeptides (proteins). Simulations of dimeric, tetrameric, and hexameric human-IAPP self-assemblies at physiological electrolyte concentration reveal an alternating distribution of the smallest domains (of the order of the peptide mean length) formed by partially ordered (mainly β-strands) and disordered (turns and coil) arrays. Periodicity disappears upon weakening of the inter-peptide binding, a result in line with the predictions of the theory. To further probe the general validity of our hypothesis, we extended the simulations to other peptides, the Aβ(1–40) amyloid peptide, and the ovine prion peptide as well as to other proteins (SOD1 dimer) that do not belong to the broad class of intrinsically disordered proteins. In all cases, the oligomeric aggregates show an alternate distribution of partially ordered and disordered monomers. We also carried out Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) measurements of hIAPP as an experimental validation of both the theory and in silico simulations.

Human amylin forms structurally heterogeneous amyloids that have been linked to type-2 diabetes. Thus, understanding the molecular interactions governing amylin aggregation can provide mechanistic insights in its pathogenic formation. Here, we demonstrate that fibril formation of amylin is altered by synthetic amphipathic copolymer derivatives of the styrene- maleic-acid (SMAQA and SMAEA). High-speed AFM is used to follow the real-time aggregation of amylin by observing the rapid formation of de novo globular oligomers and arrestment of fibrillation by the positively-charged SMAQA. We also observed an accelerated fibril formation in the presence of the negatively-charged SMAEA. These findings were further validated by fluorescence, SOFAST-HMQC, DOSY and STD NMR experiments. Conformational analysis by CD and FT-IR revealed that the SMA copolymers modulate the conformation of amylin aggregates. While the species formed with SMAQA are α-helical, the ones formed with SMAEA are rich in β-sheet structure. The interacting interfaces between SMAEA or SMAQA and amylin are mapped by NMR and microseconds all-atom MD simulation. SMAEA displayed π-π interaction with Phe23, electrostatic π-cation interaction with His18 and hydrophobic packing with Ala13 and Val17; whereas SMAQA showed a selective interaction with amylin’s C-terminus (residues 31-37) that belongs to one of the two β-sheet regions (residues 14-19 and 31-36) involved in amylin fibrillation. Toxicity analysis showed both SMA copolymers to be non-toxic in vitro and the amylin species formed with the copolymers showed minimal deformity to zebrafish embryos. Together, this study demonstrates that chemical tools, such as copolymers, can be used to modulate amylin aggregation, alter the conformation of species.

Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) play crucial roles in several biological processes including cell division, angiogenesis, anticoagulation, neurogenesis, axon guidance and growth, and viral and bacterial infections among others. The GAG cleaving hydrolases/lyases play a major role in the control of GAG structures, functions, and turn over. Dysregulation of GAG cleaving enzymes in vivo are linked to a number of human diseases including cancer, diabetes, atherosclerosis, arthritis, inflammation, and cardiovascular diseases. Several GAG cleaving enzymes are widely used for studying GAG glycobiology: heparitinases, chondroitinases, heparanases, hyaluronidases, and keratanases. Herein, we describe a method to synthesize four distinct nanometal surface energy transfer (NSET)-based gold-GAG-dye conjugates (nanosensors). Heparin, chondroitin sulfate, heparan sulfate, and hyaluronic acid are covalently linked with distinct fluorescent dyes and then immobilized on gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) to build nanosensors that serve as excellent substrates for GAG cleaving enzymes. Upon treatment of nanosensors with their respective GAG cleaving enzymes, dye-labeled oligosaccharides/disaccharides are released from AuNPs resulting in enhanced fluorescence recovery. These nanosensors have a great promise as diagnostic tools in various human pathophysiological conditions for detecting dysregulated expression of GAG cleaving enzymes and also as a sensitive analytical tool for assessing the quality control of pharmaceutical grade heparin polysaccharides that are produced in millions of small- and medium-sized animal slaughter houses worldwide.

The low evaporation temperature and carcinogen classification of commonly used molybdenum trioxide (MoO3) precursor render it unsuitable for the safe and practical synthesis of molybdenum disulfide (MoS2). Furthermore, as evidenced by several experimental findings, the associated reaction constitutes a multistep process prone to the formation of uncontrolled amounts of intermediate MoS2−yOy phase mixed with the MoS2 crystals. Here, molybdenum dioxide (MoO2), a chemically more stable and safer oxide than MoO3, was utilized to successfully grow cm-scale continuous films of monolayer MoS2. A high-resolution optical image stitching approach and Raman line mapping were used to confirm the composition and homogeneity of the material grown across the substrate. A detailed examination of the surface morphology of the continuous film revealed that, as the gas flow rate increased by an order of magnitude, the grain-boundary separation dramatically reduced, implying a transition from a kinetically to thermodynamically controlled growth. Importantly, the single-step vapor-phase sulfurization (VPS) reaction of MoO2 was shown to suppress intermediate state formations for a wide range of experimental parameters investigated and is completely absent, provided that the global S:Mo loading ratio is set higher than the stoichiometric ratio of 3:1 required by the VPS reaction.

Gliotoxin produced by Trichoderma virens is inhibitory against various phytopathogenic fungi and bacteria. However, its stability in soil-ecosystem has not yet been well-defined. This study aimed to decipher its persistence and behaviour in growth media, irrigation water and soil ecosystems. Gliotoxin production was noticed at logarithmic growth phase and converted into bis-thiomethyl gliotoxin at late stationary growth phase of T. virens in acidic growth medium. But, no gliotoxin production was observed in neutral and alkaline growth medium. Gliotoxin was stable for several days in acidic water but degraded in alkaline water. Degradation of gliotoxin was more in unsterile soil than sterile soil and also that was higher under wet soil than dry soil. Degradation of gliotoxin was hastened by alkaline pH in wet soil but not in dry soil. Under unsterile soil conditions, high soil moisture increased the degradation of gliotoxin and the degradation of gliotoxin occurred quickly in alkaline soil (in 5 days) compared to acidic soil (in 10 days). Under sterile soil conditions, high soil moisture also enhanced the degradation of gliotoxin but level of degradation was less compared to unsterile conditions. Thus, gliotoxin stability is influenced mainly by the soil wetness, soil microbial community and pH conditions.

A selective, precise and stability-indicating, high performance liquid chromatographic method was developed for the analysis of active ingredient sodium Picosulfate and forced degradation behavior was studied. The current article describes forced degradation behavior of the Sodium Picosulfate drug substance in detail by analyzing 15 process related/degradants in a single HPLC method under ICH recommended stressed conditions. Mobile phase comprised of 0.01 M of Disodium hydrogen phosphate and 0.01 M of potassium phosphate monobasic buffer and 1 mL of triethyl amine in 1000 mL water adjusted to pH 7.5 with 10% phosphoric acid. Acetonitrile was used as Mobile Phase B. The separation was achieved on a gradient method. The reversed phase chromatography was performed in Hypersil BDS C18 5.0 μm, 4.6 × 250 mm column maintained at temperature 35°C. Injection volume was 60 μL. Milli-Q water used as diluent. The mobile phase was pumped at 0.9 mL/min-1. The eluted compounds were monitored at 220 nm. Secondary wavelength of the 263 nm was studied to check any further degradants during the forced degradation studies. New additional degradants Sodium Picosulfate Benzyl alcohol Impurity and N oxide degradations were discussed and studied during the forced degradation to understand the chemical stability of the drug substance.

Watermelon is an annual fruit crop that faces various biotic and abiotic stresses. Genetic engineering is an efficient tool for improving plant traits that combat environmental stresses. In this study, we have developed an improved Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation system for watermelon and the same was evaluated in four cultivars (Arka Manik, Arka Muthu, IIHR-14, and Sugar Baby).Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain EHA 105 bearing binary vector pCAMBIA 1301-bar was used to standardize the transformation protocol. BASTA® 6 mg−1was used to eliminate nontransformed tissues and select transformed shoots. To improve the transformation efficiency, polyamine incorporation in the medium, sonication of explant, and vacuum infiltration were tested. The highest transformation efficiency of 17.3% was achieved with spermidine (15 mg l−1) incorporation in the culture medium, sonicating the explant for 30 s followed by 2 min vacuum infiltration during Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation, in the cultivar Arka Manik. The shoot induction and elongation medium containing BA (1 mg l−1), leucine (5 mg l−1), spermidine (10 mg l−1) along with BASTA® were successfully used for regeneration and elongation of shoots, from cotyledonary node. The 2-month-old regenerated putative transformants were subjected for molecular analysis. Histochemical GUS (β-glucuronidase) assay, PCR and southern analysis confirmed the presence of a transgene in the obtained transgenic watermelon lines. This transformation protocol was tested in four cultivars to prove its efficiency, which further confirmed that this genotype-independent direct regeneration–based Agrobacterium transformation protocol could be further explored for improving genetic transformation of watermelon.

Treating the enantiomerically pure Schiff base ligand (R-H2L1 or S-H2L1) with equimolar copper nitrate led to the isolation of two chiral tetranuclear Cu(II) cubane complexes with the general molecular formula [Cu4(R-L1)4] (R-1) and [Cu4(S-L1)4] (S-1), which are characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Both R-1 and S-1 are structurally analogous to each other, which is reflected from their unit cell parameters. The chiral ligands employed efficiently transfer the chirality to the metal complex, which is reflected from their flack parameters and the complex R-1 crystallizes in the chiral, polar point/space group (C2). The chirality is maintained not only in the solid-state but also in the solution state for both R/S-H2L1 and R/S-1. The direct current magnetic susceptibility measurements performed on a polycrystalline sample of a representative complex R-1 exhibits a dominant ferromagnetic interaction resulting in an S = 2 ground state, which is in contrast to the other alkoxide bridged [Cu4O4] complexes reported. The electronic structure and the observed ferromagnetic exchange coupling in R-1 are rationalized by detailed theoretical calculations.

The separation of enantiomers is of considerable importance in the preparation of the compounds of biological interests, catalysis, and drug development. Here, we report a novel enantioseparation of styrene epoxides (SOs) resolved in the presence of a pair of enantio-enriched tetrahedral cages. Chiral neutral cages of formula [(Pd3X*)4(C6O4Cl2)6] ([X*]3- = RRR- or SSS-[PO(N(*CH(CH3)Ph)3]3-) are constructed from Pd3 building units supported by tris(imido)phosphate trianions and chloranilate linkers. These cages exhibit considerable enantioselective separation capabilities toward a series of styrene epoxides via a crystallization inclusion method. A highest enantiomeric excess (ee) value of up to 80% is achieved for the (R)-4-fluorostyrene oxide.

In the present work, a well-defined dumbbell shaped ZnO was synthesized by hydrothermal method and ZnO dumbbell/reduced graphene oxide (ZnO/rGO) nanocomposites were prepared by a simple solution mixing method with the different rGO loading amount. The formation of nanocomposites, crystal structure, shape, size and optical properties of the ZnO/rGO nanocomposites were investigated using various analytical techniques. The photocatalytic degradation efficiency of synthesized materials was evaluated by the degradation of aqueous Methyl Orange (MO) and Methylene Blue (MB) under UV–Visible light irradiation. The results revealed that 3 wt% rGO loaded ZnO dumbbell (ZnO-3% rGO) exhibited the higher photocatalytic degradation efficiency than pure ZnO dumbbell and rGO. The enhancement in the photocatalytic dye degradation efficiency of ZnO-3% rGO is attributed to the efficient dye adsorption nature, a red shift in light absorption and inhibition of photo-excited electron-hole pair recombination rate. The photocatalytic dye degradation efficiency also evaluated for various catalyst dosage, dye concentration and pH of the solution. Moreover, it was demonstrated the stability of catalyst over a repeated cycle of dye treatment.

The production of cellulase with enhanced enzyme activities has been a challenge for the biofuel industries. In this work, to prove the technical feasibility of using an alternate source of cellulose for cellulase production, a novel lignocellulosic mixture of waste surgical cotton and packaging cardboard, and a cellulolytic fungus Trichoderma harzanium ATCC® 20846™ were employed. After a 9 day Solid State Fermentation (SSF), FPase activities were, 2.405 IU/mL, 3.145 IU/mL, 3.230 IU/mL for untreated, dilute acid pre-treated, and ammonia pre-treated substrate mixtures, respectively. After a 120 -h Submerged Fermentation (SMF), the enzyme activities were: FPase 1.94 IU/mL, CMCase 12.47 IU/mL, beta Glucosidases 3165.4 IU/mL, and xylanases 756.6IU/mL. The biomass yield coefficients (Yx/s, Yx/O2); Oxygen Uptake Rate (OUR); maintenance coefficients (mO2); mass transfer coefficient (KLa); Oxygen Transfer Rate (OTR); the effects of viscosity and sugar accumulation, have been studied for the submerged fermentation process. A basic financial analysis has been presented.

Molecular ferroelectrics owing to their lightweight, flexibility, and phase stability are drawing attention in the fields of flexible electronics, optical devices, and energy materials. In this pap...

A triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) based on natural seeds and electrospun poly(vinyl difluoride) (PVDF) fibers is reported. The nanofibers are specifically used to enhance the triboelectric effects. A mustard (flax) seed based TENG renders an impressively high electrical output with an average open circuit voltage of 84 V (126 V) and maximum power density 334 mW m

The polyherbal-loaded polycaprolactone nanofibrous mat was prepared by electrospinning technique, and physical and chemical characteristics of nanofibrous mats were studied using scanning electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analyzer, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The presence of various phytochemicals in the crude monoherbal and polyherbal extracts was analyzed. The antimicrobial activity and biocompatibility of the polyherbal-loaded nanofibrous mats were studied. The drug release pattern of the polyherbal-loaded nanofibrous mats was studied at different time intervals. The 5% drug-loaded nanofibrous mat shows higher sustainable drug release rate than 1% and 3% drug-loaded nanofibrous mats. The cell viability was found to be 98.91%, 98.77%, 98.5%, and 98.22% for polycaprolactone and 1%, 3%, and 5% for polyherbal-loaded nanofibrous mats, respectively.

Carbonate intercalated layered Zn, ZnNi and ZnCu hydroxides were synthesized by a facile hydrothermal method for the visible light driven photocatalytic methylene blue dye degradation. The crystalline phase, surface states, optical and morphological properties were studied by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) measurements. The XRD measurement demonstrated that all the synthesized materials were in a regular layered structure. Optical spectra of the samples were revealed that layered ZnNi hydroxide showed the visible light absorption property. The photocatalytic activities of the prepared layered materials examined by the degradation of methyl blue (MB) dye solution under visible light illumination. Among the prepared layered hydroxide, ZnNi hydroxide exhibited the 90% removal rate for MB under visible light illumination. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of ZnNi hydroxide is due to combined visible light absorption nature and hierarchical flower-like structure with a large number of active sites. Moreover, the ZnNi hydroxide has very good recyclability until remain active after the complete fourth degradation cycle.

The iron(II) complexes Fe(L)(MeCN)(3)](SO3CF3)(2) (L are two derivatives of tris(2-pyridyl)-based ligands) have been synthesized as models for cysteine dioxygenase (CDO). The molecular structure of one of the complexes exhibits octahedral coordination geometry and the Fe-N-py bond lengths 1.953(4)-1.972(4) angstrom] are similar to those in the Cys-bound Fe-II-CDO; Fe-N-His: 1.893-2.199 angstrom. The iron(II) centers of the model complexes exhibit relatively high Fe-III/II redox potentials (E-1/2=0.988-1.380 V vs. ferrocene/ferrocenium electrode, Fc/Fc(+)), within the range for O-2 activation and typical for the corresponding nonheme iron enzymes. The reaction of in situ generated Fe(L)(MeCN)(SPh)](+) with excess O-2 in acetonitrile (MeCN) yields selectively the doubly oxygenated phenylsulfinic acid product. Isotopic labeling studies using O-18(2) confirm the incorporation of both oxygen atoms of O-2 into the product. Kinetic and preliminary DFT studies reveal the involvement of an Fe-III peroxido intermediate with a rhombic S=1/2 Fe-III center (687-696 nm; g approximate to 2.46-2.48, 2.13-2.15, 1.92-1.94), similar to the spectroscopic signature of the low-spin Cys-bound (FeCDO)-C-III (650 nm, g approximate to 2.47, 2.29, 1.90). The proposed Fe-III peroxido intermediates have been trapped, and the O-O stretching frequencies are in the expected range (approximately 920 and 820 cm(-1) for the alkyl- and hydroperoxido species, respectively). The model complexes have a structure similar to that of the enzyme and structural aspects as well as the reactivity are discussed.

In the present investigation, a novel photoanode material TiO2-reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanocomposite has been prepared and coated by doctor blade technique for the fabrication of dye-sensitized solar cells. The reduction of graphene oxide to reduced graphene oxide and the crystallization of the material has been achieved by one step thermal annealing of photoanodes at 400 °C. The UV–Visible absorption and photoluminescence studies were confirming the following attributes that, the reduction in band gap energy and the existence of longer lifetime of charge carriers in TiO2-rGO nanocomposite photoanodes respectively. Fourier transform infra-red characterization was confirming the bonding between TiO2 and rGO. The X-ray diffraction pattern fortified the formation of anatase titania with reduced crystallite size due to the presence of graphene. The scanning electron microscopy images of TiO2-rGO nanocomposite photoanodes revealed the presence of spherical nanoparticles and agglomeration of graphene sheets in TiO2 matrix. In addition, Raman and transmission electron microscopy analysis ensured the interaction between TiO2 and graphene. The solar cell with TiO2-rGO nanocomposite photoanode has 6.61% efficiency which was 30% higher than that of the pristine TiO2 nanoparticles based device. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analysis proposed the reduction in charge transfer resistance which was achieved in the newly developed photoanode employed devices.