Search

Silver and its alloys undergo tarnishing with time, which is a black stain on the surface due to the formation of Ag2S. Developing a tarnish resistant Ag alloy was attempted by alloying Ag with elements that form a passive oxide layer on the surface. Germanium is proven to provide better tarnish resistance to sterling Silver alloy (92.5 wt% pure) which is available under the trade name of Argentium©. The present work investigates the tarnish resistance behavior of sterling silver alloy (92.5 wt% pure) containing various additions of Copper, Zinc, and Germanium. The alloys were prepared by melting and casting route, followed by Passivation Heat Treatment (PHT) to create a stable and continuous oxide layer. The temperature for PHT was optimized using thermogravimetry analysis (TGA) of the alloys prepared. Accelerated tarnish test was carried out to investigate the tarnishing behavior of alloy samples obtained before and after PHT. The samples were characterized using XRD, SEM-EDX, and micro-Raman Spectroscopy. The change in reflectance of the samples after tarnish test is determined using UV–Visible reflectance spectroscopy. The mechanism behind the tarnish resistance was derived using Density Functional Theory (DFT) by comparing sulphur (S2) and Oxygen (O2) adsorption energies (BE) of the alloying elements. The lower value of S2 (BE)/O2 (BE) indicates better oxidation and tarnish resistance. The ratio ranges between 222 % (Pure Ag) and 132 % (for Ag-4.2Cu-2.8Zn-1.4Ge) and the p-p between Ge and O has contributed to the reduction in the ratio.

ABSTRACTColorectal cancer (CRC) is a heterogeneous disease that requires new diagnostic and prognostic markers. Integrated bioinformatics approach to identify novel therapeutic targets associated with CRC. Using GEO2R identified DEGs in CRC, and Funrich software facilitated the visualization of DEGs through Venn diagrams. From a total of 114 enhanced DEGs, potential hub genes were further filtered based on their nodal strength and edges using STRING database. To gain insights into the functional roles of these hub genes, gene ontology and pathway enrichment were conducted thorough g: profiler web server. Subsequently, overall survival plots from GEPIA and oncogenic predictive functions like mRNA expressions for stages and nodal metastasis were employed to identify hub genes in CRC patient samples. Additionally, the cBioPortal and HPA databases also revealed genetic alterations and expression levels in these hub genes in CRC patients, further supporting their involvement in colorectal cancer. Gene expression by RT-PCR shows upregulation of hub genes in HT-29 cells. Finally, our integrated bioinformatic analysis revealed that ABCE1, AURKA, HSPD1, PHKA1, CDK4, and YWHAE as hub genes with potential oncogenic roles in CRC. These genes hold promise as diagnostic and prognostic markers for colorectal tumorigenesis, providing insights into targeted therapies for improved patient outcomes.

In the title compound, C31H28O4, the phenyl rings of the chalcone unit subtend a dihedral angle of 26.43 (10)°. The phenyl rings of the pendant benzyloxy groups are orientated at 75.57 (13) and 75.70 (10)° with respect to their attached ring. In the crystal, weak C—H...O and C—H...π interactions link the molecules. The intermolecular interactions were quantified and analysed using Hirshfeld surface analysis, which showed a breakdown into H...H (49.8%), H...C/C...H (33.8%) and H...O/O...H (13.6%) interactions with other types making negligible contributions.

The bacterial cell communicates from one cell to another by binding Auto-Inducers to specific receptors and their virulence factors, which are all products of their expression system. Therefore, this pathogenesis is controlled by disrupting the signal-response system. The current study assesses three maritime red seaweeds, including Portieria hornemannii and Halymenia dilatata, for their anti-Quorum Sensing (QS) activity against four bacteria. Those opportunistic pathogens cause severe QS-dependent biofilm formation and other virulences. In vitro, the study showed that biofilm formation in S. aureus was inhibited with 43.3%, 55% in Acinetobacter sp, 48% in E. coli, and 39. 2 % in K. pneumoniae by red seaweed extracts. The EPS production was also highly inhibited in Acinetobacter sp. with 41 % more than other bacteria. The efflux pump expressions and QS-dependent swimming motility were also effectively reduced. The present study targets the receptor proteins to prevent from binding of QS signals. Correspondingly, the in silico research predicts the binding affinity of bioactive compounds of seaweed extracts to the QS receptor proteins. The Hexamethyl Cyclotrisiloxane, Benzo[h]quinoline, 2,4-dimethyl, and 5-Methyl-2-phenylindolizine compounds from H. dilatata, P. hornemannii, respectively, showed a higher binding affinity with receptor proteins such as AgrC (PDB ID: 4BXI) of S. aureus, SdiA (PDB ID:4LFU) of E. coli, Modelled SdiA protein of K. pneumoniae and Modelled AbaR protein of Acinetobacter sp. This study demonstrates the potential of seaweed against virulence and antibiotic resistance of pathogenic bacteria.

Objectives: A great setback in concern with public health is the development of emerging bacterial resistance towards conventional antibiotics making it a huge issue in the medical sector. To combat bacterial resistance, innovative strategies have been developed. One of the significant strategies is to target the bacterial pathogenicity through inhibition of quorum sensing (QS) mechanism among bacteria. QS is cell density dependent molecular communication prevailing in bacteria trends to express several genes conferring for its virulence, biofilm formation, antibiotic resistance, motility and plant-bacterial interactions etc. Methods: The current study investigates the anti-QS activity of red seaweed, against the targeted test pathogens Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter sp. and E. coli. Results and conclusion: At the concentration of 100 mg/mL of red seaweed extract, the biofilm was effectively reduced in Acinetobacter sp. and E. coli with 36 % and 40 % respectively. The exo polymeric substance (EPS) quantification from test pathogens in the presence of algal extract has declined to 40.8 % in Acinetobacter sp. and 14.8 % in E. coli reduction compared to S. aureus and K. pneumonia. Furthermore, the QS dependent motility activities are also reduced with the effect of algal extract. The efflux pump expression, being the noteworthy factor for antibiotic resistance has been inhibited by algal extract. The bioactive compounds from the algal extract A. fragilissima such as Melamine, Silicic acid, diethyl bis(trimethylsilyl) ester, Trimethyl [4-(1-methyl-1-methoxyethyl) phenoxy] silane, Benzo[h]quinoline, 2,4-dimethyl, Pyrazol-3(2H)-one, 4-nitro and 1,2-Bis(trimethylsilyl)benzene etc. Among them, Melamine showed high peak area and may responsible for the anti-QS activity and helps to overcome antibiotic resistance of the opportunistic pathogens. The QS dependent phenotypic expression among the test pathogens has been interrupted by the bioactive components of A. fragilissima.

Objective(s): The present study evaluated the protein-based analysis to unravel the role and mechanism behind the Dendropthae falcata plant extract treatment in breast cancer cells. Materials and Methods: The protein sample was extracted from the cancer cells after treatment with the plant extract and subjected to two-dimensional electrophoresis for protein separation. Further, the proteins that were differentially regulated among the samples which were treated and non-treated were selected and processed further for protein identification using a tandem mass spectrometry approach.Results: Using these strategies, we identified 16 potential candidates which were showing remarkable changes in treated samples. All the candidates were analyzed further for gene ontology analysis, and it was observed that all proteins were involved in multiple pathways pertaining to the carcinogenesis process. Specifically, apoptotic pathway proteins including BAD, BIK, BID, CASP8, MCL1, BCL2, and BAK1 were highly impacted by treatment with D. falcata plant extract. All these protein hits were further taken for validation experiments using RT PCR analysis. Conclusion: Initiation of these apoptotic proteins by D. falcata plant extract treatment in breast cancer cells shows a positive direction toward nature-based alternative medicine.

The aim of the study is to develop an environmentally friendly development of isolating silver nanoparticles using Argyreia nervosa plant leaves and examine their potential pharmacological properties, including antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-diabetic activities. Various analytical techniques were employed to examine the isolated silver nanoparticles, encompassing UV spectroscopy, XRD, SEM, EDX, FTIR, zeta potential measurement, and particle size determination. Furthermore, Argyreia nervosa-mediated silver nanoparticles exhibited strong antioxidant, anti-inflammatory activity, and good anti-diabetic activity. Argyreia nervosa-mediated nanoparticles showed a significant antibacterial activity against selected pathogens. The findings indicate that Argyreia nervosa demonstrates encouraging pharmacological properties. However, additional in vivo research focusing on molecular-level investigations is necessary to substantiate these findings and explore the potential of Argyreia nervosa-mediated silver nanoparticles as a viable drug for antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-diabetic purposes.

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most typical form of liver cancer. Apart from modern therapies, various natural chemical constituents have been tested for the treatment of HCC. However, the usage of the latter has declined due to their low bioavailability and stability. Objectives: Considering the above drawback’s, in this study, we describe a gelatin-syringic acid/ zinc oxide (ZnO) nanocomposite for liver cancer treatment, which showed antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities. Methods: The hydrothermal method was used to synthesize ZnO nanoparticle and it was encapsulated with gelatin-syringic acid by coacervation technique. The nanocomposites were characterized by UV spec, FTIR, SEM, XRD, EDX, and DLS. The drug release profile of nanocomposite was studied by dialysis bag method, which exhibits a sustained drug release. Results: The antioxidant ability of nano-composite was studied by performing an ABTS and DPPH assay and the IC50 was recorded as 76.5 and 47.63 µg/mL, respectively. The anti-inflammatory potential was studied by assessing the ability of nanocomposite on denaturation of protein and the results exhibited a dose-dependent inhibition. The acute toxicity of nanocomposite tested on zebrafish liver and heart showed that it is non-toxic. Moreover, the nanocomposite inhibits the Hep G2 cell viability with an increasing concentration and it increases oxidative stress caused by the mitochondrial damage, which leads to cell death. Conclusion: Based on the findings of the present study, gelatin-syringic acid/ZnO nanocomposite has been shown to possess antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties, and thus can be used against HCC.

Nanoemulsions formulated using materials of the highest food grade are receiving significant attention in various industries, especially food-based applications. Food-grade nanoemulsions are suitable for delivering bioactive molecules and their bioavailability, encapsulation, and protection. The present study aimed to extract essential oil (EO) from clove bud and formulate food-grade nanoemulsions. Furthermore, it investigated antioxidant and antimicrobial efficacy of nanoemulsions against foodborne pathogens. The present study found that the extracted clove bud EO is enriched with polyphenols and consists of 59 bioactive compounds from various chemical groups such as alcohol, aldehyde, esters, benzenes, carboxylic acid, esters, fatty acids, and nitrogen compounds. Among the bioactive compounds, methyl eugenol was identified as a major compound. Clove bud EO nanoemulsion antioxidant and noncytotoxic results suggest that this material could help develop promising antibacterial agents for food-based applications. The formulated nanoemulsion consisting of droplets of a mean diameter of 77.7 nm exhibits significant inhibitory and bactericidal action on Gram-positive and Gram-negative food pathogens. It is still essential to conduct more studies on the effects of food spoilage and poisoning bacteria and the mechanisms of their actions.

This paper introduces the concept of a prefilter on the collection of neutrosophic sets. The characteristic set and characteristic value of prefilters are introduced and their fundamental properties are explored. The relationships between filters and prefilters are examined, with particular emphasis on how ultrafilters correspond to maximal filters via specific mappings such as iK and wK Additionally, the concept of prime prefilters are defined and their basic properties are studied. The compatibility between filters and prefilters is also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces the concept of Directed Single Valued Neutrosophic Graphs (DSVNG) and explains how to determine the degree and total degree of vertices, considering both indegree and outdegree, along with the maximum and minimum degrees of a DSVNG. The properties of these aspects are analyzed through examples. Additionally, the paper identifies the effective edges of a DSVNG and explores the effective indegree, effective outdegree of vertices, as well as the effective maximum and minimum degrees in relation to indegree and outdegree with examples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preparation of various metal nanoparticles using plant extracts has been well studied in recent years. In this study, we found that nanoparticles synthesized using the extracts of the inflorescence of Cocos nucifera exhibited differential inhibitory activity against Escherichia coli depending on the nature of the bacterial culture source. Incorporation of silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) into the nutrient broth culture of E. coli resulted in poor inhibitory activity. However, when the silver nanoparticles are added to nutrient agar plates used for culture of E. coli, effective inhibition was observed. Additionally, E. coli in broth culture resisted the inhibitory effects of Ag-NPs by forming aggregates of bacterial cells. The aggregates then generated a protective zone around the colonies to prevent the entry of Ag-NPs, and the bacterial cells multiplied without inhibition by the Ag-NPs. These differential effects of Ag-NPs on E. coli culture grown in nutrient broth and on nutrient agar plates indicated that E. coli in broth culture formed aggregates of cells to develop a biofilm for protection against toxins probably via the quorum sensing mechanism.

This review focuses on the advance of optical design from nano/micro to macro in SERS and SEIRA, especially on the optical coupling between nano/micro and macro scales.

In this paper, the notion of a soft topological transformation group is defined and studied. For a soft topological transformation group, it is proven that a map from a soft topological space onto itself is soft homeomorphism. The collection of all soft homeomorphisms of the given soft topological space onto itself constitutes soft topological group under composition. Subsequently, it is proved that there is a homomorphism between soft topological group and the group structure on the collection of all soft homeomorphisms of given topological space. Subsequently, it is shown that the mapping space Map(Y;Y) is soft Hausdorff and verified that any subspace of the mapping space is soft Hausdorff. Additionally, it is proved that the set of all soft homeomorphisms on Y forms a soft discrete space, soft extremally disconnected space, soft Moscow space and a soft Moscow topological group. Later, it is shown that the map from a soft topological group to a mapping space is soft continuous. Finally, it is proved that distinct group structure generates distinct collection of all soft homeomorphisms of the specified soft topological space onto itself is a soft isomorphism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Catechin absorption, bioavailability, and distribution in human tissue and excretion were low. Colonic bacteria degrade catechin and few studies suggest that biotransformed metabolites may increase or decrease biological activities. However, the antioxidant potential of biotransformed metabolites is still unexplored. Hence, it is necessary to investigate the antioxidant potential of colonic bacterial transformed catechin metabolites. Methods: The In vitro antioxidant potential of biotransformed catechin metabolites was assessed by DPPH, Hydrogen peroxide, and ABTS assay. Cytotoxic effect of biotransformed catechin metabolites on human mesenchymal stem cells and their response to antioxidant genes GPX1 and POR expression in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were evaluated. Results: Free radical scavenging activity of partially purified bacterial transformed catechin metabolites was low compared to pure catechin. The results revealed that variations in the antioxidant potential of pure catechin and colonic bacterial altered catechin metabolites. The IC50 value of partially purified biotransformed catechin metabolites exhibits free radical scavenging activity at high concentrations, while pure catechins act as a potent inhibitor at lower concentrations. The expression of GPX1 and POR gene increased four folds in a concentration dependent manner in pure catechin-treated cells. In contrast, partially purified biotransformed catechin metabolites treated cells expressed the downregulation of GPX1 and upregulation of POR gene. Conclusion: Therefore, it can be concluded that the functional group alteration in biotransformed catechin metabolites may reduce the hydrogen donating ability, thus In vitro antioxidant potential of biotransformed catechin metabolites was low compared to pure catechin. Hence, GPX1 and POR exhibit different expression patterns in treated peripheral blood mononuclear cells. These findings suggest that pure catechin and colonic bacterial transformed catechin metabolites differed functionally.