In vitro synergism of antimutagenic and antioxidant activities of Phoenix dactylifera fruit

The availability of total phenolics of date flesh (Pheonix dactylifera) in aqueous and acidified methanol and in vitro synergism of their antimutagenic and antioxidant activities were investigated. The antimutagenic activities of date flesh extracts tested against Salmonella strains TA-98 and TA-100 using Ames bacterial testing were in the range of 36.47 to 79.74% against the standard mutagens potassium dichromate and sodium azide. The antioxidant activities assessed as maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC₅₀) for DPPH radicals and linoleic acid peroxidation inhibition were 812.90 to 2,076.10 μg/mL and 54.43 to 80.89%, respectively. The total phenolic contents of date flesh extracts (35.76 to 114.09mg/g of gallic acid equivalents) were found to be correlated with the biological activities. Use of 0.5 N acidified methanol was efficient for extraction of phenolic compounds with retained antioxidant and antimutagen activities. Dates are a good candidate as a source for development of chemotherapeutic drugs, nutracueticals, and functional food ingredients.     

Radiation crosslinked polyvinyl alcohol/polyvinyl pyrrolidone/acrylic acid hydrogels: swelling,crosslinking and dye adsorption study

Iranian Polymer Journal - Hydrogels were produced from mixtures of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP), and acrylic acid (AAc) using γ-radiation at doses of 3, 7, and...     

Effect of surface tension gradient on gas hold-up enhancement in aqueous solutions of electrolytes

The effect of addition of electrolytes on gas hold-up of air/water system was investigated experimentally in a laboratory scale bubble column. The experiments were carried out with four electrolytes, namely, NaCl, MgSO₄·7H₂O, Na₂SO₄ and CaCl₂·2H₂O and the concentrations of the solutions were varied from 0 to 0.3 mol/l. Enhancement of gas hold-up was observed for all four electrolytes at concentrations less than 0.1 mol/l. With the increase in concentration, the gas hold-up showed two different trends; in Na₂SO₄ and CaCl₂·2H₂O solutions, gas hold-up formed a sharp peak after the enhancement and leveled off at a value somewhat higher than that in water, whereas in NaCl and MgSO₄·7H₂O solutions, gas hold-up leveled off immediately after the enhancement without forming any peak. Experiments were also conducted to measure the surface tensions of the solutions with special focus in the low concentration region. A strong relation between the gas hold-up enhancement and the change of surface tension with the addition of electrolyte was found. It was also observed that the concentration at which maximum value of C(dσ/dC)² i.e. (concentration × surface tension gradient with respect to concentration²) is obtained corresponds to the concentration at which maximum gas hold-up enhancement occurs.     

Integration of GIS and multicriteria decision analysis for urban aquaculture development in Bangladesh

Site selection is a key factor in any aquaculture operation, affecting both success and sustainability as well as solving land or water use conflicts. This study was conducted to identify suitable sites for carp farming development in urban water bodies (UWBs) of Chittagong, Bangladesh using Geographical Information Systems (GIS) based MultiCriteria Evaluation (MCE) of water, soil and infrastructure database. ASTER imagery and 14 thematic layers were analyzed with ENVI and GIS capabilities, and developed a series of GIS models to identify and prioritize the appropriate UWBs for carp farming. The study identified 487 UWBs occupying 362 ha and revealed 280 ha (77%) is the most suitable, 36 ha (10%) is moderately suitable and 46 ha (13%) is not suitable which was consistent with field verification. The results are encouraging for extension of carp culture and diversify the economic activities of the urban dwellers.     

Rickettsial Pathogen Perturbs Tick Circadian Gene to Infect the Vertebrate Host

Ixodes scapularis is a medically important tick that transmits several microbes to humans, including rickettsial pathogen Anaplasma phagocytophilum. In nature, these ticks encounter several abiotic factors including changes in temperature, humidity, and light. Many organisms use endogenously generated circadian pathways to encounter abiotic factors. In this study, we provide evidence for the first time to show that A. phagocytophilum modulates the arthropod circadian gene for its transmission to the vertebrate host. We noted a circadian oscillation in the expression of arthropod clock, bmal1, period and timeless genes when ticks or tick cells were exposed to alternate 12 h light: 12 h dark conditions. Moreover, A. phagocytophilum significantly modulates the oscillation pattern of expression of these genes. In addition, increased levels of clock and bmal1 and decreased expression of Toll and JAK/STAT pathway immune genes such as pelle and jak, respectively, were noted during A. phagocytophilum transmission from ticks to the vertebrate host. RNAi-mediated knockdown of clock gene expression in ticks resulted in the reduced expression of jak and pelle that increased bacterial transmission from ticks to the murine host. Furthermore, clock-deficient ticks fed late and had less engorgement weights. These results indicate an important role for circadian modulation of tick gene expression that is critical for arthropod blood feeding and transmission of pathogens from vector to the vertebrate host.     

Assessment on the mechanical,structural, and thermal attributes of green graphene-based water soluble polymer electrolyte composites

In the current study, graphene oxide (GO) was prepared using green chemistry with modified Hummer's method without incorporating sodium nitrate (NaNO₃). Solvent casting was employed to fabricate GO-doped poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), that is, PEO/GO composites with various proportion of Na₂SO₄ and were then subjected to characterization via advanced spectroscopic techniques for different physicochemical aspects to estimate their potential applications as marketable products. XRD analysis explored that fabricated composites are more crystalline than neat PEO. PEO/GO/Na₂SO₄ composite films offered maximum crystallinity. SEM displayed the same trend. TG/DTA thermogram exposed better thermal stability than pristine polymer. FTIR studies confirmed complexation among hybrid's components. Elongation-at-break and Young's modulus displayed an enhancing behavior with an incremental loading of salt and filler. In terms of mechanical performance, composite of PEO with 0.37 wt % GO and 0.08 g salt was found to be an ideal composition during the course of study. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020 , 137, 48376.     

High Resistance of Cu–Ferrierite to Coke Formation During NH3-SCR in the Presence of n-Decane

Selective catalytic reduction of NO _x by NH₃ over Cu–FER and Cu–ZSM-5 in the presence of n-decane and SO₂ was investigated. NO _x conversion over Cu–ZSM-5 decreased in the presence of n-decane, owing to inhibition of the active sites by coke formation. In contrast, coke formation was negligible over Cu–FER, which maintained its NO _x conversion activity even in the presence of decane. Coke formation was negligible over H–ZSM-5 and H–FER supports, which suggests that Cu species were involved in coke formation. Temperature-programmed reduction by H₂ and electron spin resonance spectroscopy indicated that [Cu–O–Cu]²⁺ was probably the Cu species involved in coke formation over Cu–ZSM-5.     

Double Repositioning: Veterinary Antiparasitic to Human Anticancer

Drug repositioning, the approach of discovering different uses for existing drugs, has gained enormous popularity in recent years in the anticancer drug discovery field due to the increasing demand for anticancer drugs. Additionally, the repurposing of veterinary antiparasitic drugs for the treatment of cancer is gaining traction, as supported by existing literature. A prominent example is the proposal to implement the use of veterinary antiparasitics such as benzimidazole carbamates and halogenated salicylanilides as novel anticancer drugs. These agents have revealed pronounced anti-tumor activities and gained special attention for “double repositioning”, as they are repurposed for different species and diseases simultaneously, acting via different mechanisms depending on their target. As anticancer agents, these compounds employ several mechanisms, including the inhibition of oncogenic signal transduction pathways of mitochondrial respiration and the inhibition of cellular stress responses. In this review, we summarize and provide valuable information about the experimental, preclinical, and clinical trials of veterinary antiparasitic drugs available for the treatment of various cancers in humans. This review suggests the possibility of new treatment options that could improve the quality of life and outcomes for cancer patients in comparison to the currently used treatments.