Point‐of‐Care Amperometric Testing of Diabetic Marker (HbA1c) Using Specific Electroactive Antibodies

Specific immune detection of glycated hemoglobin is still a great challenge owing to the small epitopic difference between Hemoglobin (Hb) and HbA1c. We report a new electrochemical immunoassay format for point of care testing of HbA1c. A conducting self‐assembled monolayer of mercaptophenyl boronic acid (MPBA) was used as a capture layer for binding of glycated proteins and ferrocene tagged anti‐HbA1c antibody (FcAb) as a tracer molecule on a gold screen printed electrode. Validation of the new HbA1c assay was carried out using 6 clinical samples with known HPLC values and a correlation coefficient of 98 % was observed.     

Thermal analysis for study of influence of Cd,In, and Sb on glass transition kinetics in glassy Se80Te20 alloy using DSC technique

In this paper, we have incorporated Cd, In, and Sb in glassy Se₈₀Te₂₀ alloy to see the metal-induced effect of these additives on its glass network and kinetic properties. Specifically, we report results of systematic calorimetric measurements to study the glass transition kinetics. The glass transition behavior of glassy Se₈₀Te₂₀ and glassy Se₈₀Te₁₀M₁₀ (M = Cd, In, Sb) alloys has been analyzed by differential scanning calorimetric technique at various heating rates. The activation energy (E _g) of glass transition was determined using different kinetic models. Analysis of experimental data reveals that E _g varies with the additive elements. The value of various kinetic parameters such as thermal stability, Hruby number, and fragility index has been calculated in non-isothermal mode.     

Impact of Targeted Specific Antibiotic Delivery for Gut Microbiota Modulation on High-Fructose-Fed Rats

The objective of present investigation was to study the effect of gut microbiota alteration by oral administration of targeted delivery of pH sensitive cefdinir microspheres to high-fructose-fed (HFD) rats. Rats were fed with a high-fructose diet with or without cefdinir microsphere administration for 30 days. The fecal microbiota community, oral glucose tolerance, the markers of liver injury, plasma and hepatic lipids profile, and histological evaluation were investigated. The levels of blood glucose, liver injury markers, lipid profile in plasma and liver, and fat tissue were significantly increased in high-fructose-fed rats. However, after pH-sensitive cefdinir microsphere administration, the elevation of these parameters was significantly suppressed. Cef EL significantly lowered the increased AST (p?<?0.05) and ALT (p?<?0.001) levels in HFD group. There is a significant lower (p?<?0.01) AUC_glucose level in Cef EL group than HFD group The histological changes in the liver and the small and large intestines were more profound in HFD group as compared to cefdinir-treated HFD and control groups. Feeding of cefdinir microsphere sustained lactobacilli and bifidobacteria and significantly decreased (p?<?0.05) the number of Enterobacteriaceae induced by HFD. Experimental evidences demonstrated that the effectiveness of pH-specific cefdinir microsphere on reducing insulin resistance and development of metabolic changes in high-fructose-fed rats and suggested that it may be a promising therapeutic agent in treating type 2 diabetes. Intestinal-targeted antibiotic delivery needs to be further explored for its therapeutic applications.     

Stereoselective synthesis of trans-3-functionalized-4-pyrazolo[5,1-b]thiazole-3-carboxylate substituted β-lactams: Potential synthons for diverse biologically active agents

Abstract

An efficient protocol for the stereoselective synthesis of pyrazolo[5,1-b]thiazole-3-carboxylate tethered β-lactam conjugates 8a–j from novel pyrazolo [5,1-b]thiazole-3-carboxylate substituted Schiff’s bases 6a–f is reported here. The reaction between various ketene precursors and novel Schiff’s bases 6a–f afforded exclusive formation of trans-β-lactams 8a–j. The substrate scope of this approach was investigated extensively by varying different groups (R, Z). All the novel compounds were characterized using various spectroscopic techniques, such as FT-IR, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, elemental analysis, ¹³C NMR (DEPT-135), and mass spectrometry in representative cases. Single crystal X-ray crystallographic study of trans-ethyl 7-(1-(4-methoxyphenyl)-4-oxo-3-phenoxyazetidin-2-yl)-6-methyl-2-(methylthio)pyrazolo[5,1-b]thiazole-3-carboxylate 8a has confirmed the molecular structure and the stereochemical outcome. To the best of our knowledge, the synthesis of such types of Schiff’s bases and β-lactam conjugates has not been reported so far.     

Bio-surfactant: a green and environmentally benign reaction medium for ligand-free Pd-catalyzed Mizoroki–Heck cross-coupling reaction in water

Transition Metal Chemistry - A simple and efficient protocol for the ligand-free Mizoroki–Heck coupling reaction of various aryl bromides with different olefins has been reported by using in...     

BiVO4/TiO2 core-shell heterostructure: wide range optical absorption and enhanced photoelectrochemical and photocatalytic performance

In the present study, pristine BiVO₄, TiO₂ and BiVO₄/TiO₂ core-shell heterostructured nanoparticles are prepared by hydrothermal methods and studied for structural, morphological, optical, photoelectrochemical water splitting and photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue as an organic pollutant. Both pristine BiVO₄ and TiO₂ exhibit poor PEC and PC performance under visible light illumination. However, an enhanced PEC and PC activity in BiVO₄/TiO₂ core-shell heterostructure is observed due to high solar energy absorption and superior charge separation properties in core-shell nanoparticles. The photoelectrode prepared using BiVO₄/TiO₂ core-shell nanoparticles exhibit a photocathode behavior and produced cathodic photocurrent, however, the pristine BiVO₄ and TiO₂ photoelectrodes act as photoanode and produced anodic photocurrent. This behavior of change in current direction is also observe in the Mott-Schottky analysis where the BiVO₄/TiO₂ core-shell nanoparticles photoelectrode exhibits the positive slow showing p-type semiconducting behavior. The change in cathodic photoresponse in core-shell nanoparticles in comparison to anodic photoresponse of BiVO₄ and TiO₂ nanoparticles is explained in terms of the variations in the work function values. These results highlight the advantages of core-shell nanoparticle of suitable materials for photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical applications.     

Ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber‐based heat shielding materials for solid rocket motor: Impact of Kevlar fiber reinforcement on the thermal and mechanical properties

This work scrutinizes the utilization of ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber matrix (EPDM) with an embodiment of aramid fiber for the heat shielding applications in solid rocket motor (SRM). Aramid fibers are aromatic poly‐paraphenylene terephthalamide, here deployed are Kevlar fibers (KF). However, the literature that encompasses the thermal and mechanical behavior with the fiber loading is reported nowhere else. The effect of fiber addition on the surface morphology and density was thoroughly studied, and it revealed that the EHSMs were of lower density to act as an efficient payload for the SRM. In this regard, the thermal conductivity, heat capacity, thermal diffusivity, fire behavior, and mechanical properties of the EPDM/KF‐based EHSMs were explored. The results revealed that the EHSMs are thermally insulating and thermally stable material with balanced mechanical properties that can engender the thermal and mechanical strains of the rocket motor. Furthermore, other analytical techniques such as scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy have been exploited to monitor the performance of the char residues of the EHSM to delineate its performance in the fire atmosphere.     

Nitrenium Salts in Lewis Acid Catalysis

Molecular compounds featuring nitrogen atoms are typically regarded as Lewis bases and are extensively employed as donor ligands in coordination chemistry or as nucleophiles in organic chemistry. By contrast, electrophilic nitrogen‐containing compounds are much rarer. Nitrenium cations are a new family of nitrogen‐based Lewis acids, the reactivity of which remains largely unexplored. In this work, nitrenium ions are explored as catalysts in five organic transformations. These reactions are the first examples of Lewis acid catalysis employing nitrogen as the site of substrate activation. Moreover, these compounds are readily accessed from commercially available reagents and exhibit remarkable stability toward moisture, allowing for benchtop transformations without the need to pretreat solvents.     

The effects of grain shape and frustration in a granular column near jamming

We investigate the full phase diagram of a column of grains near jamming, as a function of varying levels of frustration. Frustration is modelled by the effect of two opposing fields on a grain, due respectively to grains above and below it. The resulting four dynamical regimes (ballistic, logarithmic, activated and glassy) are characterised by means of the jamming time of zero-temperature dynamics, and of the statistics of attractors reached by the latter. Shape effects are most pronounced in the cases of strong and weak frustration, and essentially disappear around a mean-field point.     

Optimal Eighth Order Iterative Methods

We develop an eighth order family of methods, consisting of three steps and three parameters, for solving nonlinear equations. Per iteration the methods require four evaluations (three function evaluations and one evaluation of the first derivative). Convergence analysis shows that the family is eighth-order convergent which is also substantiated through the numerical work. Computational results ascertain that family of methods are efficient and demonstrate equal or better performance as compared with other well known methods.