Mechanical,Biodegradation and Morphological Properties of Sisal Fiber Reinforced Poly(Lactic Acid) Biocomposites

Sisal fiber-reinforced poly(lactic acid) (SF/PLA) biocomposites were prepared by melt mixing and subsequent compression molding. The effect of fiber content and sodium hydroxide (NaOH) concentration, used for the fiber mercerization, on the properties of the biocomposites was investigated. It was found that the SFs had a large potential for improving the mechanical properties of the biocomposites. The tensile strength and impact strength increased linearly up to a fiber content of 20%, and then decreased due to the fiber agglomeration. The water absorption was enhanced with increasing the SF content owing to the SFs containing an abundance of hydroxyl groups. The biodegradability of the SF/PLA biocomposites increased similarly. Furthermore, the mercerization led to an increase of the mechanical properties of the biocomposites, which normally depended on the fiber-matrix adhesion. The mercerization had competing effects on the water absorption and biodegradability, including not only the positive function of the improved hydrophilicity of the mercerized-SF but also the negative role of the increase of fiber-matrix interfacial adhesion. Overall, the optimum SF load for mechanical properties was 20?wt% due to a good balance between the reinforcement and distribution of the SFs, whereas the 6% NaOH concentration was optimal owing to the resulting fibers yielding the highest mechanical properties and acceptable water resistance and biodegradability.     

Synthesis of 1,2,3,triazole modified analogues of hydrochlorothiazide via click chemistry approach and in-vitro α-glucosidase enzyme inhibition studies

Molecular Diversity - The current study was aimed to discover potent inhibitors of α-glucosidase enzyme. A 25 membered library of new 1,2,3-triazole derivatives of hydrochlorothiazide (1)...     

Single-Valued Neutrosophic Lie Algebras

A single-valued neutrosophic (SVN) set is a powerful general formal framework that generalizes the concept of fuzzy set and intuitionistic fuzzy set. In SVN set, indeterminacy is quantified explicitly, and truth membership, indeterminacy membership, and falsity membership are independent. In this paper, we apply the notion of SVN sets to Lie algebras. We develop the concepts of SVN Lie subalgebras and SVN Lie ideals. We describe some interesting results of SVN Lie ideals.     

Piper nigrum: Micropropagation, Antioxidative enzyme activities, and Chromatographic Fingerprint Analysis for Quality Control

A reliable in vitro regeneration system for the economical and medicinally important Piper nigrum L. has been established. Callus and shoot regeneration was encouraged from leaf portions on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium augmented with varied concentrations of plant growth regulators. A higher callus production (90 %) was observed in explants incubated on MS medium incorporated with 1.0 mg?L^?1 6-benzyladenine (BA) along with 0.5 mg?L^?1 gibberellic acid after 4 weeks of culture. Moreover, a callogenic response of 85 % was also recorded for 1.0 mg?L^?1 BA in combination with 0.25 mg?L^?1 α-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) and 0.25 mg?L^?1 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid or 0.5 mg?L^?1 indole butyric acid (IBA) along with 0.25 mg?L^?1 NAA and indole acetic acid. Subsequent sub-culturing of callus after 4 weeks of culture onto MS medium supplemented with 1.5 mg?L^?1 thiodiazoran or 1.5 mg?L^?1 IBA induced 100 % shoot response. Rooted plantlets were achieved on medium containing varied concentrations of auxins. The antioxidative enzyme activities [superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX)] revealed that significantly higher SOD was observed in regenerated plantlets than in other tissues. However, POD, CAT, and APX were higher in callus than in other tissues. A high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) fingerprint analysis protocol was established for quality control in different in vitro-regenerated tissues of P. nigrum L. During analysis, most of the common peaks represent the active principle “piperine.” The chemical contents, especially piperine, showed variation from callus culture to whole plantlet regeneration. Based on the deviation in chromatographic peaks, the in vitro-regenerated plantlets exhibit a nearly similar piperine profile to acclimated plantlets. The in vitro regeneration system and HPLC fingerprint analysis established here brought a novel approach to the quality control of in vitro plantlets, producing metabolites of interest with substantial applications for the conservation of germplasm.     

Adsorption and oxidation of aniline and anisidine by chromium ferrocyanide

The interaction of aniline and p-anisidine with chromium ferrocyanide has been studied. Maximum uptake of both anilines was observed around pH 7. The adsorption data obtained at neutral pH were found to follow Langmuir adsorption. Anisidine was a better adsorbate because of its higher basicity. In alkaline medium (pH>8) both aniline and anisidine reacted with chromium ferrocyanide to give colored products. Analysis of the products by GC-MS showed benzoquinone and azobenzene as the reaction products of aniline while p-anisidine afforded a dimer. IR analysis of the amine-chromium ferrocyanide adduct suggests that the outer metal ion of chromium ferrocyanide and amino group of amines are responsible for the interaction. A possible reaction mechanism for the product formation in alkaline medium has been proposed. The present study suggests that metal ferrocyanides might have played an important role in the stabilization of organic molecules through their surface activity in the prebiotic condensation reactions.     

Hydrogenation ofCHClF2(CFC-22)overPt-supported on silica-based polydimethylsiloxane composite matrices?

Summary 0.5% Pt-supported on silica-basedpolydimethylsiloxane compositeswere preparedandcharacterized using BET surface area, FT-IR, TGA, SEM and XRD. Hydrogenation ofCFC-22 over these catalysts produced mainly CH₃F and CH₄.</o:p>     

RELAXATION OF VASCULAR SMOOTH MUSCLE INDUCED BY LOW-POWER LASER RADIATION

The relaxation of rabbit aorta rings induced by low-power laser radiation was investigated in vitro to determine the location of the chromophore(s) responsible for this response and evaluate possible mechanisms. An action spectrum for relaxation was measured on rabbit thoracic aorta rings precontracted with norepinephrine. The decrease in isometric tension was measured during exposure to laser light (351–625 nm) delivered via a fiber optic to a small spot on the adventitial surface. The shortest UV wavelength (351 nm) was 35-fold more effective than 390 nm and 1700-fold more effective than 460 nm. Ultraviolet wavelengths also produced greater maximum relaxation (0.40–0.45) than visible wavelengths (0.20–0.25), suggesting that photovasorelaxation involves more than one chromophore.
The adventitial layer was not necessary for photovasorelaxation, indicating that the light is absorbed by a chromophore in the medial layer. The same degree of relaxation was obtained on rings without adventitia when either one-half of the ring, or a small spot was irradiated indicating that communication between smooth muscle cells spreads a signal from the area illuminated to the entire ring.
The mechanism for photovasorelaxation was investigated using potential inhibitors. N -monomethyl-l-arginine and N -amino-L-arginine, inhibitors of nitric oxide synthase, did not alter photovasorelaxation nor did indomethacin, an inhibitor of cyclooxygenase, and zinc protoporphyrin, an inhibitor of heme oxygenase.     

Antioxidant activity of some lichen metabolites

Antioxidant activity of several classes of lichen metabolites were assessed in the in vitro superoxide radical (SOR), nitric oxide radical and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazil radical scavenging assays. The despsides sekikaic acid and lecanoric acid showed promising antioxidant activity in SOR assay with IC?? values of 82.0?±?0.3?μmol and 91.5?±?2.1?μmol, respectively, while the depsidone lobaric acid exhibited an IC?? value of 97.9?±?1.6?μmol, all relative to the standard, propyl gallate (IC???=?106.0?±?1.7?μmol). One of the most abundant mononuclear phenolic compounds, methyl-β-orcinol carboxylate was found to be a potent NO scavenger (IC???=?84.7?± 0.1?μmol), compared to the standard rutin (IC???=?86.8?±?1.9?μmol).