Secondary metabolism of olive secoiridoids. New microcomponents detected in drupes by electrospray ionization and high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry

Olive drupe tissues have been selected as a possible source of information about the secondary metabolism of oleaceae secoiridoids. The structures of a number of new microcomponents, detected and isolated by a combined high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-fraction collector/ultraviolet electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (UV/ESI-MS) apparatus, can be inferred from the data obtained by high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry in a QqTOF instrument. Some of them (1, 2, 3 and 4) are closely correlated to oleuropein. Others, such as neo-nuzhenide (5) and 2'-hydroxyoleuropein (6), typical of other oleaceae families, have never been found in olive tissues.     

Effective sequestration of Congo red dye with ZnO/cotton stalks biochar nanocomposite: MODELING,reusability and stability

Widespread application of dyes and disposal of their untreated effluents into water bodies adversely affect the ecosystem due to their complex aromatic structures and persistent nature. The present study aims to utilize the cotton stalks biochar (CSB) and its composite with zinc oxide nanoparticles (CSB/ZnONPs) to evaluate for the decontamination their batch scale potential of Congo red dye from wastewater. The characterization of CSB and CSB/ZnONPs was performed with Fourier-transform infra-red (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) and point of zero charge (PZC) to get insight of their potential for the decontamination of CR. The effects of initial CR concentration (25–500 mg/L), dosage of CSB and CSB/ZnONPs (0.5–2 g/L), solution pH (2–10) and contact time (0–180 min) were evaluated on CR removal at temperature (25 ± 1.5 °C). The results disclosed that CSB/ZnONPs showed excellent adsorption potential (556.6 mg/g) in comparison with CSB (250 mg/g) and most of the other adsorbents previously studies in the literature. The equilibrium experimental data were equally explained with Freundlich and Langmuir isotherm models (R² > 0.98) while kinetic data demonstrated the best fit with pseudo second order model. The CSB/ZnONPs composite exhibited excellent reusability (89.65%) after five adsorption/desorption cycles for the sequestration of CR from contaminated systems. The present study demonstrated that metallic nanocomposite of CSB (CSB/ZnONPs) is an excellent candidate for the cost effective and environment friendly decontamination of CR from industrial wastewater and is suggested to be considered for the decontamination of other pollutants from the wastewater.     

Silver Catalyzed Decarbonylative [3 + 2] Cycloaddition of Cyclobutenediones and Formamides

As an important moiety in natural products, N,O-acetal has attracted wide attention in the past few years. An efficient method to construct N,O-acetal has been developed. Using silver catalyst, cyclobutenediones were smoothly converted to the corresponding γ-aminobutenolides in the presence of formamides, in which cyclobutenediones likely proceed with a key decarbonylative [3 + 2] cycloaddition process. In this way, a series of products with varied substituents were isolated in moderate yield and fully characterized.     

An efficient green synthesis of dispirohydroquinolines via a diastereoselective one-pot eight-component reaction

The one-pot eight-component reaction between Meldrum's acid, an aromatic aldehyde, and an aryl amine was achieved in the presence of citric acid catalyst. The corresponding dispirohydroquino-lines were obtained in good yields with excellent diastereoselectivity. This method is a combination of the Knoevenagel and Michael reactions.     

Absolute efficiency calibration of high-purity germanium detector in the range 120–8500 keV

This article reports the efficiency response curve of the high-purity germanium detector over the wide energy range, covering from 120 to 8500 keV. The efficiencies were measured for different counting geometries by using point radionuclide standards (mono-energetic as well as multi-gamma emitters) supplied by IAEA and the capture gamma-ray facility installed at PINSTECH nuclear reactor PARR-1. The measured efficiencies were required to fit with a suitable fitting function for interpolation within the energy range of interest. Several fitting functions were proposed in the literature covering different energy ranges. The functions giving the best fit to experimental data are presented. The work has successfully extended the response curve beyond 1500–8500 keV, which is the region where the standard calibration radionuclides are not available. The thermal neutron capture gamma-ray facility provided the collimated neutron beam, extracted from the core of the reactor and made to react with ammonium chloride target to produce the capture gamma rays for determining the efficiencies in the extended region. It was found that the capture gamma-ray provides a satisfactory solution to extend the absolute efficiency calibration in the MeV range. It was also found that the fitting function that is linear in its parameter was highly satisfactory up to 1500 keV but proved insufficient upto 8500 keV. The exponential function giving the good fit over the range has been presented. Good agreement has been found between the experimentally measured absolute efficiencies and the predicted result.     

WO3/BiOCl, a novel heterojunction as visible light photocatalyst

A bismuth oxychloride (BiOCl) nanostructure is prepared by a new low temperature route using sodium dodecyl sulfate as template and urea as hydrolytic agent. A novel heterojunction is developed between BiOCl and tungsten oxide (WO(3)) to make it an efficient visible light photocatalyst. The catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis, Raman spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and N(2) sorption isotherms. The WO(3)/BiOCl heterojunction system extends the absorption edge to the visible region efficiently. BiOCl works as a main photocatalyst while WO(3) acts as the photosensitizer absorbing visible light in the WO(3)/BiOCl composite. The individual BiOCl and WO(3) show very low photocatalytic efficiency under visible light irradiation but their heterojunction provides unexpectedly high efficiency in decomposing rhodamine B as compared to Degussa P25, pure BiOCl, and WO(3).     

Heterotrinuclear manganese(II) and vanadium(IV) Schiff base complexes as epoxidation catalysts

The catalytic epoxidation of styrene using urea-hydrogen peroxide and heterotrinuclear Cu(II) complexes with general formula (ML ⁿ )₂Cu(acac)₂, where n = 1–3 and M = VO²⁺ or Mn²⁺ is reported. Schiff base complexes ML ⁿ involving a 3,4-diaminopyridine bridge with free coordination site were used as the ligand, where (Lⁿ)²⁻ is [(5-x-Sal)₂Py]² and x = H, Br or NO₂. The complexes were characterized by physico-chemical and spectroscopic methods. The electrochemical properties of M were modified upon trinuclear complex formation. The trinuclear complexes show high catalytic activity, with up to 86% conversion and 93% selectivity, while no catalytic properties were observed for the monomeric complexes. The catalyst could be reused with some loss of activity.     

Thermally stratified flow of hybrid nanofluids with radiative heat transport and slip mechanism: multiple solutions

Research on flow and heat transfer of hybrid nanofluids has gained great significance due to their efficient heat transfer capabilities.In fact,hybrid nanofluids are a novel type of fluid designed to enhance heat transfer rate and have a wide range of engineering and industrial applications.Motivated by this evolution,a theoretical analysis is performed to explore the flow and heat transport characteristics of Cu/Al₂O₃ hybrid nanofluids driven by a stretching/shrinking geometry.Further,this work focuses on the physical impacts of thermal stratification as well as thermal radiation during hybrid nanofluid flow in the presence of a velocity slip mechanism.The mathematical modelling incorporates the basic conservation laws and Boussinesq approximations.This formulation gives a system of governing partial differential equations which are later reduced into ordinary differential equations via dimensionless variables.An efficient numerical solver,known as bvp4c in MATLAB,is utilized to acquire multiple(upper and lower)numerical solutions in the case of shrinking flow.The computed results are presented in the form of flow and temperature fields.The most significant findings acquired from the current study suggest that multiple solutions exist only in the case of a shrinking surface until a critical/turning point.Moreover,solutions are unavailable beyond this turning point,indicating flow separation.It is found that the fluid temperature has been impressively enhanced by a higher nanoparticle volume fraction for both solutions.On the other hand,the outcomes disclose that the wall shear stress is reduced with higher magnetic field in the case of the second solution.The simulation outcomes are in excellent agreement with earlier research,with a relative error of less than 1%.     

Collective behavior of cortico-thalamic circuits: Logic gates as the thalamus and a dynamical neuronal network as the cortex

This paper introduces a two-layer network to investigate the effects of cortico-thalamic circuits on the cortex's collective behavior. In the brain, different parts of the cortex collaborate to process information. One of the main parts, which is the path of different cortex contacts, is the thalamus whose circuit is referred to as the "vertical" cortico-thalamic connectivity. Thalamus subnuclei can participate in the processing of the information that passes through them. It has been shown that they play the functional role of logic gates (AND, OR and XOR). To study how these thalamus circuits affect the cortical neuron behavior, a two-layer network is proposed wherein the cortex layer is composed of Hindmarsh-Rose models and the thalamus layer is constructed with logic gates. Results show that considering these logic gates can lead the network towards different synchronization, asynchronization, chimera and solitary patterns. It is revealed that for AND-gate and OR-gate, increasing the number of gates or their outputs can increase and decrease the network's coherency in excitatory and inhibitory cases, respectively. However, considering XOR-gates always results in the chimera state.     

Green synthesis and biological activity investigation of new derivatives of spiroisatins

In this research, the synthesis of novel derivatives of spiroisatins in high yields was investigated. These new compounds were synthesized using a multicomponent reaction (MCR) of isatin, malononitrile, acetophenone derivatives, diethyl oxalate, primary amines, and Et₃N in aqueous media. Under similar conditions, spiropyrroloisatins were prepared using MCRs of synthesized spiroistins. The antioxidant activity of newly synthesized spiroisatins is due to having an NH group which was evaluated by two procedures. Also, the antimicrobial activity of newly generated spiroisatins was evaluated by a disk distribution process utilizing two kinds of Gram-negative bacteria and Gram-positive bacteria and bacterial growth was stopped using these compounds. The advantages of this method are short reaction times, high yields of products, and the easy separation of catalyst and product using simple procedures.