Fluidized-bed Fenton-like oxidation of a textile dye using natural magnetite

Degradation of Acid Orange 7 (AO7) as a model azo dye was investigated in a recirculating pilot fluidized-bed reactor by a Fenton-like process using natural magnetite (NM) and potassium persulfate (K₂S₂O₈). Scanning electron microscopy was performed to characterize the magnetite sample. The heterogeneous Fenton-like process (NM/\({\text{S}}_{2} {\text{O}}_{8}^{2 - }\)) is a modified method owing to its enhanced mass transfer. It can be operated reliably and simply by reducing the produced iron oxide sludge in the conventional Fenton process. Degradation efficiency (DE %) of AO7 by NM/ \({\text{S}}_{2} {\text{O}}_{8}^{2 - }\) process was affected by operational parameters. The DE % of 75 % was obtained for the AO7 treatment (15 mg/L) at the desired conditions, such as pH 5, 0.2 mM \({\text{S}}_{2} {\text{O}}_{8}^{2 - }\), and 0.5 g/L NM after 120 min of reaction time. The dye degradation rate in all the experiments followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic with high correlation coefficients (R ² ≥ 0.98). The low released iron concentration, successive reusability at milder pH and the recirculation mode with the proper mixing are the significant advantages of the NM/\({\text{S}}_{2} {\text{O}}_{8}^{2 - }\) process.     

Electrochemical and photo-assisted electrochemical treatment of the pesticide imidacloprid in aqueous solution by the Fenton process: effect of operational parameters

Research on Chemical Intermediates - The aim of this study was to compare the degradation efficiency (DE%) of imidacloprid as a model pesticide by electro-Fenton (EF) and photoelectro-Fenton...     

Poly(<Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis>-octyl methacrylate) viscosity index improver: Kinetic study via on-line <Superscript>1</Superscript>H-NMR technique

The free radical solution polymerization of n-octyl methacrylate has been studied in benzene-d ₆ in the presence of 2,2′-azobisisobutyronitrile as thermal initiator. An on-line nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy was applied to record the reaction data and to determine the monomer conversion at different times during the polymerization reaction. Effect of monomer and initiator concentration as well as reaction temperature on polymerization rate was studied. The order of the reaction with respect to initiator (0.45) was consistent with the classical kinetic rate equation, while the order of reaction with respect to monomer (1.87) was much greater than unity. An overall activation energy (E _a = 53.8 kJ/mol) was obtained over the temperature range 328?338 K. Also, the efficiency of the synthesized poly(n-octyl methacrylate) for improving the viscosity index of the lube oil was investigated.     

Irreversible electrowetting on thin fluoropolymer films

A study was conducted to investigate electrowetting reversibility associated with repeated voltage actuations for an aqueous droplet situated on a silicon dioxide insulator coated with an amorphous fluoropolymer film ranging in thickness from 20 to 80 nm. The experimental results indicate that irreversible trapped charge may occur at the aqueous-solid interface, giving rise to contact angle relaxation. The accumulation of trapped charge was found to be related to the applied electric field intensity and the breakdown strength of the fluoropolymer. On the basis of the data, an empirical model was developed to estimate the amount of trapped charge in the fluoropolymer as well as the voltage threshold for the onset of irreversible electrowetting.     

Multi-Targeted Molecular Docking,Pharmacokinetics, and Drug-Likeness Evaluation of Okra-Derived Ligand Abscisic Acid Targeting Signaling Proteins Involved in the Development of Diabetes

Diabetes mellitus is a global threat affecting millions of people of different age groups. In recent years, the development of naturally derived anti-diabetic agents has gained popularity. Okra is a common vegetable containing important bioactive components such as abscisic acid (ABA). ABA, a phytohormone, has been shown to elicit potent anti-diabetic effects in mouse models. Keeping its anti-diabetic potential in mind, in silico study was performed to explore its role in inhibiting proteins relevant to diabetes mellitus- 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11β-HSD1), aldose reductase, glucokinase, glutamine-fructose-6-phosphate amidotransferase (GFAT), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPAR-gamma), and Sirtuin family of NAD(+)-dependent protein deacetylases 6 (SIRT6). A comparative study of the ABA-protein docked complex with already known inhibitors of these proteins relevant to diabetes was compared to explore the inhibitory potential. Calculation of molecular binding energy (ΔG), inhibition constant (pKi), and prediction of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics properties were performed. The molecular docking investigation of ABA with 11-HSD1, GFAT, PPAR-gamma, and SIRT6 revealed considerably low binding energy (ΔG from −8.1 to −7.3 Kcal/mol) and predicted inhibition constant (pKi from 6.01 to 5.21 µM). The ADMET study revealed that ABA is a promising drug candidate without any hazardous effect following all current drug-likeness guidelines such as Lipinski, Ghose, Veber, Egan, and Muegge.     

Paradoxical vocal fold motion: Presentation and treatment options

Paradoxical vocal fold motion is a rare disorder in which adduction of the folds occurs on inspiration. The disorder presents with signs of airway obstruction and often airway distress, so proper diagnosis by the otorhinolaryngologist is critical to subsequent management. We present a retrospective review of 10 patients with the diagnosis of paradoxical vocal fold motion seen over a 6-year period. Eight patients were females, and 6 required an acute airway intervention at presentation; 3 patients eventually underwent tracheotomy for respiratory decompensation. Six patients had a prior diagnosis of asthma, and this was determined to contribute to their respiratory status. Five patients were treated with botulinum toxin and 2 with flexible nasolaryngoscopic biofeedback, which improved the outcome. A review of the literature confirms a female predominance of patients presenting with paradoxical adduction and airway distress, often with a history of asthma and psychopathology. Our experience with botulinum toxin and biofeedback suggests that these procedures are viable treatment options in the management of patients with this disorder.     

Über Umlagerungen bei der Cyclialkylierung von Arylpentanolen zu 2,3‐Dihydro‐1H‐inden‐Derivaten, 4. Mitteilung

On Rearrangements by Cyclialkylations of Arylpentanols to 2,3‐Dihydro‐1 H ‐indene Derivatives. Part 4. The Acid‐Catalyzed Cyclialkylation of 2,4‐Dimethyl‐2‐phenyl[3‐ ¹³ C]pentan‐3‐ol The cyclialkylation of 2,4‐dimethyl‐2‐phenyl[3‐¹³C]pentan‐3‐ol ( 4 ) gives only 2,3‐dihydro‐1,1,2,3‐tetramethyl‐1H‐[3‐¹³C]indene ( 6 ) (cf. Scheme 2) and not a trace of the isotopomeric 2,3‐dihydro‐1,1,2,3‐tetramethyl‐1H‐[2‐¹³C]indene ( 5 ). The mechanism proposed in [3] for the cyclialkylation of 4 (cf. Scheme 2, Path A) has, therefore, to be abandoned. The mechanism of Scheme 2, Path B, is proposed and may be considered as definitively established.     

K-Carrageenan Stimulates Pre-Osteoblast Proliferation and Osteogenic Differentiation: A Potential Factor for the Promotion of Bone Regeneration?

Current cell-based bone tissue regeneration strategies cannot cover large bone defects. K-carrageenan is a highly hydrophilic and biocompatible seaweed-derived sulfated polysaccharide, that has been proposed as a promising candidate for tissue engineering applications. Whether κ-carrageenan can be used to enhance bone regeneration is still unclear. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether κ-carrageenan has osteogenic potential by testing its effect on pre-osteoblast proliferation and osteogenic differentiation in vitro. Treatment with κ-carrageenan (0.5 and 2 mg/mL) increased both MC3T3-E1 pre-osteoblast adhesion and spreading at 1 h. K-carrageenan (0.125–2 mg/mL) dose-dependently increased pre-osteoblast proliferation and metabolic activity, with a maximum effect at 2 mg/mL at day three. K-carrageenan (0.5 and 2 mg/mL) increased osteogenic differentiation, as shown by enhanced alkaline phosphatase activity (1.8-fold increase at 2 mg/mL) at day four, and matrix mineralization (6.2-fold increase at 2 mg/mL) at day 21. K-carrageenan enhanced osteogenic gene expression (Opn, Dmp1, and Mepe) at day 14 and 21. In conclusion, κ-carrageenan promoted MC3T3-E1 pre-osteoblast adhesion and spreading, metabolic activity, proliferation, and osteogenic differentiation, suggesting that κ-carrageenan is a potential osteogenic inductive factor for clinical application to enhance bone regeneration.     

Transgenic Artemisia dubia WALL showed altered phytochemistry and pharmacology

The rol genes have been shown to enhance the production of secondary metabolites in plants. This report examines the effect of trans-genes (rol ABC) on possible high production of biologically important phytochemicals and enhanced pharmacological activities. Three transgenic lines (1, 2 and 3) of Artemisia dubia WALL (transformed with Agrobacterium tumefaciens harboring rol ABC genes) were subjected to phytochemical analysis and pharmacological studies. A great variation in phytochemistry and the pharmacological activities was observed not only between the transgenic and non-transgenic control plants but also among the transgenic lines itself. Comparative chemical profile obtained via HPLC, TLC and spectrophotometry showed high degree of variations in the quantity of phytochemicals. An increased production of total flavonoids (71.1% in transgenic line 2) and total phenolics (110.8% in transgenic line 1), increase in caffeic acid and catechin and a decrease in gallic acid content in the extracts of transformed plants compared to the untransformed control plants was decreased. In case of pharmacological activities, moderate to high level increase in antimicrobial (antibacterial and antifungal) activities, cytotoxicity (14.1%), antitumor (29%) and antioxidant activities (23.9%) was observed (in transgenic line 2). In general all the three transgenic lines under study showed improvement in their pharmacological activities in the order of transgenic line 2 > 1 > 3 > control. The implication of these findings will help to meet the increasing demand of pharmacologically important compounds.     

Damped vibration of a graphene sheet using a higher-order nonlocal strain-gradient Kirchhoff plate model

A higher-order nonlocal strain-gradient model is presented for the damped vibration analysis of single-layer graphene sheets (SLGSs) in hygrothermal environment. Based on Kirchhoff plate theory in conjunction with a higher-order (bi-Helmholtz) nonlocal strain gradient theory, the equations of motion are obtained using Hamilton's principle. The higher-order nonlocal strain gradient theory has lower- and higher-order nonlocal parameters and a material characteristic parameter. The presented model can reasonably interpret the softening effects of the SLGS, and indicates a reasonably good match with the experimental flexural frequencies. Finally, the roles of viscous and structural damping coefficients, small-scale parameters, hygrothermal environment and elastic foundation on the vibrational responses of SLGSs are studied in detail.