Evaluation of Thermal Behavior of Microwave Induced Graft Copolymerization of Ethylmethacrylate onto Soy Protein Concentrate

Graft copolymerization of ethylmethacrylate (EMA) onto soy protein concentrate (SPC) was carried-out using ascorbic acid/potassium persulphate as redox initiator under microwave radiations. Different reaction parameters like reaction time, solvent amount, initiator ratio, pH and monomer concentration were optimized to get maximum graft yield (78.8%). The graft copolymer formed was characterized by FTIR, XRD, SEM, TGA, DTA and DTG techniques. Graft copolymer showed higher moisture resistance along with increased chemical and thermal stability. TGA, DTA and DTG studies could reveal the distinctive features of graft copolymerization of EMA onto S-S linkages of soy protein concentrate under the influence of microwave irradiations in addition to grafting at peptide linkages, which were further supported by FT-IR studies.     

Cohesive energy of zincblende (A<Superscript>III</Superscript>B<Superscript>V</Superscript> and A<Superscript>II</Superscript>B<Superscript>VI</Superscript>) structured solids

In this paper we present an expression relating the cohesive energy (E _coh in kcal/mol) of A^IIIB^V and A^IIB^VI semiconductors with the product of ionic charges (Z ₁ Z ₂) and nearest-neighbour distance d (Å). The cohesive energy values of these solids exhibit a linear relationship when plotted on a log-log scale against the nearest-neighbour distance d (Å), but fall on different straight lines according to the ionic charge product of the solids. A good agreement has been found between the experimental and calculated values of the cohesive energy of A^IIIB^V and A^IIB^VI semiconductors.     

Correlation between metabolite ratios and ADC values of prostate in men with increased PSA level

Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) were carried out in men with increased prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level. Forty subjects [controls (Group I) and patients (Groups II and III with PSA >20 and 4-20 ng/ml, respectively)] were investigated using endorectal coil at 1.5 T prior to transrectal ultrasound (TRUS)-guided biopsy. Metabolite ratio [citrate/(choline+creatine)] and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) were calculated for identical voxels. In patients, voxels that showed lower metabolite ratio showed reduced ADC in the peripheral zone (PZ) of the prostate, and voxels with increased metabolite ratio showed higher ADC. Metabolite ratios were used to predict areas of malignancy if the ratio was <1.4 and if ADC value was <1.17 x 10(-3) mm(2)/s. Patients in Group II had lower metabolite ratio and ADC in the PZ compared to controls and Group III. All 13 were positive for malignancy in MR, while 12 of 13 were positive on TRUS-guided sextant biopsy. In Group III, certain voxels of PZ that showed reduced metabolite ratio also showed lower ADC. A positive correlation was observed between metabolite ratio and ADC. MR predicted areas of malignancy in PZ in 15 of 20 patients; however, only six were positive on TRUS-guided biopsy perhaps due to high false-negative rate of TRUS-guided biopsy. Results show positive correlation between MRSI and DWI and their potential in detection of malignancy, thereby improving the diagnosis especially in patients with PSA level of 4-20 ng/ml.     

The effect of octahedral tilting on proton binding sites and transition states in pseudo-cubic perovskite oxides

Proton conducting oxide ceramics have shown potential for use in fuel cell technologies. Understanding the energy pathways for proton conduction could help us design more efficient fuel cell materials. This paper describes how octahedral tilting affects the relative energies of proton binding sites, transition states, and conduction pathways in cubic and pseudo-cubic perovskites. First, the structure for cubic and pseudo-cubic forms of BaTiO(3), BaZrO(3), CaTiO(3), and CaZrO(3), is found. Even when cubic symmetry is enforced, CaTiO(3), and CaZrO(3) exhibit octahedral tilting distortions characteristic of orthorhombic phases while BaTiO(3) and BaZrO(3) remain undistorted. Octahedral tilting gives rise to proton binding sites facilitating inter- and intra-octahedral proton transfer while the proton binding sites of undistorted perovskites facilitate only intra-octahedral proton transfer. The nudged elastic band method is used to find minimum energy paths between the proton binding sites. As distortions increase, inter-octahedral proton transfer barriers decrease while intra-octahedral proton transfer barriers increase. Concurrently, rotational barriers from oxygens facilitating inter-octahedral proton transfer increase while rotational barriers from oxygens facilitating intra-octahedral proton transfer decrease. Intra-octahedral transfer is the rate-limiting step to the lowest energy extended proton conduction pathway in all the perovskites considered.     

16‐[3‐Methoxy‐4‐(2‐piperidin‐1‐yl­ethoxy)­benzyl­idene]‐17‐oxoandrost‐5‐en‐3β‐yl acetate monohydrate

The title compound, C₃₆H₄₉NO₅·H₂O, has the outer two six‐membered rings of the steroid nucleus in chair conformations. The central ring B of the steroid nucleus is in an 8β,9α‐half‐chair conformation, while ring D of the steroid adopts a slightly distorted 13β,14α‐half‐chair conformation. The piperidine ring is in a chair conformation. The methoxy­benzyl­idene moiety has an E configuration with respect to the carbonyl group at position 17. Intermolecular O—H?O and O—H?N hydrogen bonds link the steroid and water mol­ecules into chains which run parallel to the b axis.     

Transition metal (II) complexes of hydrazones derived from tetralone: synthesis,spectral characterization,in vitro antimicrobial and cytotoxic studies

Research on Chemical Intermediates - A series of transition metal (II) complexes with general formula [M(L1?4)2(H2O)2] (where M?=?Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II)) was...     

2‐(2‐Naphthyl­oxy)­acetate derivatives. II. A new class of antiamnesic agents

The title compounds, 4‐(2‐naphthyl­oxy­methyl­carbonyl)­morpholine, C₁₆H₁₇NO₃, (I), and 4‐methyl‐1‐(2‐naphthyl­oxy­methyl­carbonyl)­piper­azine, C₁₇H₂₀N₂O₂, (II), are potential antiamnesics. The morpholine ring in (I) and the piperazine ring in (II) adopt chair conformations. In (I), the mol­ecules are linked by weak intermolecular C—H⃛O interactions into chains that have a graph‐set motif of C(10), while in (II), the mol­ecules are linked by weak intermolecular C—H⃛O interactions that generate two C(7) graph‐set motifs. The dihedral angle between the naphthalene moiety and the best plane through the morpholine ring is 20.62 (4)° in (I), while the naphthalene moiety is oriented nearly perpendicular to the mean plane of the piperazine ring in (II).     

Some divalent metal(II) complexes of salicylaldehyde‐derived Schiff bases: Synthesis,spectroscopic characterization,antimicrobial and in vitro anticancer studies

Mononuclear transition metal(II) complexes of the type M(L)₂?2H₂O (where M = Co, Ni, Cu, Zn) have been synthesized from uninegative Schiff base ligands (HL₁–HL₄) designed by condensation of 4‐fluorobenzylamine with 2‐hydroxy‐1‐naphthaldehyde/3,5‐dichlorosalicylaldehyde/3,5‐dibromosalicylaldehyde/3‐bromo‐5‐chlorosalicylaldehyde. The compounds were successfully characterized using spectroscopic and physiochemical methods together with elemental analysis. Spectroscopic elucidation indicates a monobasic bidentate nature of ligands coordinated via deprotonated phenolic oxygen and azomethine nitrogen atom which suggests an octahedral geometry around the central metal ions. The complexes and ligands were screened for their in vitro antimicrobial activity against bacterial and fungal strains, the zinc(II) complexes being more active against the tested microbial strains. Further, the metal complexes were found to be more active than the uncomplexed ligands due to chelation process and, moreover, the complexes were more active against fungal strains than bacterial strains. Cytotoxic activities of all compounds were evaluated towards human alveolar adenocarcinoma epithelial cell line (A549), human breast adenocarcinoma cell line (MCF7), human prostate cancer cell line (DU145) and one normal human lung cell line (MRC‐5) using MTT colorimetric assay with doxorubicin as a standard. The zinc complexes were most active against the cancer cell lines and also found to be less toxic against MRC‐5 normal cell line than standard doxorubicin.