On topological properties of poly honeycomb networks

Topological indices are numerical parameters of a graph which characterize its topology and are usually graph invariant. In QSAR/QSPR study, physico-chemical properties and topological indices such as the Randi?, the atom-bond connectivity (ABC) and the geometric-arithmetic (GA) indices are used to predict the bioactivity of chemical compounds. Graph theory has found a considerable use in this area of research. In this paper, we study poly honeycomb networks which are generated by a honeycomb network of dimension n and derive analytical closed results for the general Randi? index \(R_\alpha (G)\) for different values of \(\alpha \), for a David derived network \((\textit{DD}(n))\) of dimension n, a dominating David derived network \((\textit{DDD}(n))\) of dimension n as well as a regular triangulene silicate network of dimension n. We also compute the general first Zagreb, ABC, GA, \(\textit{ABC}_4\) and \(\textit{GA}_5\) indices for these poly honeycomb networks for the first time and give closed formulas of these degree based indices in case of poly honeycomb networks.     

Discovery,Development, and Patent Trends on Molnupiravir: A Prospective Oral Treatment for COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic needs no introduction at present. Only a few treatments are available for this disease, including remdesivir and favipiravir. Accordingly, the pharmaceutical industry is striving to develop new treatments for COVID-19. Molnupiravir, an orally active RdRp inhibitor, is in a phase 3 clinical trial against COVID-19. The objective of this review article is to enlighten the researchers working on COVID-19 about the discovery, recent developments, and patents related to molnupiravir. Molnupiravir was originally developed for the treatment of influenza at Emory University, USA. However, this drug has also demonstrated activity against a variety of viruses, including SARS-CoV-2. Now it is being jointly developed by Emory University, Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, and Merck to treat COVID-19. The published clinical data indicate a good safety profile, tolerability, and oral bioavailability of molnupiravir in humans. The patient-compliant oral dosage form of molnupiravir may hit the market in the first or second quarter of 2022. The patent data of molnupiravir revealed its granted compound patent and process-related patent applications. We also anticipate patent filing related to oral dosage forms, inhalers, and a combination of molnupiravir with marketed drugs like remdesivir, favipiravir, and baricitinib. The current pandemic demands a patient compliant, safe, tolerable, and orally effective COVID-19 treatment. The authors believe that molnupiravir meets these requirements and is a breakthrough COVID-19 treatment.     

Investigating direct current potentials that affect native protein conformation during trapped ion mobility spectrometry–mass spectrometry

Trapped ion mobility spectrometry–time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TIMS-TOFMS) has emerged as a tool to study protein conformational states. In TIMS, gas-phase ions are guided across the IM stages by applying direct current (DC) potentials (D1–6), which, however, might induce changes in protein structures through collisional activation. To define conditions for native protein analysis, we evaluated the influence of these DC potentials using the metalloenzyme bovine carbonic anhydrase (BCA) as primary test compound. The variation of DC potentials did not change BCA-ion charge and heme content but affected (relative) charge-state intensities and adduct retention. Constructed extracted-ion mobilograms and corresponding collisional cross-section (CCS) profiles gave useful insights in (alterations of) protein conformational state. For BCA, the D3 and D6 potential (which are applied between the deflection transfer and funnel 1 [F1] and the accumulation exit and the start of the ramp, respectively) had most profound effects, showing multimodal CCS distributions at higher potentials indicating gradual unfolding. The other DC potentials only marginally altered the CCS profiles of BCA. To allow for more general conclusions, five additional proteins of diverse molecular weight and conformational stability were analyzed, and for the main protein charge states, CCS profiles were constructed. Principal component analysis (PCA) of the obtained data showed that D1 and D3 exhibit the highest degree of correlation with the ratio of folded and unfolded protein (F/U) as extracted from the mobilograms obtained per set D potential. The correlation of D6 with F/U and protein charge were similar, and D2, D4, and D5 showed an inverse correlation with F/U but were correlated with protein charge. Although DC boundary values for induced conformational changes appeared protein dependent, a set of DC values could be determined, which assured native analysis of most proteins.     

Ginsenoside Rb1 Mitigates Escherichia coli Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Endometritis through TLR4-Mediated NF-κB Pathway

Endometritis is the inflammatory response of the endometrial lining of the uterus and is associated with low conception rates, early embryonic mortality, and prolonged inter-calving intervals, and thus poses huge economic losses to the dairy industry worldwide. Ginsenoside Rb1 (GnRb1) is a natural compound obtained from the roots of Panax ginseng, having several pharmacological and biological properties. However, the anti-inflammatory properties of GnRb1 in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-challenged endometritis through the TLR4-mediated NF-κB signaling pathway has not yet been researched. This study was planned to evaluate the mechanisms of how GnRb1 rescues LPS-induced endometritis. In the present research, histopathological findings revealed that GnRb1 ameliorated LPS-triggered uterine injury. The ELISA and RT-qPCR assay findings indicated that GnRb1 suppressed the expression level of pro-inflammatory molecules (TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6) and boosted the level of anti-inflammatory (IL-10) cytokine. Furthermore, the molecular study suggested that GnRb1 attenuated TLR4-mediated NF-κB signaling. The results demonstrated the therapeutic efficacy of GnRb1 in the mouse model of LPS-triggered endometritis via the inhibition of the TLR4-associated NF-κB pathway. Taken together, this study provides a baseline for the protective effect of GnRb1 to treat endometritis in both humans and animals.     

Effect of tellurium on electrical and structural properties of sintered silicon nitride ceramics

The effects of tellurium (Te) additives on electrical conductivity, dielectric constant and structural properties of sintered silicon nitride ceramics have been studied. Different amounts of Te (10% and 20%) were added as sintering additives to silicon nitride ceramic powders and sintering was performed. Microstructure and composition were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The electrical conductivity and dielectric constant (ε′) increase exponentially with temperature greater than 800 K. The electrical conductivity and dielectric constant increase but activation energy decreases from 0.72 to 0.33 eV with the increase of Te concentration. However, the conductivity increases five orders of magnitude at the concentration of 10% of Te in Si₃N₄. As the Te concentration increases the sintered silicon nitride ceramics become denser. These types of samples can be used as high temperature semiconducting materials.     

Amphiphilic polymers based on higher alkylene oxides: Synthesis and characterization by different chromatographic techniques

Homopolymers and block copolymers of higher epoxides (butene oxide and hexene oxide) are synthesized using 1-alkanols and polyethylene glycol monomethyl ether (PEG-MME) 1100 as initiators by anionic ring opening polymerization in bulk. Most of the samples were synthesized with controlled microwave heating in sealed vessels. Tri- and tetrablock copolymers with different repeat units in the individual blocks are synthesized by living polymerization with addition of the next monomer after complete consumption of the previous one. The products thus obtained are characterized using size exclusion chromatography (SEC), liquid chromatography under critical conditions (LCCC) and liquid adsorption chromatography (LAC).     

Characterization of ethylene oxide–propylene oxide block copolymers by combination of different chromatographic techniques and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectroscopy

Block copolymers of ethylene oxide (EO) and propylene oxide (PO) are characterized by combination of two-dimensional chromatography and MALDI-TOF-MS. Liquid chromatography under critical conditions (LCCC) is used as first dimension and fractions are collected, mobile phase evaporated and diluted in the mobile phase used in second dimension (SEC or LAC). This two-dimensional chromatography in combination of MALDI-TOF-MS gives information about purity of reaction products, presence of the byproducts, chemical composition and molar mass distribution of all the products.     

Screening of domperidone in wastewater by high performance liquid chromatography and solid phase extraction methods

Domperidone is a dopamine D₂ receptor antogonist, which has been used as antiemetic agent in human beings. It has been found in wastewater released by some pharmaceutical industries leading to the contamination of surface and ground water. Therefore, a sensitive, inexpensive and reproducible HPLC-SPE method was developed for the analysis of domperidone in the wastewater. The column used was Waters symmetry C₁₈ (15 cm × 0.46 mm, 5 μm). The mobile phase used was phosphate buffer (50 mM, pH 3.5) acetonitrile (80:20, v/v) at the flow rate 2.0 mL/min. The detection was achieved by using UV mode at 230 nm. The retention, separation and resolution factors were 2.63, 3.00 and 3.20, respectively. The percentage recovery of domperidone from wastewater was 95.0%. Celiprolol was used as the internal standard to access the percentage extraction of domperidone from wastewater.     

铜纳米阵列高效电解水产氧催化剂的制备

本文报道了一种利用简单的两步牺牲模板法,在泡沫铜基底表面完成了三维氧化铜纳米晶阵列的生长. 氧化铜纳米晶阵列具有良好的导电性,稳定性,在碱性溶液中有着优秀的电解水产氧催化性能. 氧化铜纳米晶阵列催化水的电化学氧化只需400 mV的过电势即可达到100 mA/cm²的电流密度,与其它铜基电解水产氧催化剂以及贵金属IrO₂相比都有着明显的优势. 氧化铜纳米晶阵列在270 mA/cm²左右的工作电流下连续工作10 h依然可以保持良好的稳定性,是相同的工作电压下IrO₂工作电流的10倍(约25 mA/cm²).