Fabrication of Nanocomposite Containing Naphthoquinone and Nanogold Supported on Poly(2,6‐pyridinedicarboxylic acid) Film for Voltammetric Determination of N‐Acetyl‐L‐Cysteine

A modified electrode was fabricated by grafting of poly (2,6‐pyridinedicarboxylic acid) film (PDC) by electropolymerization of 2,6‐pyridinedicarboxylic acid on the glassy carbon electrode (GCE). Then, gold nanoparticles (NG) and 1,2‐naphthoquinone‐4‐sulfonic acid sodium (Nq) were immobilized on the PDC/GCE to prepare Nq/NG/PDC/GCE by immersing electrode into NG and Nq solution, respectively. The Nq species on NG/PDC/GCE could catalyze electrooxidation of N‐acetyl‐L ‐cysteine (NAC) with lowering the over potential by about 600 mV. This method used for detection of NAC in dynamic range from 4.0×10^?6 M to 1.30×10^?4 M with a detection of limit (2σ) 8.0×10^?7 M.     

Hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide micellization in glycine,diglycine, and triglycine aqueous solutions as a function of surfactant concentration and temperatures

Micellization behavior of hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (HTAB) was investigated conductometrically in aqueous solutions containing 0.02 mol kg^?1glycine (Gly), diglycine (Gly-Gly), and triglycine (Gly-Gly-Gly) as a function of surfactant concentration at different temperatures. The critical micelle concentration (CMC) of HTAB exhibits a decreasing trend as the number of carbon atoms increases from Gly to Gly-Gly-Gly, favoring the micelle formation. The values of CMC and the degree of counterion dissociation of the micelles were utilized to evaluate the standard free energy for transferring the surfactant hydrophobic chain out of the solvent to the interior of the micelle, ΔG _HP ^○ , free energy associated with the surface contributions, ΔG _S ^○ , standard free energy, ΔG _m ^○ , enthalpy, ΔH _m ^○ , and entropy, ΔS _m ^○ of micellization were also calculated. The results show that the micellization of HTAB in aqueous solutions as well as in aqueous Gly/Gly-Gly/Gly-Gly-Gly solutions is primarily governed by the entropy gain due to the transfer of the hydrophobic groups of the surfactant from the solvent to the interior part of the micelle. The CMC obtained by fluorometric method is in close agreement with those obtained conductometrically. Furthermore, decrease in the I ₁/I ₃ ratio of pyrene fluorescence intensity suggests the solubilization of the additives by the surfactant micelles and that this solubilization increases as the hydrophobicity increases from Gly to Gly-Gly-Gly.     

Clinical,Nutritional, and Functional Evaluation of Chia Seed-Fortified Muffins

Health-protective functional foods are gaining popularity in the world of nutrition because they promote excellent health while decreasing pharmaceutical burdens. Chia seeds (CS) (Salvia hispanica L.), the greatest vegetative source of α-linolenic acid, bioactive proteins, and fibers, are among the top unconventional oilseeds shown to have bounteous benefits against various non-communicable diseases. Purposely, this study was designed to integrate roasted CS powder into white-flour-based ordinary bakery goods to improve their nutritional and nutraceutical profiles. CS efficacy in normal and hyperlipidemic Sprague-Dawley rats resulted in mitigating blood glucose, triglycerides, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol while elevating high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, hematocrit, hemoglobin, red blood cell counts, and platelets. The nutritional profiling of chia-fortified muffins indicated significant increases of 47% in fat, 92% in fiber, 15% in protein, and 62% in minerals. The farinographic experiments of CS-blends revealed generally improved dough quality features with a significant rise in the degree of softening as fortification levels increased. A marketable recipe for CSF-muffins with several degrees of fortification demonstrated a significant rise in fat, 92% rise in fiber, 15% rise in protein, and 62% rise in minerals. Sensorial evaluation by trained taste panelists revealed a maximum appraisal of the 15% chia-fortified muffins due to aroma, appearance, and overall acceptability, and were forwarded for being acceptable for commercialization.     

A review on key factors influencing the electrical conductivity of proton exchange membrane fuel cell composite bipolar plates

Fuel cells are gaining increasing importance as a promising alternative to traditional energy sources, primarily due to their exceptional efficiency and environmental advantages. The electrical performance of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) largely depends on the effectiveness of proton and electron transport within the cell components. A critical factor impacting this efficiency is the electrical conductivity of polymer-based bipolar plates (BPPs), which play a fundamental role as current collectors. BPPs in PEMFCs can be made from various materials including coated metallic materials, graphitic materials, and polymer composites. This review exclusively concentrates on polymer composite BPPs. Enhancing the overall cell performance is achievable through the integration of electrically conductive additives into the polymer matrix of these plates. Graphite (GR), carbon black (CB), carbon fibers (CF), carbon nanotubes (CNT), and graphene (Gr) all emerge as highly promising functional materials capable of substantially elevating BPPs performance. This study, among its various objectives, delves into the synergistic effects of these electrically conductive additives and their capacity to enhance the electrical conductivity within polymeric matrices. Furthermore, this review article thoroughly explores the influence of the polymeric matrix, encompassing co-continuous morphology and processing conditions. In essence, it focuses on the improvement of BPPs electrical conductivity through innovative designs of their polymer-based composites and nanocomposites and the particular selection of the electrically conductive fillers. The insights derived from this study significantly contribute to a more profound understanding of how to effectively harness the potential of this vital PEMFC component.     

Genesis and Mechanism of Some Cancer Types and an Overview on the Role of Diet and Nutrition in Cancer Prevention

Cancer is a major disease with a high mortality rate worldwide. In many countries, cancer is considered to be the second most common cause of death after cardiovascular disease. The clinical management of cancer continues to be a challenge as conventional treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy, have limitations due to their toxicity profiles. Unhealthy lifestyle and poor dietary habits are the key risk factors for cancer; having a healthy diet and lifestyle may minimize the risk. Epidemiological studies have shown that a high fruit and vegetable intake in our regular diet can effectively reduce the risk of developing certain types of cancers due to the high contents of antioxidants and phytochemicals. In vitro and in vivo studies have shown that phytochemicals exert significant anticancer effects due to their free radical scavenging capacity potential. There has been extensive research on the protective effects of phytochemicals in different types of cancers. This review attempts to give an overview of the etiology of different types of cancers and assesses the role of phytonutrients in the prevention of cancers, which makes the present review distinct from the others available.     

Pseudo five-component process for the synthesis of functionalized tricarboxamides using CuI nanoparticles as reusable catalyst

An efficient and multicomponent method has been developed for the synthesis of functionalized tricarboxamides at room temperature using CuI nanoparticles as catalyst. This method involved fivecomponent coupling reactions of Meldrum's acid, isocyanides with aromatic aldehydes and amines at room temperature. Atom economy, wide range of products, excellent yields in short time and mild reaction conditions are some of the important features of this protocol. Notably, this catalyst could be recycled and reused for several times without significantly decreasing the catalytic activity.     

Application of Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy as a Novel Approach for Monitoring of the Activity of Nano Palladium Catalyst as Compared to Two Well-known Methods

Catalyst deactivation is an unavoidable process that occurs in catalytic chemical reactions. Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) is used here as a novel approach to investigate the activity of palladium supported with carbon catalyst (Pd/C) over the hydrogenation of cinnamic acid with tetralin. Their outputs for four catalyst samples are reported for different time intervals of 0, 5, 10, 15 min during the reaction. The results of LIBS analysis are compared to Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS), which shows a good agreement. Experimental data specify that line intensities of palladium (Pd) are decreased significantly with an increment of the reaction time. Moreover, the Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope with energy dispersive spectroscopy (FESEM-EDS) of catalysts samples show aggregation of palladium particles for some places in the catalyst surface. The changes of Pd content and sintering of Pd particles in the catalyst during the reaction play substantial roles in catalyst deactivation.     

室温下Cu掺杂的ZnO纳米粉末催化多组分一锅法合成完全取代的茚并[1,2-b]吡啶(英文)

Cu doped ZnO nanocrystalline powder(10 mol%) has been found to be an efficient catalyst for the one‐pot multi‐component synthesis of fully substituted new indeno[1,2‐b]pyridines through a com-bination of 1,3‐indandione, propiophenone or acetophenone derivatives, aromatic aldehydes, and ammonium acetate in ethanol/H2 O at room temperature. The methodology is mild, efficient and high to excellent yielding.     

Green-synthesized Zinc oxide nanoparticle,an efficient safe anticancer compound for human breast MCF7 cancer cells

There are many types of researches investigating anticancer therapeutics for breast cancer therapy. Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) as an efficient drug delivery system, has been widely being used in various biomedical applications. In the current study, we synthesized ZnONP applying Rheum rhaponticum Waste (RRW) as a novel bio-platform to investigate its anticancer impacts on MCF7 breast cancer cells compared with normal Human HFF and HDF cells. In this regard, RRW was triggered to synthesize the ZnONPs. Then, they were characterized by XRD, FTIR, TEM, and SEM analysis. Next, the MCF-7, HFF, and HDF cell lines were cultured and treated as the following plane: Incubation of all cell lines for 72, 48, and 24 hours at the presence of different ZnONPs doses. Finally, the cell morphology, BCL2- BAX genes expression profile and AO/PI-fluorescent cell staining on the 48-hour incubated cells were analyzed to check the ZnONP apoptotic activity. Moreover, the ZnONP antioxidant activity was analyzed by a DPPH antioxidant test. We produced the 30 nm ZnONPs which significantly increased the BAX and decreased the BCL-2 gene expression. According to the results including the Sub G1 enhancement peaks, apoptotic hallmarks, MTT assay, and the AO/PI-fluorescent stained cells, ZnONPs can specifically induce apoptotic death in MCF7 breast cancer cells compared with normal HFF and HDF cells. The IC₅₀ values of MCF-7 in 72, 48, and 24 hr were measured at 8, 11, and 12 μg/ml in 72, 48, and 24 hr, respectively. This is while the mentioned values in the normal cells (HFF, HDF) were estimated at higher treatment doses. In conclusion, we suggest that the ZnONPs have the potential to be applied as a safe cell-specific apoptosis inducer in breast cancer treatment. However, there are many challenges that need to be clarified for applying them as an efficient anticancer agent.