Study of capabilities of the ANN and RSM models to predict the thermal conductivity of nanofluids containing SiO2 nanoparticles

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - In this paper, thermal conductivity prediction of nanofluids is discussed by the RSM and ANN models. The nanofluids contain SiO2 nanoparticles, and...     

Neuroinflammatory Markers: Key Indicators in the Pathology of Neurodegenerative Diseases

Neuroinflammation, a protective response of the central nervous system (CNS), is associated with the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. The CNS is composed of neurons and glial cells consisting of microglia, oligodendrocytes, and astrocytes. Entry of any foreign pathogen activates the glial cells (astrocytes and microglia) and overactivation of these cells triggers the release of various neuroinflammatory markers (NMs), such as the tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-1β (IL-10), nitric oxide (NO), and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), among others. Various studies have shown the role of neuroinflammatory markers in the occurrence, diagnosis, and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. These markers also trigger the formation of various other factors responsible for causing several neuronal diseases including Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), Huntington’s disease (HD), multiple sclerosis (MS), ischemia, and several others. This comprehensive review aims to reveal the mechanism of neuroinflammatory markers (NMs), which could cause different neurodegenerative disorders. Important NMs may represent pathophysiologic processes leading to the generation of neurodegenerative diseases. In addition, various molecular alterations related to neurodegenerative diseases are discussed. Identifying these NMs may assist in the early diagnosis and detection of therapeutic targets for treating various neurodegenerative diseases.     

Estimating Drift Parameters in a Sub-Fractional Vasicek-Type Process

This study deals with drift parameters estimation problems in the sub-fractional Vasicek process given by dxt=θ(μ−xt)dt+dStH, with θ>0, μ∈R being unknown and t≥0; here, SH represents a sub-fractional Brownian motion (sfBm). We introduce new estimators θ^ for θ and μ^ for μ based on discrete time observations and use techniques from Nordin–Peccati analysis. For the proposed estimators θ^ and μ^, strong consistency and the asymptotic normality were established by employing the properties of SH. Moreover, we provide numerical simulations for sfBm and related Vasicek-type process with different values of the Hurst index H.     

The numerical simulation and sensitivity analysis of a non-Newtonian fluid flow inside a square chamber exposed to a magnetic field using the FDLBM approach

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - This paper simulated the free convective heat transfer (CHT) and generation of entropy (GOE) of a non-Newtonian fluid (NNF) in a square chamber using...     

Crystallographic and computational study of the structure of copper(II) 2,2′-bis(2-oxidobenzylideneamino)-4,4′-dimethyl-1,1′-biphenyl

The reaction of M(OAc)₂ with 2,2′-bis(2-hydroxybenzylideneamino)-4,4′-dimethyl-1,1′-biphenyl (H₂L1) allows the synthesis of 2,2′-bis(2-oxidobenzylideneamino)-4,4′-dimethyl-1,1′-biphenyl complexes of Cu(II) (CuL1), Co(II) (CoL1) and Ni(II) (NiL1) that were characterized by elemental analysis, FTIR spectroscopy and for CuL1 also by X-ray crystallography verifying a tetradentate binding mode of L1 via an (ONNO) motif of the two phenolic oxygen atoms and two azomethine nitrogen atoms. Recrystallization from a solvent mixture of dichloromethane and methanol promotes the formation of methanol adducts. Different binding modes of the methanol–complex were investigated using density functional theory calculations and binding energies, and thermodynamic data of the interaction are reported. The results show that the favored interaction occurs when the methanol molecule acts as a Lewis acid weakly binding via an O–H···O hydrogen bridge to a phenoxide moiety leading to an elongation of the respective M–O bond.

     

Higher α‐olefins carbonylation in aqueous media by Pd(II) catalysts modified with substituted diphosphine ligands: Aqueous polyketone latices with high solid contents and molecular weights

Water‐soluble palladium complexes cis‐[Pd(L)(OAc)₂] ( 1–8 ) (L represents a diphosphine ligands of the general formula CH₂(CH₂PR₂)₂, where for a : R ? (CH₂)₆OH; b–g : R ? (CH₂)_nP(O)(OEt)₂, n = 2–6 and n = 8; h : R ? (CH₂)₃NH₂) have been employed, after activation with a large excess of HBF₄, for emulsion polymerization of alkenes (propene, butene, and their equimolar mixtures) with carbon monoxide. Aliphatic polyketone lattices with a high solid content (21%), high molecular weight (6.3 × 10⁴ g mol^?1), and narrow polydispersities (M_w/M_n ≈ 2) were isolated. The catalytic activity of the dicationic palladium (II) based catalysts, C1–C8 is highly dependent on the length of the alkyl chain of the ligand. Catalyst 3 proved to be highly active for propene/CO copolymers, whereas 6 is active for butene/CO and propene/CO‐butene/CO systems. The presence of methyl β‐cyclodextrin, as a phase‐transfer agent, and undecenoic acid, as an emulsifier, increase the molar mass and the stability of the polyketones and finally the activity of the catalyst. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 6715–6725, 2009     

Potent tyrosinase inhibitors from Trifolium balansae

Trifolium balansae (Leguminosae) yielded a phytylester, phytyl-1-hexanoate, three steroids, stigmast-5-ene-3 beta,26-diol, stigmast-5-ene-3-ol and campesterol, and an alcohol, pentacosanol which were reported for the first time from T.balansae. The structures of the isolates were determined by 1D and 2D NMR techniques and MS spectroscopy. Compounds 1-5 were tested for their enzyme tyrosinase activity. While compounds 1 and 5 did not show any inhibition against the enzyme tyrosinase, compounds 2, 3, and 4 exhibited potent inhibition against tyrosinase. Highly potent (IC50 = 2.39 microM) inhibition was found by compound 2, when compared with the standard tyrosinase inhibitors Kojic acid and L-mimosine.     

Photosensitized Effects of Rose Bengal on Structure and Function of Lens Protein "Alpha-Crystallin"

The conformational changes of the bovine lens protein "α-crystallin" have been investigated in the presence of the photosensitizer Rose Bengal (RB), in the dark as well as after visible light irradiation. Absorption and fluorescence emission spectra of RB [5 × 10⁻⁶  m ] and Fourier transform-IR spectra of α-crystallin [5 mg mL⁻¹] were significantly altered upon RB α-crystallin complex formation. RB was found to bind to α-crystallin in a molecular pocket characterized by a low polarity, with Trp most likely involved in this interaction. The binding constant ( K _b) has been estimated to be of the order of 2.5 (mg/mL)⁻¹. The intrinsic fluorescence of α-crystallin was quenched through both dynamic and static mechanisms. Light-induced photosensitized effects showed structural modifications in α-crystallin, including tertiary and secondary structure (an increase in unordered structure) alterations. Notwithstanding those photoinduced structural variations detected in α-crystallin when complexed with RB, the protein still retains its ability to play the role of chaperone for β-crystallin.     

Tyrosinase inhibition studies of diterpenoid alkaloids and their derivatives: structure-activity relationships

In the present article, tyrosinase inhibition studies on fifteen diterpenoid alkaloids, with lycoctonine skeleton, and their semisynthetic derivatives 1-15 and six napelline-type compounds 16-21 are discussed. Their structure-activity relationship for tyrosinase inhibition is also discussed. These activities were compared with two referenced tyrosinase inhibitors, kojic acid and L-mimosine. The study showed that lappaconitine HBr (1) is the most potent member of the series (IC50 = 13.30 microM).