Cellulose acetate composite films fabricated with zero-valent iron nanoparticles and its use in the degradation of persistent organic pollutants

Cellulose acetate (CA), and CA blended with Nicotiana tabacum ash (ACA) membranes have synthesized and fabricated with zero-valent Fe NPs (ZVI) and named as CA@Fe⁰ and ACA@Fe⁰. The as-synthesized membranes were inspected for the removal and detoxification of toxic organic pollutants. Comparative studies of CA@Fe⁰ and ACA@Fe⁰ NPs were investigated for five model pollutants, such as 4-nitrophenol (4NP), methyl orange (MO), Congo red (CR), methylene blue (MB), and bromocresol green (BCG). The kinetic model indicated that the apparent rate constant K_app value of ACA@Fe⁰ was highest for all model pollutants compared to CA@Fe⁰ NPs. The K_app value is derived from pseudo-first-order kinetics. The K_app value of MO discoloration was 8.17 × 10⁻¹ min⁻¹ with ACA@Fe⁰ which is highest than CA@Fe⁰ (3.08 × 10⁻¹ min⁻¹). The turnover frequency (TOF) was highest for ACA@Fe⁰ for all the pollutants compared to CA@Fe⁰ and the highest TOF value was found for CR dye with ACA@Fe⁰ which is 0.523 h⁻¹. Both the membranes also showed promising antibacterial activity against Salmonella typhi. Furthermore, CA, ACA membrane and CA@Fe⁰ and ACA@Fe⁰ NPs were characterized through FESEM, EDS, XRD, FTIR and TGA analysis.     

C-NOT gate based on ultracold Rydberg atom interactions

The Rydberg states of neutral atoms are strongly polarisable and possess long lifetimes because of high energies which can lead to strong and long range dipole-dipole interactions.The energy levels corresponding to these states are shifted because of dipole-dipole interactions and can be used to block transitions of more than one excitation in the Rydberg regime.This reputed Rydberg blockade is obtained when the excitation is shifted out of resonance by these interactions.Electromagnetically induced transparency(EIT)is sensitive to a small detuning.At large distances,up to several micrometers,the interactions can interrupt the EIT consequence.Herein we investigate a novel scheme based on EIT and Rydberg blockade and performed a simulation of a controlled-NOT(C-NOT)quantum gate which is critical for quantum computation by using neutral atoms.     

Measurement of ablative laser propulsion parameters for aluminum, Co–Ni ferrite and polyurethane polymer

Laser ablation propulsion is a form of beam-powered propulsion in which a pulsed laser ablates a target material thus producing thrust. We report in this work the measurements of various parameters related to laser-induced micropropulsion in toluene diisocyanate-based polyurethane polymer, aluminum and Co–Ni ferrite. The targets were irradiated by a Q-switched pulsed Nd–YAG laser at 1064 nm (pulse duration 5 ns) under atmospheric conditions. A contact-free optical triangulation method was used to measure the laser ablation induced thrust in the samples. The measurements and calculations depict that Co–Ni ferrite is better in terms of critical propulsion parameters C _m and I _sp. It has been observed that the propulsion parameters depend on the energy per pulse of the incident laser beam.     

Deterministic and random coincidence point results for f-nonexpansive maps

Some deterministic and random coincidence theorems for f-nonexpansive maps are obtained. As applications, invariant approximation theorems are derived. Our results unify, extend and complement various known results existing in the literature.     

Synthesis and Binding of Mannose-Specific Synthetic Carbohydrate Receptors

Synthetic carbohydrate receptors (SCRs) that selectively recognize cell-surface glycans could be used for detection, drug delivery, or as therapeutics. Here we report the synthesis of seven new C_2h symmetric tetrapodal SCRs. The structures of these SCRs possess a conserved biaryl core, and they vary in the four heterocyclic binding groups that are linked to the biaryl core via secondary amines. Supramolecular association between these SCRs and five biologically relevant C¹-O-octyloxy glycans, α/β-glucoside ( α/β-Glc ), α/β-mannoside ( α/β-Man ), and β-galactoside ( β-Gal ), was studied by mass spectrometry, ¹H NMR titrations, and molecular modeling. These studies revealed that selectivity can be achieved in these tetrapodal SCRs by varying the heterocyclic binding group. We found that SCR017 (3-pyrrole), SCR021 (3-pyridine), and SCR022 (2-phenol) bind only to β-Glc. SCR019 (3-indole) binds only to β-Man. SCR020 (2-pyridine) binds β-Man and α-Man with a preference to the latter. SCR018 (2-indole) binds α-Man and β-Gal with a preference to the former. The glycan guests bound within their SCR hosts in one of three supramolecular geometries: center-parallel, center-perpendicular, and off-center. Many host–guest combinations formed higher stoichiometry complexes, 2:1 glycan⋅SCR or 1:2 glycan⋅SCR , where the former are driven by positive allosteric cooperativity induced by glycan–glycan contacts.     

Dietary Polyphenols: Extraction,Identification, Bioavailability,and Role for Prevention and Treatment of Colorectal and Prostate Cancers

Fruits, vegetables, and other edible plants in our diet have numerous health benefits, due to the bioactive compounds in these food items, including polyphenols. These plants are a rich and promising source of natural products and phytochemicals that can be used to treat and prevent numerous diseases and prevent the progression of cancer. Dietary polyphenols exhibit chemo-preventive and therapeutic effects against various ailments, including several types of cancer. The current study focuses on polyphenol’s traditional and advanced extraction methods, with supercritical extraction as a novel approach. It also deals with their identification, bioavailability, and role in preventing and treating colorectal and prostate cancers. Additionally, the article covers the literature that deals with the anticancer activities of polyphenols, as well as their potential use as anticancer agents.     

Character free proofs for two solvability theorems due to Isaacs

We give character-free proofs of two solvability theorems due to Isaacs.