Influence of chitosan and epoxy cross-linking on physical properties of binary blends

In this study, blends of chitosan (Cs) and bisphenol-F-diglycidyl ether (3.80 × 10^?3 to 3.80 × 10^?2 mol) were cast by the solution route. FT-IR results suggested that chitosan was cross-linked at terminal amino groups through diepoxide linkage. The chitosan films became less flexible and stiffer upon reaction with epoxy. Blending improved percentage elongation (31%) and toughness (10 MPa), whereas Young’s modulus (145 MPa) and tensile strength (45 MPa) were decreased. Extent of weight loss in Cs/BPFDGE was lower (15%) than that of original precursors (chitosan 33%). Moreover, blending of chitosan with BPFDGE increased water absorption properties due to generation of hydrophilic ?OH groups.     

Magnetic nanoparticles (Fe<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript> &amp; Co<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript>) and their applications in urea biosensing

Nanobiotechnology has opened a new and exciting opportunities for exploring urea biosensor based on magnetic nanoparticles (NPs) mainly Fe₃O₄ and Co₃O₄. These NPs have been extensively exploited to develop biosensors with stability, selectivity, reproducibility and fast response time. This review gives an overview of the development of urea biosensor based on Fe₃O₄ and Co₃O₄ for in vitro diagnostic applications along with significant improvements over the last few decades. Additionally, effort has been made to elaborate properties of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) in biosensing aspects. It also gives details of recent developments in hybrid nanobiocomposite based urea biosensor.     

Two new rare-class tetracyclic diterpenoids from Otostegia limbata

Two new tetracyclic diterpenoids trivially named as limbatenolide D (1) and limbatenolide E (2) have been isolated from Otostegia limbata. The structure elucidation of the compounds was based primarily on two-dimensional (2D) NMR techniques and on comparison with the literature data.     

Complete (1)H and (13)C NMR assignments of two new trans-clerodane diterpenoids from Otostegia limbata

Two new tricyclic trans-clerodane diterpenoids trivially named as ballotenic acid A (1) and ballodiolic acid A (2) have been isolated from ethyl acetate fraction of Otostegia limbata. The structure assignments are based on (1)H and (13)C NMR spectra, 2D NMR (HMQC, HMBC, COSY, NOESY and NOE) techniques and comparison with the literature data.     

Intermolecular stacking in pyrazolo[3,4‐d]pyrimidine‐based pentamethylene‐linked flexible ­molecules

The crystal structures of 1‐{5‐[4,6‐bis­(methyl­sulfanyl)‐2H‐py­razolo­[3,4‐d]­pyrimidin‐2‐yl]­pentyl}‐6‐methyl­sulfanyl‐4‐(pyr­rolidin‐1‐yl)‐1H‐pyrazolo­[3,4‐d]­pyrimidine, C₂₂H₂₉N₉S₃, and 6‐methyl­sulfanyl‐1‐{5‐[6‐methyl­sulfanyl‐4‐(pyrrolidin‐1‐yl)‐2H‐pyrazolo­[3,4‐d]­pyrimidin‐2‐yl]­pentyl}‐4‐(pyrrolidin‐1‐yl)‐1H‐pyrazolo­[3,4‐d]­pyrimidine, C₂₅H₃₄N₁₀S₂, which differ in having either a pyrrolidine substituent or a methylsulfanyl group, show intermolecular stacking due to aromatic π–π interactions between the pyrazolo­[3,4‐d]­pyrimidine rings.     

Current advances in molecularly imprinted polymers and their release mechanisms in drug delivery systems

Molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) has gained wide interest among researchers due to its unique molecular recognition of the template that is suitable as a drug carrier. Therefore, the preparation and formulation of the MIP are significant to suit the needs of the intended use. Due to its significance in drug delivery, this review aims to highlight various methods in the preparation of MIP, the composition for both controlled and stimuli-responsive drug delivery systems, and the release mechanism of the drugs. In drug delivery systems, MIP should have a sustained release performance as well as flexibility in surface modification for targeted delivery via a range of stimuli-responses, including  external stimuli (magnetic, light) and internal stimuli (pH, temperature, redox, biological). The properties of sustained release and targeted delivery of the MIP can improve the drug's therapeutic efficacy as well as the breakthrough for the tumor targeting application.     

Investigations of Viscous Dissipation in Stagnation Point Flow Past a Stretchable Riga Wall: Modern Analysis of Heat Transport

This article scrutinizes the features of viscous dissipation in the stagnation point flow past through a linearly stretched Riga wall by implementing Cattaneo-Christov heat flux model. Viscous dissipation is carried out in Cattaneo-Christov diffusion analysis for the first time in this letter. As a result of Cattaneo-Christov model, some extra terms of viscous dissipation are appeared in the energy equation. These extra terms of viscous dissipation are missing in the literature. On the utilization of suitable transformations, the equations governing the problem are reduced under the boundary layer approximation into the non-linear and dimensionless ordinary differential equations. Convergent approach is utilized to solve the dimensionless governing equations. The solution thus acquired is used to highlight the effects of emerging parameters on velocity distribution and fluid's temperature through the graphs. Features of the drag force (or skin friction co-efficient) are graphically interpreted. It is noticed that the presence of modified Hartman number helps to reduce the fluid's temperature but enhances the velocity profile. Further an enlargement in the value of thermal time relaxation parameter helps to decrease the temperature distribution.     

Effects of Thermal Radiation and Slip Mechanism on Mixed Convection Flow of Williamson Nanofluid Over an Inclined Stretching Cylinder

The current investigation highlights the mixed convection slip flow and radiative heat transport of uniformly electrically conducting Williamson nanofluid yield by an inclined circular cylinder in the presence of Brownian motion and thermophoresis parameter.A Lorentzian magnetic body force model is employed and magnetic induction effects are neglected.The governing equations are reduced to a system of nonlinear ordinary differential equations with associated boundary conditions by applying scaling group transformations.The reduced nonlinear ordinary differential equations are then solved numerically by Runge-Kutta-Fehlberg fifth-order method with shooting technique.The effects of magnetic field,Prandtl number,mixed convection parameter,buoyancy ratio parameter,Brownian motion parameter,thermophoresis parameter,heat generation/absorption parameter,mass transfer parameter,radiation parameter and Schmidt number on the skin friction coefficient and local Nusselt are analyzed and discussed.It is found that the velocity of the fluid decreases with decrease in curvature parameter,whereas it increases with mixed convection parameter.Further,the local Nusselt number decreases with an increase in the radiation parameter.The numerical comparison is also presented with the existing published results and found that the present results are in excellent agreement which also confirms the validity of the present methodology.     

Generalized holographic dark energy model

In this paper, the model of the holographic Chaplygin gas has been extended to two general cases: first the case of a modified variable Chaplygin gas and second the case of the viscous generalized Chaplygin gas. The dynamics of the model is expressed by the use of scalar fields and scalar potentials.