Recurrence analysis and synchronization of two resistively coupled Duffing-type oscillators

Nonlinear Dynamics - In this work, we study the complex dynamics and synchronization of two coupled Duffing-type circuits within the framework of recurrence quantification analysis (RQA). For the...     

Bimetallic TiO2 Nanoparticles for Lignin-Based Model Compounds Valorization by Integrating an Optocatalytic Flow-Microreactor

The challenge of improving the activity of TiO₂ by modifying it with metals and using it for targeted applications in microreactor environments is an active area of research. Recently, microreactors have emerged as successful candidates for many photocatalytic reactions, especially for the selective oxidation process. The current work introduces ultrasound-assisted catalyst deposition on the inner walls of a perfluoro-alkoxy alkane (PFA) microtube under mild conditions. We report Cu-Au/TiO₂ and Fe-Au/TiO₂ nanoparticles synthesized using the sol–gel method. The obtained photocatalysts were thoroughly characterized by UV–Vis diffuse-reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), high-resolution scanning electron microscopy (HR-SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and N₂ physisorption. The photocatalytic activity under UV (375 nm) and visible light (515 nm) was estimated by the oxidation of lignin-based model aromatic alcohols in batch and fluoropolymer-based flow systems. The bimetallic catalyst exhibited improved photocatalytic selective oxidation. Herein, four aromatic alcohols were individually investigated and compared. In our experiments, the alcohols containing hydroxy and methoxy groups (coniferyl and vanillin alcohol) showed high conversion (93% and 52%, respectively) with 8% and 17% selectivity towards their respective aldehydes, with the formation of other side products. The results offer an insight into ligand-to-metal charge transfer (LMCT) complex formation, which was found to be the main reason for the activity of synthesized catalysts under visible light.     

Ageratum conyzoides L. and Its Secondary Metabolites in the Management of Different Fungal Pathogens

Ageratum conyzoides L. (Family—Asteraceae) is an annual aromatic invasive herb, mainly distributed over the tropical and subtropical regions of the world. It owns a reputed history of indigenous remedial uses, including as a wound dressing, an antimicrobial, and mouthwash as well as in treatment of dysentery, diarrhea, skin diseases, etc. In this review, the core idea is to present the antifungal potential of the selected medicinal plant and its secondary metabolites against different fungal pathogens. Additionally, toxicological studies (safety profile) conducted on the amazing plant A. conyzoides L. are discussed for the possible clinical development of this medicinal herb. Articles available from 2000 to 2020 were reviewed in detail to exhibit recent appraisals of the antifungal properties of A. conyzoides. Efforts were aimed at delivering evidences for the medicinal application of A. conyzoides by using globally recognized scientific search engines and databases so that an efficient approach for filling the lacunae in the research and development of antifungal drugs can be adopted. After analyzing the literature, it can be reported that the selected medicinal plant effectively suppressed the growth of numerous fungal species, such as Aspergillus, Alternaria, Candida, Fusarium, Phytophthora, and Pythium, owing to the presence of various secondary metabolites, particularly chromenes, terpenoids, flavonoids and coumarins. The possible mechanism of action of different secondary metabolites of the plant against fungal pathogens is also discussed briefly. However, it was found that only a few studies have been performed to demonstrate the plant’s dosage and safety profile in humans. Considered all together, A. conyzoides extract and its constituents may act as a promising biosource for the development of effective antifungal formulations for clinical use. However, in order to establish safety and efficacy, additional scientific research is required to explore chronic toxicological effects of ageratum, to determine the probability of interactions when used with different herbs, and to identify safe dosage. The particulars presented here not only bridge this gap but also furnish future research strategies for the investigators in microbiology, ethno-pharmacology, and drug discovery.     

Chitosan Encapsulated Meloxicam Nanoparticles for Sustained Drug Delivery Applications: Preparation,Characterization, and Pharmacokinetics in Wistar Rats

Meloxicam (MLX) is currently used in the therapeutic management of both acute and chronic inflammatory disorders such as pain, injuries, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis in both humans and animals. Gastrointestinal toxicity and occasional renal toxicity were observed in patients taking it for a long-term period. Meloxicam’s late attainment of peak plasma concentration results in a slow onset of action. The goal of the current study was to prepare and characterize chitosan encapsulated meloxicam nanoparticles (CEMNPs) with high bioavailability and less gastro intestinal toxicity in order to prevent such issues. The size of the prepared CEMNPs was approximately 110–220 nm with a zetapotential of +39.9 mV and polydispersity index of 0.268, suggesting that they were uniformly dispersed nanoparticles. The FTIR and UV-Vis spectroscopy have confirmed the presence of MLX in the prepared CEMNPs. The pharmacokinetics have been studied with three groups of male Wistar rats receiving either of the treatments, viz., 4 mg·kg⁻¹ of MLX and 1 or 4 mg·kg⁻¹ of CEMNPs. Plasma samples were collected until 48 h post administration, and concentrations of MLX were quantified by using reverse (C₁₈) phase HPLC. Non-compartmental analysis was applied to determine pharmacokinetic variables. Upon oral administration, the maximum concentration (C_max) was reached in 4 h for CEMNPs and 6 h for MLX. The mean area under the plasma MLX concentration-time curve from ‘zero’ to infinity (AUC_0–∞), half-life (t_1/2β), and mean resident time (MRT) of 1 mg·kg⁻¹ of CEMNPs was 1.4-, 2-, and 1.8-fold greater than 4 mg·kg⁻¹ of MLX. The prepared CEMNPs demonstrated quicker absorption and prolonged release along with a significant improvement in the bioavailability of MLX, paving a prospective path for the development of drugs with enhanced bioavailability with less side effects.     

Carbohydrate assisted fluorescence turn-on gluco-imino-anthracenyl conjugate as a Hg(II) sensor in milk and blood serum milieu

A new anthracenyl-imino-glucosyl conjugate (L) selectively senses Hg(2+) by turn-on fluorescence with a 13 ± 1 fold enhancement by forming a 2?:?1 complex in pH 5 to 10 even in the presence of several biologically and ecologically relevant metal ions, with a 25 ± 2% fluorescence enhancement at the EPA limit of 2 ppb. L is equally sensitive towards Hg(2+) in the presence of albumin proteins and in blood serum and milk.     

An FPTAS for optimizing a class of low-rank functions over a polytope

We present a fully polynomial time approximation scheme (FPTAS) for optimizing a very general class of non-linear functions of low rank over a polytope. Our approximation scheme relies on constructing an approximate Pareto-optimal front of the linear functions which constitute the given low-rank function. In contrast to existing results in the literature, our approximation scheme does not require the assumption of quasi-concavity on the objective function. For the special case of quasi-concave function minimization, we give an alternative FPTAS, which always returns a solution which is an extreme point of the polytope. Our technique can also be used to obtain an FPTAS for combinatorial optimization problems with non-linear objective functions, for example when the objective is a product of a fixed number of linear functions. We also show that it is not possible to approximate the minimum of a general concave function over the unit hypercube to within any factor, unless P = NP. We prove this by showing a similar hardness of approximation result for supermodular function minimization, a result that may be of independent interest.     

Spectral characterization of apatite formation on poly(2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate)-TiO2 nanocomposite film prepared by sol-gel process

Poly(2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate) films incorporated with titanium dioxide nanoparticles were successfully synthesized by an in situ sol-gel process. The in vitro bioactive properties of the films were assessed after immersion in simulated body fluid for up to 21 days through biomimetic method. Hydroxyapatite formation was observed on the surfaces of nanocomposites. This indicates that prepared composites are bioactive. Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction patterns, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and scanning electron microscope images confirm the hydroxyapatite formation on nanocomposite. The present study provides an analytical method for the assessment of titanium dioxide nanoparticles filled poly(2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate) polymer nanocomposites for biomedical applications.     

A methodology for high performance computation of fully inhomogeneous turbulent flows

A large‐eddy simulation methodology for high performance parallel computation of statistically fully inhomogeneous turbulent flows on structured grids is presented. Strategies and algorithms to improve the memory efficiency as well as the parallel performance of the subgrid‐scale model, the factored scheme, and the Poisson solver on shared‐memory parallel platforms are proposed and evaluated. A novel combination of one‐dimensional red–black/line Gauss–Seidel and two‐dimensional red–black/line Gauss–Seidel methods is shown to provide high efficiency and performance for multigrid relaxation of the Poisson equation. Parallel speedups are measured on various shared‐distributed memory systems. Validations of the code are performed in large‐eddy simulations of turbulent flows through a straight channel and a square duct. Results obtained from the present solver employing a Lagrangian dynamic subgrid‐scale model show good agreements with other available data. The capability of the code for more complex flows is assessed by performing a large‐eddy simulation of the tip‐leakage flow in a linear cascade. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.