Preparation of 188Re-labeled hydroxyapatite for radiosynovectomy

Hydroxyapatite (HA), a natural constituent of bone, was synthesized. HA particles were radiolabeled with ¹⁸⁸Re. Radiolabeling efficiency was 95%. In vitro studies showed 5% loss of activity from particles in normal saline over a period of 2 days, whereas a dissociation rate of 9% was observed in human serum albumin.     

Dichotenone-a and -b: two new enones from the marine brown alga Dictyota dichotoma (Hudson) Lamour

Marine brown alga Dictyota dichotoma (Dictyotaceae) collected from Karachi coast of Arabian Sea yielded two new (1 and 2) enones (dolastane-diterpenoids) named: dichotenone-A and -B along with an olide (loliolide, 3) as a new source. Their structures have been characterized with the aid of 2D-NMR spectroscopic techniques.     

Birefringence via Doppler broadening and prevention of information hacking

We propose a new scheme for the coherent control of birefringent light pulses propagation in a four-level atomic medium. We modify the splitting of a light pulse by controlling the electric and magnetic responses. The Doppler broadening effect is also noted on the propagation of the birefringent pulses. The dispersions of the birefringence beams are oppositely manipulated for delay and advancement of time at a Doppler width of 10γ. A time gap is created between the birefringence beams, which protects from hacking of information. The time gap is then closed to restore the pulse into the original form by a reverse manipulation of the dispersion of the birefringence beams, i.e., introducing another medium whose transfer function is the complex conjugate of that of the original medium. The results are useful for secure communication technology.     

Residual determination and risk assessment of buprofezin in plum (Prunus domestica) grown in open‐field conditions following the application of three different formulations

This study was conducted to characterize the residual level and perform a risk assessment on buprofezin formulated as an emulsifiable concentrate, wettable powder, and suspension concentrate over various treatment schedules in plum (Prunus domestica). The samples were extracted with an AOAC quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe, ‘QuEChERS’, method after major modifications. As intrinsic interferences were observed in blank plum samples following dispersive‐solid phase extraction (consisting of primary secondary amine and C₁₈ sorbents), amino cartridges were used for solid‐phase extraction. Analysis was carried out using liquid chromatography with diode array detection and confirmed by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. The method showed excellent linearity with determination coefficient (R² = 1) and satisfactory recoveries (at two spiking levels, 0.5 and 2.5 mg/kg) between 90.98 and 94.74% with relative standard deviation (RSD) ≤8%. The limit of quantification (0.05 mg/kg) was considerably lower than the maximum residue limit (2 mg/kg) set by the Codex Alimentarius. Absolute residue levels for emulsifiable concentrates were highest, perhaps owing to the dilution rate and adjuvant. Notably, all formulation residues were lower than the maximum residue limit, and safety data proved that the fruits are safe for consumers. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Alkaloids and Colon Cancer: Molecular Mechanisms and Therapeutic Implications for Cell Cycle Arrest

Cancer is the second most fatal disease worldwide, with colon cancer being the third most prevalent and fatal form of cancer in several Western countries. The risk of acquisition of resistance to chemotherapy remains a significant hurdle in the management of various types of cancer, especially colon cancer. Therefore, it is essential to develop alternative treatment modalities. Naturally occurring alkaloids have been shown to regulate various mechanistic pathways linked to cell proliferation, cell cycle, and metastasis. This review aims to shed light on the potential of alkaloids as anti-colon-cancer chemotherapy agents that can modulate or arrest the cell cycle. Preclinical investigated alkaloids have shown anti-colon cancer activities and inhibition of cancer cell proliferation via cell cycle arrest at different stages, suggesting that alkaloids may have the potential to act as anticancer molecules.     

Probing quark-distribution amplitudes through generalized parton distributions at large momentum transfer

In the large momentum transfer limit, generalized parton distributions can be calculated through a QCD factorization theorem which involves perturbatively calculable hard kernels and light-cone parton distribution amplitudes of hadrons. We illustrate this through the H(q)(x,xi,t) distribution for the pion and the proton, presenting the hard kernels at leading order. As a result, experimental data on the generalized parton distributions in this regime can be used to determine the functional form of the parton distribution amplitudes which has thus far been quite challenging to obtain. Our result can also be used as a constraint in phenomenological generalized parton distribution parametrizations.     

Ring-A hydroxylated dolastanes from the marine brown alga Dictyota dichotoma (Huds.) Lamour

Marine brown alga Dictyota dichotoma (Dictyotaceae) collected from Karachi coast of Arabian Sea yielded two new dolastane-diterpenoids named: dichototetraol (1) and dichotopentaol (3) along with 2 of the same skeleton as a new source. Their structures have been characterized with the aid of 2D-NMR spectroscopic techniques.     

Surface plasmon polaritons induced reduced hacking

There is always need for secure transmission of information and simultaneously compact-size photonic circuits. This can be achieved if surface plasmon-polaritons(SPPs) are used as source of information, and the reduced hacking as the transmission phenomenon. In this article, an SPP-based reduced hacking scheme is presented at interface between atomic medium and metallic conductor. The SPP propagation is manipulated with conductivity of the metal. The delay or advance of the SPP is found to create nanosecond time gap which can be used for storing and sending the information safely. The reduced hacking is further modified with conductivity of the metal and the control parameters of the atomic medium.     

Simultaneous determination of sulfoxaflor and its metabolites,X11719474 and X11721061, in brown rice and rice straw after field application using LC-MS/MS

The present study was carried out to develop an analytical method for simultaneously detecting and quantifying sulfoxaflor and its metabolites (X11721061, X11719474) in brown rice and rice straw using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. The parent compound and its metabolites were extracted and purified using original ‘QuEChERS’ method with modification. The matrix-matched calibration curve of sulfoxaflor and its metabolites in both matrices achieved good linearity with determination coefficients (R²) ≥0.9944. The overall recoveries of sulfoxaflor at two fortification levels (rice: 0.2 and 1.0 mg/kg; rice straw: 0.4 and 2.0 mg/kg) ranged from 97.37% to 107.71% with relative standard deviations (RSDs) <5%. On the other hand, the recoveries of both metabolites (X11721061 and X11719474) at 0.1 and 0.5 mg/kg (rice) and 0.2 and 1.0 mg/kg (rice straw) were satisfactory with values ranging from 83.70 % to 112.60% with RSDs <8%. During storage at ?20°C, the analyte and its metabolites were stable for up to 87 days. The limits of quantification of 0.02 mg/kg were lower than the maximum residue limit (0.2 mg/kg) set by the Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety for brown rice. The method was successfully applied to paddy field treated with different programme schedules and a preharvest interval of 7 days was proposed based upon the current study. In sum, the developed method is accurate and reproducible for ensuring the reliable determination of sulfoxaflor (and its metabolites) in harvested rice grain and straw samples from the field. The residual level of parent compound does not seem to pose any hazardous effect and treated rice could be safely used for consumption.