Effect of Deborah number and phase difference on peristaltic transport of a third-order fluid in an asymmetric channel

The effect of a third-order fluid on the peristaltic transport in an asymmetric channel is studied. The wavelength of the peristaltic waves is assumed to be large compared to the varying channel width, whereas the wave amplitudes need not be small compared to the varying channel width. The channel asymmetry is produced by choosing the peristaltic wave train on the walls to have different amplitudes and phase. The flow is investigated in a wave frame of reference moving with velocity of the wave. The effects of Deborah number, phase difference, varying channel width and wave amplitudes on the pumping characteristics, streamline pattern and trapping phenomena are investigated. It is observed that the trapping regions increase as the channel becomes more and more symmetric and the trapped bolus volume decreases for increasing Deborah number, phase difference and varying channel width whereas it increases for increasing flow rate and wave amplitudes. Furthermore, the obtained results could also have applications to a range of peristaltic flows for a variety of non-Newtonian fluids such as aqueous solutions of high-molecular weight polyethylene oxide and polyacrylamide.     

Identification of some sweetening agents by thermal analysis

The thermal behaviours of some artificial sweetening agents — sodium cyclamate, saccharine and sorbitol — were studied by means of a complex thermal method. The quite different thermal behaviours of the different sweeteners are utilized for their identification. An endothermic peak is seen in the DTA curve at about 386° and 94° for saccharine and sorbitol, respectively, which is not accompanied by a weight loss. In the case of sodium cyclamate a characteristic exothermic peak followed by an endothermic one is detected. A semiquantitative method for the determination of sodium cyclamate is described.     

Enhancement of Anti-Tumoral Properties of Paclitaxel Nano-Crystals by Conjugation of Folic Acid to Pluronic F127: Formulation Optimization,In Vitro and In Vivo Study

A brand-new nano-crystal (NC) version of the hydrophobic drug Paclitaxel (PT) were formulated for cancer treatment. A stable NC formulation for the administration of PT was created using the triblock co-polymer Pluronic F127. To achieve maximum entrapment effectiveness and minimal particle size, the formulation was improved using the central composite design by considering agitation speed and vacuum pressure at five levels (coded as +1.414, +1, 0, −1, and −1.414). According to the Design Expert software’s predictions, 13 runs were created and evaluated for the chosen responses. The formulation prepared with an agitation speed of 1260 RPM and a vacuum pressure of 77.53 mbar can meet the requirements of the ideal formulation in order to achieve 142.56 nm of PS and 75.18% EE, according to the level of desirability (D = 0.959). Folic acid was conjugated to Pluronic F127 to create folate receptor-targeted NC. The drug release profile of the nano-crystals in vitro demonstrated sustained release over an extended period. Folate receptor (FR)-targeted NC (O-PT-NC-Folate) has also been prepared by conjugating folic acid to Pluronic F127. MTT test is used to validate the targeting efficacy on the FR-positive human oral cancer cell line (KB). At pharmacologically relevant concentrations, the PT nano-crystal formulation did not cause hemolysis. Compared to non-targeted NC of PT, the O-PT-NC-Folate showed a comparable but more sustained anti-cancer effect, according to an in vivo anti-tumor investigation in NCI/ADR-RES cell lines. The remarkable anti-tumor effectiveness, minimal toxicity, and simplicity of scale-up manufacturing of the NC formulations indicate their potential for clinical development. Other hydrophobic medications that are formulated into nano-systems for improved therapy may benefit from the formulation approach.     

1,5-Benzothiazepine Derivatives: Green Synthesis,In Silico and In Vitro Evaluation as Anticancer Agents

Considering the importance of benzothiazepine pharmacophore, an attempt was carried out to synthesize novel 1,5-benzothiazepine derivatives using polyethylene glycol-400 (PEG-400)-mediated pathways. Initially, different chalcones were synthesized and then subjected to a cyclization step with benzothiazepine in the presence of bleaching clay and PEG-400. PEG-400-mediated synthesis resulted in a yield of more than 95% in less than an hour of reaction time. Synthesized compounds 2a–2j were investigated for their in vitro cytotoxic activity. Moreover, the same compounds were subjected to systematic in silico screening for the identification of target proteins such as human adenosine kinase, glycogen synthase kinase-3β, and human mitogen-activated protein kinase 1. The compounds showed promising results in cytotoxicity assays; among the tested compounds, 2c showed the most potent cytotoxic activity in the liver cancer cell line Hep G-2, with an IC₅₀ of 3.29 ± 0.15 µM, whereas the standard drug IC₅₀ was 4.68 ± 0.17 µM. In the prostate cancer cell line DU-145, the compounds displayed IC₅₀ ranges of 15.42 ± 0.16 to 41.34 ± 0.12 µM, while the standard drug had an IC₅₀ of 21.96 ± 0.15 µM. In terms of structural insights, the halogenated phenyl substitution on the second position of benzothiazepine was found to significantly improve the biological activity. This characteristic feature is supported by the binding patterns on the selected target proteins in docking simulations. In this study, 1,5-benzothiazepines have been identified as potential anticancer agents which can be further exploited for the development of more potent derivatives.     

Adsorption and co-adsorption of CH<Subscript>3</Subscript> and H on flat and defective nickel (111) surfaces

We use a periodic density functional theory (DFT) code to study the adsorption of CH₃ and H, as well as their co-adsorption on a Ni(111) surface with and without Ni ad-atom, at a surface coverage of 0.25 monolayer (ML). We systematically investigate the site preference for CH₃ and H. Then we combine CH₃ and H in many co-adsorbed configurations on both surfaces. Methyl and hydrogen adsorption on a flat Ni(111) surface favours the hollow site over the top site. The presence of a Ni ad-atom stabilizes the adsorption of CH₃ better than a flat surface, while hydrogen is more stable on a flat Ni(111) surface. When H and CH₃ are co-adsorbed at nearest Ni neighbours on the (111) surface, their interaction is always repulsive. However, the dissociative adsorption of CH₄ is stabilised when the fragments are infinitely separated. For the co-adsorbed fragments CH₃ and H, in the presence of an ad-atom, the repulsive interaction is lowered, so that the dissociative form of CH₄ is locally stable.     

Synthesis of Citric Acrylate Oligomer and Its In-Situ Reaction with Chrome Tanned Collagen (Hide Powder)

Summary: The purpose of this study was to formulate the new combined system of acrylic and citric acids, which was prepared by free radical polymerization and esterification reaction at the same time to form citric-acrylate CAC oligomer. The presumable chemical structure of this oligomer and the reaction mechanism were investigated by different spectroscopic tools (¹H,¹³C-NMR and ATR-IR), GPC and TGA/DTA. The effect as masking agent of the eco-friendly oligomer (CAC) in the chrome tanning of the collagen and the pickling of the hide was approached by the study of the hydrothermal and mechanical properties of in-situ treated/grafted chrome tanned collagen (hide powder) and pickled hide, respectively. The use of citric acrylate CAC oligomer instead of the traditional strong acids resulted in significant improvement in chrome exhaustion and physical properties of the leather.     

Thermodynamic origin of the chiral recognition of tryptophan on teicoplanin and teicoplanin aglycone stationary phases

The D-, L-tryptophan binding and the chiral recognition properties of the teicoplanin and teicoplanin aglycone (TAG) chiral stationary phase (CSPs) were compared at various column temperatures. The solute adsorption isotherms (bi-Langmuir model) were determined for both the two CSPs using the perturbation method. It was demonstrated that the sugar units were involved in the reduction of the apparent enantioselectivity through two phenomena: (i) the inhibition of some enantioselective contacts with low-affinity binding regions of the aglycone and (ii) a decrease in the stereoselective properties of the aglycone high-affinity binding pocket. The phenomenon (ii) was governed by both a decrease in the ratio of the enantiomer adsorption constant and a strong reduction of the site accessibility for D- and L-tryptophan. In addition, a temperature effect study was performed to investigate the chiral recognition mechanism at the aglycone high-affinity pocket. An enthalpy-entropy compensation analysis derived from the Grunwald model as well as the comparison with the literature data demonstrated that the enantioselective binding mode was dependent on an interface dehydration process. The change in the enantioselective process observed between the TAG and teicoplanin CSP was characterized by a difference of ca. 2-3 ordered water molecules released from the species interface.     

Effect of Relaxation and Retardation Time on Peristaltic Transport of the Oldroydian Viscoelastic Fluid

The influence of relaxation and retardation time on peristaltic transport of an incompressible Oldroydian viscoelastic fluid by means of an infinite train of sinusoidal waves traveling along the walls of a two-dimensional flexible channel is investigated. A perturbation solution is obtained for the case in which the amplitude ratio (wave amplitude to channel half-width) is small. The results show that the values of the mean axial velocity of an Oldroydian viscoelastic fluid is smaller than that for a Newtonian fluid. The reflux phenomena are discussed. It is found that the critical reflux pressure gradient decreases with increasing retardation time and increases with increasing relaxation time. Numerical results are reported for different values of the physical parameters of interest. __________ Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika i Tekhnicheskaya Fizika, Vol. 46, No. 6, pp. 86–95, November–December, 2005.