Cytopathological and ultrastructural changes in the male reproductive organs of freshwater crab Paratelphusa jacquemontii (Rathbun) exposed to nurocombi

Accumulation of pollutants in the aquatic system has a high impact on the reproductive physiology of crustaceans. The objective of the present study was to assess the possible histopathological effects of combined chlorpyrifos and cypermethrin (nurocombi) exposure on reproductive tissue in male freshwater crab Paratelphusa jacquemontii using light and electron microscopy. The testis of experimental crabs showed disorganization of testicular lobules, increased inters cellular space, necrosis, and cellular damage in both germinal cells and Sertoli cells. The treated vas deferens exhibited epithelial degeneration, misshaped spermatophores, decline in the number of spermatophores, and dehiscence of spermatophore wall. These clinical manifestations expressed in crabs following the exposure of nurocombi significantly reduce the testicular activity and substantially inhibits the seminal secretions, which ultimately lead to impairment of reproduction.     

Selenium dioxide reaction of substituted diphenacyl sulfides: generation of α -ketoacids

The attempted selenium dioxide oxidation of substituted diphenacyl sulfides in anticipation of further functionalization led to a series of α -ketoacids 3 via oxidation followed by C?S bond cleavage. Two minor products, 5 and 6, have also been isolated and a mechanistic pathway for the formation of 3, 5 and 6 has been proposed.     

Corrosion inhibition of mild steel in 1 M HCl using Tamarindus indica extract: electrochemical,surface and spectroscopic studies

Abstract

We report, here, the corrosion inhibition of mild steel specimen in 1?M HCl by tamarind fruit pulp aqueous (TFPA) extract. The inhibition property in the presence of TFPA extract is studied using weight loss, polarization measurement and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The inhibitor efficiency is found to vary from 74% to 88% (weight loss method) with TFPA concentration of 100–600?ppm. The reduction in Tafel slopes shows that TFPA acts as a mixed-type inhibitor. The adsorption of the inhibitor on the metal surface follows Langmuir isotherm. The standard Gibbs free energy of adsorption value of –40?kJ/mol suggests the chemisorption of inhibitor molecules via coordinate bond. AFM results exhibit a decrease in the surface roughness of mild steel, exposed to 1?M HCl from 299?±?12 to 154?±?6.6?nm, with increasing concentration of inhibitor from 0 to 600?ppm due to the uniform coverage of inhibitor molecules on the metal surface. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy de-convoluted high resolution profiles of C 1?s (carbon) for mild steel exposed to 1?M HCl with 600?ppm inhibitor show major peaks corresponding to sp³ C–C/C–H (284.9?eV) and oxygen bondings in C–OH, C=O, COOH with a binding energy of 285.9, 286.9, 288.5?eV, respectively, thereby confirming the adsorption of organic moieties on mild steel surface. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy further confirms the adsorption of inhibitor molecules on the metal surface. Therefore, tamarind fruit pulp extract is a potential corrosion inhibitor for mild steel, which is cost-effective, green and non-toxic.     

A Flower-like In2O3 Catalyst Derived via Metal–Organic Frameworks for Photocatalytic Applications

The most pressing concerns in environmental remediation are the design and development of catalysts with benign, low-cost, and efficient photocatalytic activity. The present study effectively generated a flower-like indium oxide (In₂O₃-MF) catalyst employing a convenient MOF-based solvothermal self-assembly technique. The In₂O₃-MF photocatalyst exhibits a flower-like structure, according to morphology and structural analysis. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of the In₂O₃-MF catalyst for 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) and methylene blue (MB) is likely due to its unique 3D structure, which includes a large surface area (486.95 m² g⁻¹), a wide spectrum response, and the prevention of electron–hole recombination compared to In₂O₃-MR (indium oxide-micro rod) and In₂O₃-MD (indium oxide-micro disc). In the presence of NaBH₄ and visible light, the catalytic performances of the In₂O₃-MF, In₂O₃-MR, and In₂O₃-MD catalysts for the reduction of 4-NP and MB degradation were investigated. Using In₂O₃-MF as a catalyst, we were able to achieve a 99.32 percent reduction of 4-NP in 20 min and 99.2 percent degradation of MB in 3 min. Interestingly, the conversion rates of catalytic 4-NP and MB were still larger than 95 and 96 percent after five consecutive cycles of catalytic tests, suggesting that the In₂O₃-MF catalyst has outstanding catalytic performance and a high reutilization rate.     

Application of Proteomics in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Biomarker Investigations: A Review

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), a highly aggressive malignancy with a poor prognosis is usually detected at the advanced stage of the disease. The only US Food and Drug Administration-approved biomarker that is available for PDAC, CA 19-9, is most useful in monitoring treatment response among PDAC patients rather than for early detection. Moreover, when CA 19-9 is solely used for diagnostic purposes, it has only a recorded sensitivity of 79% and specificity of 82% in symptomatic individuals. Therefore, there is an urgent need to identify reliable biomarkers for diagnosis (specifically for the early diagnosis), ascertain prognosis as well as to monitor treatment response and tumour recurrence of PDAC. In recent years, proteomic technologies are growing exponentially at an accelerated rate for a wide range of applications in cancer research. In this review, we discussed the current status of biomarker research for PDAC using various proteomic technologies. This review will explore the potential perspective for understanding and identifying the unique alterations in protein expressions that could prove beneficial in discovering new robust biomarkers to detect PDAC at an early stage, ascertain prognosis of patients with the disease in addition to monitoring treatment response and tumour recurrence of patients.     

Lattice Boltzmann Simulation of Two- and Three-Dimensional Incompressible Thermal Flows

This work is concerned with the application of the thermal lattice Boltzmann method (TLBM) to compute incompressible two- and three-dimensional flows in cavities. Two convection test cases, namely, the laminar flow in a differentially heated square cavity and a cubic cavity, are numerically analyzed through TLBM. The internal energy density distribution function approach with two three-dimensional particle velocity models, namely, the 15-velocity and the 19-velocity, and a two-dimensional model, namely, the nine-velocity, have been used in the present work. Computations are carried out for laminar flows in a differentially heated square cavity and a cubical cavity (Rayleigh numbers = 10³ to 10⁵). The boundary conditions used are stable and of good accuracy. To lend credibility to the thermal lattice Boltzmann model square cavity results, they are further compared with those obtained from a finite-difference-based code developed for this purpose.     

Fabrication, characterization and invitro bioactivity evaluation of QPSU/TiO2 composite membranes

Quaternized Polysulfone (QPSU) is a widely investigated material in the industry because of its unique properties such as resistance to corrosion and high mechanical properties. The ionic nature of the compound can be exploited for medical applications such as in haemodialysis, drug delivery and tissue engineering. In this study, composite membranes of QPSU with varying concentrations of Titanium oxide (TiO₂) were prepared and characterized using FT-IR, ¹H-NMR, XRD, TGA and SEM. The bioactivity of the membranes was studied by immersing them in simulated body fluid (SBF) for 7 days and subsequently observing under SEM for the formation of calcium-phosphate (Ca–PO₄) layer on the surface of the membranes. The formation of Ca–PO₄ on the samples was confirmed using FT-IR and EDAX. The results were compared with those obtained for QPSU membranes and the effect of TiO₂ concentration on the membrane properties was analyzed. It was observed that the percentage crystallinity of the composites increased upto a filler concentration of 5 wt% beyond which it decreased. TGA studies revealed an increase in the thermal stability of the composites with increasing filler concentrations. While optimum bioactivity was observed in the samples containing 5 wt% of TiO₂, higher filler content resulted in the formation of denser calcium—phosphate layer on the surface of the composites. The study shows that quaternized polysulphone/TiO₂ composites are promising bio composites having great potential for application in health care.     

Provitamin‐A and xanthophyll carotenoids in vegetables and food grains of nutritional and medicinal importance

This study reports carotenoid composition of vegetables (n = 56), cereals (n = 12), pulses and legumes (n = 12), analysed by HPLC. It was hypothesised that food grains, like vegetables may be good sources of carotenoids. Amongst vegetables, higher level (mg/100 g dry weight) of lutein (210–419) was detected in green/red/capsicum and yellow zucchini, whilst zeaxanthin was dominant in kenaf (4.59). β‐Carotene (mg/100 g dry weight) was higher in green capsicum and kenaf (48,159) whilst carrot, ivy gourd and green capsicum contain α‐carotene (22–110). Amongst food grains, chickpea, split red gram and flaxseed contain higher levels (μg/100 g dry weight) of lutein (185–200) whilst zeaxanthin level was highest in puffed chickpea (1.8). Red unpolished parboiled rice was richest (μg/100 g dry weight) in β‐carotene (67.6) whilst whole black gram contained higher levels of α‐carotene (52.7). Thus, results indicate that chickpea and red unpolished parboiled rice are good sources of carotenoids. These carotenoid‐rich vegetables and grains may be exploited to meet the lutein and β‐carotene requirement.     

Suppression of phonon‐mediated hot carrier relaxation in type‐II InAs/AlAsxSb1 − x quantum wells: a practical route to hot carrier solar cells

InAs/AlAs_xSb_{1 − x} quantum wells are investigated for their potential as hot carrier solar cells. Continuous wave power and temperature‐dependent photoluminescence indicate a transition in the dominant hot carrier relaxation process from conventional phonon‐mediated carrier relaxation below 90 K to a regime where inhibited radiative recombination dominates the hot carrier relaxation at elevated temperatures. At temperatures below 90 K, photoluminescence measurements are consistent with type‐I quantum wells that exhibit hole localization associated with alloy/interface fluctuations. At elevated temperatures, hole delocalization reveals the true type‐II band alignment, where it is observed that inhibited radiative recombination due to the spatial separation of the charge carriers dominates hot carrier relaxation. This decoupling of phonon‐mediated relaxation results in robust hot carriers at higher temperatures, even at lower excitation powers. These results indicate type‐II quantum wells offer potential as practical hot carrier systems. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.