Chitosan/poly(dimethylaminoethylmethacrylate-co-hydroxyethylacrylate) based semi-IPN hydrogels and silver nanocomposites: Synthesis,evaluation of amoxicillin release studies,and antibacterial studies

To fabricate new smart materials that can deliver both the pharmaceutically active molecules and metal nanoparticles, we have formulated chitosan-based semi-IPN hydrogels and their silver nanocomposites (Ag NCs) along with amoxicillin (AMX). Semi-IPN hydrogels and their Ag NCs were synthesized from chitosan, dimethylamino ethyl methacrylate and 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate via simple-free radical polymerization method and reducing with NaBH₄. The resultant formulations were evaluated for in vitro release of AMX, anti-bacterial studies and DNA cleavage studies. The hydrogels with AMX-derived silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) show better ability to cleave DNA and anti-microbial activity than individual AMX and Ag NPs.     

Ethanol dehydration activity on hydrothermally stable LaPxOy catalysts synthesized using CTAB template

Nanocrystalline LaP_xO_y with various starting P to La ratios from 0.5 to 2.0 catalysts were prepared by a sol?Cgel method using cetyl trimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as template. The catalysts were thoroughly characterized by N₂ physisorption, powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), temperature programmed desorption (TPD) of NH₃, solid state ³¹P and ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. XRD results indicate the presence of predominantly monazite LaPO₄ with minor amounts of (??3.0 wt%) rhabdophane LaPO₄ phase in the samples with starting P/La ratios of 1.0 and 1.5. NH₃-TPD results show an increasing trend in the total acidity with increase in P/La ratio. These catalysts were tested in the selective ethanol dehydration in the temperature range between 250 and 400?°C. The catalyst activity (??mol/h/m²) is increased with P/La ratio and the catalyst with highest P/La ratio of 2.0 exhibiting the highest ethanol dehydration activity. The ethanol conversion increased with reaction temperature, reaching 100% at 350?°C and remains unchanged at higher temperatures. On the other hand, the ethylene selectivity is also increased up to 350?°C and then decreased with further increase of reaction temperature. At a P/La ratio of 2, the CTAB templated LaP_xO_y catalyst showed higher catalytic activities compared to the LaP_xO_y by hydrothermal method without any template.     

Tailor-made fumed silica-based nano-composite polymer electrolytes consisting of BmImTFSI ionic liquid

In this work, nano-sized fumed silica (SiO₂) was embedded in poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)?Cpoly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) blend with 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl imide) (BmImTFSI) as ionic liquid. These composite polymer electrolytes (CPEs) were prepared by solution casting technique. The samples followed Arrhenius behavior in the temperature-dependence of ionic conductivity and further proved the ionic hopping mechanism in the polymer electrolyte. It is suggested the formation of three-dimensional polymer network among the aggregates weakens the interaction of polar group of the polymer backbone and initiates the ionic decoupling process. The mobile ions from adjacent sites would occupy this vacant site and reform the interactive bond with the polymer backbone whereby the ionic hopping mechanism is generated. The activation energy (E _a) is further determined. The higher the ionic conductivity, the lower the activation energy. The maximum ionic conductivity of (8.26?±?0.02) mScm^?1 was achieved at 80?°C upon inclusion of 8 wt% of SiO₂. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed the higher amorphous region with increasing SiO₂ mass loadings. The coherence length is further determined by using Debye?CScherrer equation. Higher amorphous region in the polymer matrix is conferred by showing the lower coherent length. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was applied to examine the morphology of polymer electrolytes. Based on the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) study, glass transition temperature (T _g) and melting temperature (T _m) were decreased. Highly flexible polymer chain is produced when the T _g was lowered down. On the other hand, thermal stability of polymer electrolytes was increased by SiO₂ dispersion, as depicted in thermogravimetric analysis (TGA).     

A new proposed model for dielectric behavior of PVC/rice husk composites

Ecofriendly materials are becoming a need of the day. We have severe setback when there is lot of use of agro wastes in plastics. To reduce pure plastic use in agriculture, this study has been made to find some remedial measure. In the process, we sought the effect of addition of rice husk (RH) in polyvinylchloride (PVC) on the dielectric properties at different frequency and temperature has been studied. Measurements have been performed in the frequency range from 1 to 10 kHz and temperature range of 32–80°C. The experimental results show that dielectric constant (ε′) increases with the addition of RH in PVC. Dielectric constant (ε′) decreases with increasing frequency, which indicates that the major contribution to the polarization comes from orientation polarization. Dielectric constant (ε′) increases with increasing temperature due to greater freedom of movement of dipoles within PVC at higher temperatures. A theoretical model for dielectric constant with temperature and frequency dependent is proposed. Experimental results are in good agreement with the proposed theoretical model. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012     

Designing polyethylene terephthalate‐based barrier resins

We have studied the efficiencies of commercially available barrier resins used for food packaging and beverage bottle applications and compared them with resins made using copolymer and blending approaches. The effects of various copolymer related parameters that influence oxygen barrier performance and the underlying mechanisms for these effects in PET‐based copolymers and blends were investigated. Using these approaches, it is possible to make highly effective PET‐based copolymers for gas barrier applications. Blending of PET with phenolic and other organic materials shows equivalent barrier performance in PET copolymers having comonomer levels of <8‐mole %. Reduction in oxygen permeation rates results from the reduction or elimination of short range molecular motion of polyethylene terephthalate molecules. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012     

Improved transfection efficiency of chitosan‐DNA complexes employing reverse transfection

The present study was designed to systematically compare the conventional and reverse transfection methodologies for chitosan/DNA complexes using a low molecular weight (MW) chitosan. The hydrodynamic diameter of the complexes, measured by Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) was found to be ～ 216 nm and TEM investigations showed spherical and compact complexes with an average size of 200 nm. The transfection efficiency of chitosan using the two methodologies was assessed by employing reporter gene coding for green fluorescent protein (GFP) and luciferase. More than 50% of HEK 293 cells were transfected when transfection done using reverse transfection strategy at pH 6.5 with 10% serum for 24 h followed by media replenishment with pH 7.4 with 10% serum for an additional 24 h period. Also, the cytotoxicity of chitosan/DNA complexes was also considerably lower than the commercially available transfection reagent lipofectamine. Our investigation concludes that maximal transgene expression levels could be achieved using reverse transfection where the chitosan/DNA complexes are pre‐incubated on the plate surface followed by plating of cells at pH 6.5 with 10% serum for 24h and media resupplemented with pH 7.4 with 10% serum for an additional 24 h period. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012     

Oxidative Stability of Conjugated Linoleic Acid Rich Soy Oil

This study was conducted to determine the oxidative stability of conjugated linoleic acid rich soy oil (CLARSO) and the effects of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) levels on volatile oxidation products formed during CLARSO oxidation. CLARSO oxidative stability was determined by gravimetric analysis, peroxide value, headspace oxygen analysis and p-anisidine value. Volatile oxidation compounds were analyzed by solid phase microextraction–gas chromatography with a flame ionization detector and a mass spectrometer. CLA oxidation results were highly dependent on analytical methods used and oxidation parameters measured. The gravimetric study showed a CLA concentration effect on oxidation, which was not seen in the headspace oxygen depletion and peroxide value. Volatile oxidation data indicate that CLARSO had significantly higher (p < 0.05) levels of pentanal and trans-2-heptenal than the other oils, but there was no significant difference between the amounts of any volatiles present in 8 and 15% CLARSO. This suggests that oxidation was greater in CLARSO and that CLA concentration did not affect oxidation.     

Blends of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and polydimethyl siloxane rubber (PDMS), part-I: assessment of compatibility from torque rheometry and mechanical properties

Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and polydimethyl siloxane rubber (PDMS) are two major polymers used extensively for biomedical applications. Blending of these polymers combines the superior mechanical properties, abrasion resistance, solvent resistance and aging resistance of TPU with chemical stability, inertness, flexibility and biocompatibility of PDMS. In the present investigation, an 80:20 blend of TPU and PDMS was selected for the preparation of an in situ compatibilized blend using ethylene methyl acrylate copolymer (EMA) as the compatibilizer. Effect of EMA on blends of ester type and ether type TPU with PDMS was studied. From the results obtained from torque rheometry, mechanical property evaluation, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), it was concluded that 5 wt% of compatibilizer effectively compatibilized an 80:20 blend of ester type TPU and PDMS, whereas similar blend of ether type TPU required only 2 wt% compatibilizer.     

Role of Post-translational Modifications in Alzheimer's Disease

The global burden of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is growing. Valiant efforts to develop clinical candidates for treatment have continuously met with failure. Currently available palliative treatments are temporary and there is a constant need to search for reliable disease pathways, biomarkers and drug targets for developing diagnostic and therapeutic tools to address the unmet medical needs of AD. Challenges in drug-discovery efforts raise further questions about the strategies of current conventional diagnosis; drug design; and understanding of disease pathways, biomarkers and targets. In this context, post-translational modifications (PTMs) regulate protein trafficking, function and degradation, and their in-depth study plays a significant role in the identification of novel biomarkers and drug targets. Aberrant PTMs of disease-relevant proteins could trigger pathological pathways, leading to disease progression. Advancements in proteomics enable the generation of patterns or signatures of such modifications, and thus, provide a versatile platform to develop biomarkers based on PTMs. In addition, understanding and targeting the aberrant PTMs of various proteins provide viable avenues for addressing AD drug-discovery challenges. This review highlights numerous PTMs of proteins relevant to AD and provides an overview of their adverse effects on the protein structure, function and aggregation propensity that contribute to the disease pathology. A critical discussion offers suggestions of methods to develop PTM signatures and interfere with aberrant PTMs to develop viable diagnostic and therapeutic interventions in AD.     

Pd-Decorated Tungsten as Pt-Free Bimetallic Catalysts for Hydrogen Oxidation Reaction in Alkaline Electrolyte

Developing Pt-free catalysts for hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) in alkaline solution is becoming a key challenge in the development of anion exchange membrane fuel cells and electrochemical reactors. Herein, we present the preparation, HOR activity, and stability of Pd-decorated tungsten (Pd-d-W) catalysts. The Pd-d-W catalysts were prepared by the chemically activated surface of tungsten nanoparticles by Pd ions. The resultant bimetallic catalysts consisted of crystalline phases of both Pd and W nanoparticles. The CO stripping voltammograms and H-desorption (H_des) peak potential of hydrogen desorption in Pd suggests that the enhancement of HOR catalytic activity observed in Pd-d-W catalyst can be ascribed to the modification of electronic property of Pd and availability of OH_ad near-surface Pd atoms.