Degradation of methotrexate by UV/peroxymonosulfate: Kinetics,effect of operational parameters and mechanism

Methotrexate (MTX) is one of the most consumed anti-cancer drugs in the pharmaceutical market around the world. The widespread occurrence of MTX in aquatic environment through hospital effluent has attracted increasing concern due to its potential to induce water pollution. In the present study, the degradation of MTX in aqueous medium was investigated by UV-activated peroxymonosulfate (PMS). A significant improvement in degradation rate by increasing UV intensity and PMS concentration while the decrease in degradation efficiency with the increase of solution pH and initial concentration of MTX was observed. The proposed UV/PMS process could achieve more than 90% MTX degradation in 30 min with a good mineralization degree (65%). A pseudofirst order kinetic model was employed and successfully predicted the degradation of MTX. The effect of other operational parameters such as the initial concentration of the targeted compound, dosage of oxidant (PMS), solution pH and UV intensity on the degradation rate were investigated. At the last, the main transform intermediates were identified using LC-MS and possible degradation pathways were proposed. The results show that UV/ PMS can be used as an efficient technology to treat pharmaceuticals such as methotrexate containing water and wastewater.     

Fatty Acids in Heterocyclic Synthesis Part XII: Synthesis of Surfactants from Pyrazole, Isoxazole, Pyrimidine and Triazine, Incorporating the 1,3,4-Thiadiazole Moiety Having Dyeing and Antimicrobial Activities

The titled compounds were prepared from 2-amino-5-heptadecyl[1,3,4]thiadiazole (1). Diazotization of (1) produced (2) which was coupled with active methylene compounds and gave azo ⇌ hydrazono derivatives (3A, 3B) _a–d . It was found that there is regio-specificity for addition of different nucleophiles to these tautomers; thus, nitrogen nucleophiles such as hydrazine hydrate, hydroxylamine hydrochloride and thiourea were reacted via Azo tautomer (3A) to yield pyrazole, isoxazole and pyrimidine respectively (5-7), while carbon nucleophiles as phenylisocyanate was reacted via the hydrazono tautomer (3B) and produced triazine derivatives (4). Additionally, the diazonium chloride (2) was coupled with alkaline 2-naphthol and produced 2-(5-heptadecyl-[1,3,4]thiadiazol-2-yl)-1,2-dihydro-3-oxa-1,2-diaza-cyclopenta[a]naphthalene (8). UV–visible spectra of the synthesized colored compounds (2-8) showed λ _max at 374–398 nm, while screening these compounds in vitro against micro-organisms (including structure-activity relationship SAR study) revealed high antibacterial and moderate antifungal activities. Propoxylation of compounds 1, 3, 5, 6, 7 and 8 with 3, 5, 7 mol of propylene oxide produced nonionic surfactants I(a–c)–IX(a–c) having surface active properties so, it is clear that the tested surfactants can be used in the manufacture of dyes, drugs, cosmetics, emulsifiers, pesticides, luminphores for optical applications and many other industries with low toxicity to human beings and the environment owing to their high solubility and good biodegradability.     

A cubic ordered, mesoporous carbide-derived carbon for gas and energy storage applications

A hierarchical and highly porous carbide-derived carbon (CDC) was obtained by nanocasting of pre-ceramic precursors into cubic ordered silica (KIT-6) and subsequent chlorination. Resulting CDC replica materials show high methane and n-butane uptake and excellent performance as electrode materials in supercapacitors.     

Individual variation in the milk yield response to bovine somatotropin in dairy cows

The objective was to relate the short-term milk yield response (MYR) following use of exogenous bovine somatotropin (bST) to changes in plasma concentrations of metabolites and hormones. Twenty-four Holstein cows (52 +/- 4.1 d postpartum) received daily subcutaneous injections of saline for 1 wk followed by subcutaneous injections of 33 mg/d of bST for 2 wk (Trial 1). The difference in milk yield between wk 1 and 3 for each cow was used to determine the 5 cows with the highest (HR) and 5 with the lowest responses (LR) to bST. These 10 cows were then used in 3 further trials of the same design (Trials 2, 3, and 4, conducted at 122, 181, and 237 +/- 7.6 d postpartum, respectively). Blood samples were taken 2 h after the administration of bST on d 1, 3, 5, 15, 17, and 19 of each trial. The HR group had consistently greater MYR to bST than the LR group throughout their lactation. The LR group had a higher milk yield and lower plasma insulin like growth factor-I (IGF-I) concentrations during the saline treatment in all trials. The increase in plasma somatotropin concentrations following injections of bST was greater for the LR group, whereas the difference in plasma IGF-I level between wk 1 and 3 was greater for the HR group. The HR group had lower levels of 3-hydroxy-butyrate and nonesterified fatty acids before bST treatment. Low short-term response to bST was associated with plasma concentrations of hormones and metabolites that indicate negative energy balance, although other factors may be involved.     

Accelerating protein release from microparticles for regenerative medicine applications

There is a need to control the spatio-temporal release kinetics of growth factors in order to mitigate current usage of high doses. A novel delivery system, capable of providing both structural support and controlled release kinetics, has been developed from PLGA microparticles. The inclusion of a hydrophilic PLGA–PEG–PLGA triblock copolymer altered release kinetics such that they were decoupled from polymer degradation. A quasi zero order release profile over four weeks was produced using 10% w/w PLGA–PEG–PLGA with 50:50 PLGA whereas complete and sustained release was achieved over ten days using 30% w/w PLGA–PEG–PLGA with 85:15 PLGA and over four days using 30% w/w PLGA–PEG–PLGA with 50:50 PLGA. These three formulations are promising candidates for delivery of growth factors such as BMP-2, PDGF and VEGF. Release profiles were also modified by mixing microparticles of two different formulations providing another route, not previously reported, for controlling release kinetics. This system provides customisable, localised and controlled delivery with adjustable release profiles, which will improve the efficacy and safety of recombinant growth factor delivery.     

Influence of physicochemical binder properties on agglomeration of wheat powder in couscous grain

Wet agglomeration mechanisms developing in low shear mixers have been described considering a fractal morphogenesis process that links the median size of the agglomerates with their solid volume fraction via a fractal dimension. It appears fundamental to integrate the polydispersity of the generated structures (nuclei, agglomerates, dough pieces) in the analysis of the agglomeration process in order to approach the industrial problems. The objective of this study is to correlate the influence of the physicochemical characteristics of several liquid binders, on the fractal agglomeration mechanisms. To do so, we considered the values of the fractal model parameters. The obtained results confirmed that semolina wet agglomeration follows a fractal morphogenesis for the different applied liquid binders. Our results also showed a marked influence of the studied physicochemical properties of the liquid binder on the value of the fractal model parameters. During wet agglomeration in low shear mixers, the mechanisms implied during agglomeration (wetting, nucleation and growth) do not occur consecutively, but they coexist throughout at each water contents.     

Hydrocarbon stress response of four tropical plants in weathered crude oil contaminated soil in microcosms

Responses to hydrocarbon stress of four tropical plants Panicum maximum, Zea mays, Centrosema sp. and Pueraria sp. grown in crude oil contaminated soils (1%, 5% and 10% w/w) were evaluated in a green house. Plants’ percentage survival, shoot heights, biomass development, and phytotoxicity susceptibility were used as indicators of growth, stress response and hydrocarbon tolerance. Relative to control, shoot heights and biomass of plants reduced with increasing hydrocarbon concentration, but 1% w/w oil-in-soil, stimulated shoot heights (5.9% and 6.4%) and weights (21.9% and 2.3%) in P. maximum and Centrosema sp. respectively. P. maximum tolerated the contaminant stress with biomass yields of 113% and 57% of control respectively in 1% and 10% w/w oil-in-soil. All the plants had 100% survival in 1% w/w, but considerably reduced survival in 10% w/w oil-in-soil. These results show that P. maximum has great potential for phytoremediation of petroleum contaminated soil.     

Television as a Design Tool

Television is not only the most powerful medium of communication that our age has produced; it is also the most flexible. Yet its common role in education is that of a mere substitute, called in to mitigate the effects of the shortage of teachers or (to look at the matter historically) the excess of students. That it can be more than that is shown by two University of Nebraska faculty members, describing an experiment in the creative use of television as a tool in the development of that awareness of the characteristics of space which is among the architect's indispensable qualifications.     

Enhanced separation and extraction of cadmium and lead by a novel magnetite-immobilized-gelatin nano-sorbent

A novel magnetic nano-sorbent was synthesized by Schiff’s base formation via covalent bonding of gelatin to the surface of nano-magnetite-immobilized-3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (Nano-Fe₃O₄-Si-N=Gelatin). The structure was confirmed by the FT-IR, TGA, and SEM. The maximum capacity of Cd(II) and Pb(II) were identified as 440 and 400 µmol g^?1, respectively. The separation characteristics were evaluated in presence of various controlling factors. The sorption processes of Cd(II) and Pb(II) were found to follow the postulates of Langmuir, Brunauer-Emmer-Teller, and Dubinin Radushkevich isotherm models. The potential applications of Nano-Fe₃O₄-Si-N=Gelatin in water treatment of Cd(II) and Pb(II) were successfully accomplished using a micro-column technique.