LCZ696 Protects against Diabetic Cardiomyopathy-Induced Myocardial Inflammation,ER Stress,and Apoptosis through Inhibiting AGEs/NF-κB and PERK/CHOP Signaling Pathways

The present study is designed to determine the effect of LCZ696 on DCM in rats and investigate the underlying mechanism involved. Diabetes was induced by feeding rats with a high-fat diet for six weeks following a single injection of STZ (30 mg/kg). Diabetic rats were divided into three groups (n = 10). LCZ696 and valsartan treatment was started two weeks after diabetic induction and continued for eight weeks. At the end of the treatment, serum and cardiac tissues were analyzed by RT-PCR, Western blot, and ELISA kits. LCZ696 and valsartan ameliorated DCM progression by inhibiting AGEs formation at activity levels; pro-apoptotic markers (BAX/Bcl2 ratio and caspase-3) in mRNA and protein expressions, the NF-κB at mRNA; and protein levels associated with the restoration of elevated proinflammatory cytokines such as the TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β at the activity level. Furthermore, LCZ696 and valsartan contribute to restoring the induction of ER stress parameters (GRP78, PERK, eIF2a, ATF4, and CHOP) at mRNA and protein levels. LCZ696 and valsartan attenuated DCM by inhibiting the myocardial inflammation, ER stress, and apoptosis through AGEs/NF-κB and PERK/CHOP signaling cascades. Collectively, the present results reveal that LCZ696 had a more protective solid effect against DCM than valsartan.     

Double Dianhydride Backbone Polyimide Aerogels with Enhanced Thermal Insulation for High‐Temperature Applications

Aerogels owe their high thermal insulation and other unique properties to their nanostructure configuration. However, controlling the aerogels' morphology is always a scientific challenge. In this study, double dianhydride backbone (double backbone) polyimide aerogels with tailored nanostructure assembly are created for the first time. This is achieved by controlled polymerization reaction of oligomers with distinct dianhydride monomers. Combining the two oligomers through a controlled polymerization reaction is a successful strategy for tailoring the aerogels nanostructure assembly as well as other properties. The fabricated double backbone aerogel presents 40% reduced thermal conductivity of 19.7 mW mK^?1 over previously studied polyimide aerogels along with the compression modulus of 1.64 MPa at a relatively low density of 0.068 g cm^?3. Such low thermal conductivity is comparable with the inorganic counterparts. Light in weight and high thermally insulated polyimide aerogels with suitable mechanical properties and high service temperature are an appropriate replacement for current fireproof insulation materials.     

Antioxidant capacity and total phenolics of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cyphostemma digitatum</Emphasis> before and after processing: use of different assays

In the framework of standardisation of new healthy food sources, this paper aimed to study the total phenolics and the antioxidant power of Cyphostemma digitatum (Vitaceae) in water and ethanol extracts, using 96-well micro plates with BMG FLUOstar Optima micro plate reader. Total phenolics by Folin–Ciocalteu method in the water extracts were significantly lower after processing, decreasing from 1.41 ± 0.06 g GAE/100 g in the raw leaves to 0.80 ± 0.08 g GAE/100 g in the processed sample; the ethanol extract revealed the same trend with higher values, decreasing from 1.95 ± 0.03 to 1.56 ± 0.12 g GAE/100 g. The antioxidant capacity was elucidated by four methods: TEAC, DPPH, FRAP and ORAC. No or very weak correlations were found between antioxidant assays and total phenolics; this confirms that the antioxidant capacity could be attributed to other molecules. The ORAC assay proved to be more powerful than the other assays; it showed 103.3 ± 2.5 mmol/100 g Trolox equivalents in the raw leaves ethanol extract and 91.9 ± 3.0 mmol/100 g in the processed sample. ORAC assay showed the opposite for the water extract where the antioxidant capacity increased from 16.7 ± 0.2 to 41.7 ± 2.7 mmol/100 g Trolox equivalents after processing, which could be attributed to new water-soluble compounds generated in the consumed form.     

Underground coal gasification: A new clean coal utilization technique for India

Energy demand of India is continuously increasing. Coal is the major fossil fuel in India and continues to play a pivotal role in the energy sector. India has relatively large reserves of coal (253 billion tonnes) compared to crude oil (728 million tonnes) and natural gas (686 billion cubic meters). Coal meets about 60% of the commercial energy needs and about 70% of the electricity produced in India comes from coal, and therefore there is a need for technologies for utilization of coals efficiently and cleanly. UCG offers many advantages over the conventional mining and gasification process. UCG is a well proven technology. Due to the site-specific nature of the process, possibility of land subsidence and surrounding aquifer water contamination, this technology is still in a developing stage in India. Potential for UCG in India is studied by comparing the properties of Indian coals with the properties of coal that are utilized by various UCG trials. The essential issues are elaborated for starting UCG in India based on the reported information from the successful field trials conducted all over the world. Indian industries are in the process of initiating pilot studies of UCG at various sites. This study will help to motivate both applied and theoretical research work on UCG sites in India and after detailed analysis it will provide basic data to interested industries.     

Concentrator silicon solar cells from silicon industry rejects

Two types of silicon (Si) substrates (40 n-type with uniform base doping and 40 n/n⁺ epitaxial wafers) from the silicon industry rejects were chosen as the starting material for low-cost concentrator solar cells. They were divided into four groups, each consisting of 20 substrates: 10 are n/n⁺ and 10 are n substrates, and the solar cells were prepared for different diffusion times (45, 60, 75 and 90 min). The fabricated solar cells on n/n⁺ substrates (prepared with a diffusion time of 75 min) showed better parameters. In order to improve their performances, particularly the fill factor, 20 new solar cells on n/n⁺ substrates were fabricated using the same procedure (the diffusion time was 75 min)—but with four new front contact patterns. Investigation of current–voltage (I–V) characteristics under AM 1.5 showed that the parameters of these 20 new solar cells have improved in comparison to previous solar cells' parameters, and were as follows: open-circuit voltage (V_OC=0.57 V); short circuit current (I_SC=910 mA), and efficiency (η=9.1%). Their fill factor has increased about 33%. The I–V characteristics of these solar cells were also investigated under different concentration ratios (X), and they exhibited the following parameters (under X=100 suns): V_OC=0.62 V and I_SC=36 A.     

Natural Convection of Nanofluid in Cylindrical Enclosure Filled with Porous Media

A numerical study has been carried out to investigate the effect of aspect ratio on heat transfer by natural convection of nanofluid taking Cu nano particles and the water as based fluid. The flow is laminar, steady state, axisymmetric two-dimensional in a vertical cylindrical channel filled with porous media. Heat is generated uniformly along the center of the channel with its vertical surface remain with cooled constant wall temperature and insulated horizontal top and bottom surfaces. The governing equations which used are continuity, momentum and energy equations using Darcy law and Boussinesq＇s approximation which are transformed to dimensionless equations. The finite difference approach is used to obtain all the computational results using the MATLAB-7 program. The parameters affected on the system are Rayleigh number ranging within （10≤ Ra ≤ 103）, aspect ratio （1 ≤ As 〈 5） and the volume fraction （0 ≤0 〈 0.2）. The results obtained are presented graphically in the form of streamline and isotherm contour plots and the results show that as ~ increase from 0.01 to 0.2 the value of the mean Nusselt number increase 50.4% for Ra = 1,000.     

Effects of Rheological Behavior of Viscoelastic Surfactants on Formation Damage in Carbonate Rocks

Viscoelastic surfactants (VES) are used in various oilfield applications such as matrix stimulation and enhanced oil recovery. The loss of surfactants during the propagation of VES could result in a significant reduction in the permeability of the rock (formation damage). The objective of the current work was to identify the effect of rheological behavior of the VES on the formation damage using core‐flooding experiments, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis. A combination of core‐flooding, NMR, and SEM techniques was used to quantify and identify the location of formation damage in carbonate core samples. The viscosity and storage modulus strongly depend on the nature and concentration of salts. The viscosity increased by increasing the salt concentration up to a specific point (15 wt% CaCl₂) and then starts decreasing. The VES formulations that displayed the maximum and minimum viscosities were used to identify the impact of rheological behavior on formation damage. Core‐flooding experiments were performed to assess the formation damage due to high‐viscosity and low‐viscosity VES formulations. The reduction in the permeability of carbonate rocks reaches more than 90% of the initial permeability. It was found that low‐viscosity VES caused more damage compared with high‐viscosity VES when they were used at constant concentrations. NMR and core‐flooding results revealed that the damage took place both in pore body and pore throat. However, most of the surfactant was retained at the pore throat.     

Model for microbiologically influenced corrosion potential assessment for the oil and gas industry

Corrosion is one of the major causes of failure in onshore and offshore oil and gas operations. Microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) is inherently more complex to predict, detect and measure because, for instance, the presence of biofilm and/or bacterial products is not sufficient to indicate active microbiological corrosion. The major challenge for current MIC models is to correlate factors that influence corrosion (i.e. chemical, physical, biological and molecular variables) with the potential of having MIC. Previous work has proposed the potential for MIC as a simple product of multiple factors, without fully considering the synergy or the interference among the factors. The present work proposes a network-based approach to analyse and predict MIC potential considering the complex interactions among a total of 60 influencing factors and 20 screening parameters. The proposed model has the ability to capture the complex interdependences and the synergic interactions of the factors used to assess MIC potential and uses an object-oriented approach based on a Bayesian Network. The model has been tested and verified using real data from a pipeline leakage incident that was a result of MIC. The proposed model constitutes a significant step in deepening the understanding of when MIC occurs and its predictability.

List of acronyms: APB: acid producing bacteria; Aw: water activity; BN: Bayesian network; MIC: microbiologically influenced corrosion; MMMs: molecular microbiological methods; NRB: nitrate-reducing bacteria; OOBN: object-oriented Bayesian network; PWRI: produced water re-injection; SPs: screening parameters; SRB: sulphate-reducing bacteria; SRPs: sulphate-reducing prokaryotes; TDSs: total dissolved solids     

Direct Synthesis of Pyrazoles via reaction of C-ethoxycarbonyl-N-arylnitrilimines with benzalmalononitriles and some α-cyanocinnamic acid derivatives

Reaction of C-ethoxycarbonyl-N-arylnitrilimines ( 2a–d ) with α, β-disubstituted acrylonitriles ( 3a–f ) in refluxing benzene affords the corresponding substituted pyrazoles 5a–f and 6a–c respectively in good yield. However, reaction of 2a–e with 3g gives the 2-pyrazoline derivatives 7a–d . The assigned structures for the products 5–7 were confirmed by their spectra (i.r., ¹H-n.m.r.) and elemental analyses. Also the structures of the pyrazoles 5 were substantiated by comparison with their regioisomeres 8 .     

Zur Reaktion von N-Aryl-2,4-dimethyl-buta-1,3-dien-1,4-sultamen mit Tetracyanethylen; 1H-, 13C- und 15N-spektroskopische Charakterisierung der Tetracyan-ethylierungs- und Tricyan-vinylierungsprodukte

About the Reaction of N-Aryl-2,4-dimethyl-buta-1,3-dien-1,4-sultames with Tetracyanoethylene; ¹H, ¹³C and ¹⁵N N.M.R. Spectroscopic Charcterization of the Products of Tetracyanethylation and Tricyanvinylation The 4-methyl group in N-aryl-2, 4-dimethyl-buta-1,3-dien-1, 4 sultames is C H-acidic and adds therefore to tetracyanethylene. The adducts easily lose HCN on dissolving in DMSO to form N-aryl-2-methyl-4-(2, 3, 3-tricyanoprop-2-ene-1-ylidene)-but-2-en-1, 4-sultames 4 , which form sodium salts at C-1. The structures of the compounds obtained were determined by ¹³C and ¹⁵N n.m.r. spectroscopy.