Syntheses of allyl phenyl acrylates and their evaluation as reactive diluents in UV-curable coating compositions

para-Substituted 2-allyl phenyl acrylates, and diallyl, dipropenyl and dipropyz bisphenol-A diacrylates have been synthesised in high yield and purity and characterised by spectroscopic methods. UV-curable coating compositions have been formulated using these monomers as reactive diluents. Their film properties were studied.     

Synthesis and characterisation of novel biopolymer stabilised organic Pt‐nanocomposite: assessment of its antioxidant and antitumour properties

Green synthesis of organic Pt‐nanocomposite was accomplished using carboplatin as a precursor and novel biopolymer – gum kondagogu (GK) as a reducing agent. The synthesised GK stabilised organic Pt‐nanocomposite (GKCPt NC) was characterised by different analytical techniques such as ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy, nanoparticle analyser, scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X‐ray analysis, X‐ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrophotometer. The XRD pattern established the amorphous nature of GKCPt NC. TEM analysis revealed the homogeneous, monodisperse and spherical nature, with Pt metal size of 3.08 ± 0.62 nm. The binding energy at 71.2 and 74.6 eV show the presence of metallic platinum, Pt(0) confirmed by XPS studies. Further, in vitro radical scavenging and antitumour activity of GKCPt NC have been investigated. In comparison to GK and carboplatin, GKCPt NC showed superior 1, 1‐diphenyl‐2‐picrylhydrazyle activity of 87.82%, whereas 2, 2‐azinobis‐(3‐ethylbenzthinzoline‐6‐sulphonic acid) activity was 38.50%, respectively. In vitro studies of the antitumour property of GK, GKCPt NC and carboplatin were evaluated by potato disc tumour bioassay model. The efficacy of synthesised GKCPt NC concentration (IC₅₀) on tumour inhibition was found to be 2.04‐fold lower as compared to carboplatin. Overall, the synthesised GKCPt NC shows both antitumour and antioxidant properties when compared to the original drug – carboplatin and might have promising applications in cancer therapy.Inspec keywords: nanoparticles, tumours, ultraviolet spectra, drugs, free radical reactions, X‐ray photoelectron spectra, platinum, nanocomposites, X‐ray diffraction, visible spectra, X‐ray chemical analysis, nanofabrication, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, cancer, polymer structure, filled polymers, Fourier transform infrared spectra, binding energy, drug delivery systems, nanomedicineOther keywords: antioxidant properties, green synthesis, ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy, energy dispersive X‐ray analysis, X‐ray diffraction, Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrophotometry, antitumour activity, carboplatin precursor, biopolymer gum kondagogu stabilised organic Pt‐nanocomposite, reducing agent, different analytical techniques, scanning electron microscopy, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, homogeneous particles, binding energy, in vitro radical scavenging, 1,1‐diphenyl‐2‐picrylhydrazyle activity, 2, 2‐azinobis‐(3‐ethylbenzthinzoline‐6‐sulphonic acid) activity, tumour inhibition, Pt     

Effect of succinonitrile and nano-hydroxyapatite on ionic conductivity and interfacial stability of polyether-based plasticized nanocomposite polymer electrolytes (PNCSPE)

A series of novel plasticized nanocomposite solid polymer electrolytes (PNCSPE) consisting of polyethylene oxide as polymer host, lithium bisoxalatoborate as salt with different weight ratios of succinonitrile and nano-hydroxyapatite was prepared by membrane hot-press technique. The electrical property of PNCSPE was investigated by AC impedance analysis. The migration of lithium ion in the polymer matrix was confirmed from cyclic voltammetry study. The incorporation of different compositions of filler and plasticizer in the polymer matrix significantly enhanced the amorphous nature resulted in increase in ionic conductivity of PNCSPE. The maximum ionic conductivity was found to be in the order of 10^?3.1 S/cm.     

Low cycle fatigue and creep-fatigue interaction behavior of modified 9Cr-1Mo ferritic steel and its weld joint

The aim of the present paper is to study the low cycle fatigue and creep-fatigue interaction behavior of modified 9Cr-1Mo ferritic steel weld joint. Total axial strain controlled continuous cycling tests were conducted between 773 K and 873 K and at strain amplitudes ±0.25%, ±0.4%, ±0.6% and ±1%. Hold tests were also conducted at +0.6% and 823 K and 873 K temperatures to study the creep-fatigue interaction behavior of the weld joint. The alloy exhibited cyclic softening from first cycle onwards irrespective of the loading conditions. Failure location in the weld joint was correlated to the test parameters. Detailed replica study conducted on all the failed specimens revealed that most of the failures occurred in one side of the heat affected zone (HAZ) of the weld joint. Strain localization in the soft zone of the HAZ and subsurface creep cavity formation in this region and their linkage had caused enhanced crack propagation that translated into lower fatigue life of the weld joint at high temperatures. Type IV mode of failure was identified to be operative under tensile hold and high temperatures. The alloy was also found to be compressive dwell sensitive and it was ascertained that the lower life under compression hold compared to tension hold was due to the deleterious effect of oxidation.     

Immune and Anticancer Responses Elicited by Fully Synthetic Aberrantly Glycosylated MUC1 Tripartite Vaccines Modified by a TLR2 or TLR9 Agonist

The mucin MUC1 is overexpressed and aberrantly glycosylated by many epithelial cancer cells manifested by truncated O‐linked saccharides. Although tumor‐associated MUC1 has generated considerable attention because of its potential for the development of a therapeutic cancer vaccine, it has been difficult to design constructs that consistently induce cytotoxic T‐lymphocytes (CTLs) and ADCC‐mediating antibodies specific for the tumor form of MUC1. We have designed, chemically synthesized, and immunologically examined vaccine candidates each composed of a glycopeptide derived from MUC1, a promiscuous T_helper peptide, and a TLR2 (Pam₃CysSK₄) or TLR9 (CpG‐ODN 1826) agonist. It was found that the Pam₃CysSK₄‐containing compound elicits more potent antigenic and cellular immune responses, resulting in a therapeutic effect in a mouse model of mammary cancer. It is thus shown, for the first time, that the nature of an inbuilt adjuvant of a tripartite vaccine can significantly impact the quality of immune responses elicited against a tumor‐associated glycopeptide. The unique adjuvant properties of Pam₃CysSK₄, which can reduce the suppressive function of regulatory T cells and enhance the cytotoxicity of tumor‐specific CTLs, are likely responsible for the superior properties of the vaccine candidate 1 .     

Serum uric acid and cognitive function in community-dwelling older adults.

Among possible markers of age-related cognitive decline, uric acid (UA) is controversial because it has antioxidant properties but is increased in diseases that often lead to cognitive impairment. In this study of 96 elderly adults, participants with mildly elevated (but normal) serum UA were 2.7 to 5.9 times more likely to score in the lowest quartile of the sample on measures of processing speed, verbal memory, and working memory. Even after controlling for age, sex, race, education, diabetes, hypertension, smoking, and alcohol abuse, the multivariate-adjusted odds of poor verbal memory and working memory remained significant (ps     

Clinical trials and tribulations: lessons learned from recruiting pregnant ex-smokers for relapse prevention.

The development of smoking cessation and relapse prevention interventions for pregnant and postpartum women is a public health priority. However, researchers have consistently reported substantial difficulty in recruiting this population into clinical trials. The problem is particularly acute for relapse prevention studies, which must recruit women who have already quit smoking because of their pregnancy. Although these individuals are an important target for tobacco control efforts, they represent an extremely small subgroup of the general population. This paper describes multiple recruitment strategies used for a clinical trial of a self-help relapse prevention program for pregnant women. The effectiveness of the strategies and the direct expense per participant recruited are provided. A proactive recruitment strategy (telephoning women whose phone numbers were purchased from a marketing firm) was ultimately much more successful than a variety of reactive strategies (advertisements, press releases, direct mail, Web placement, health care provider outreach). We found few differences between proactively and reactively recruited participants on baseline variables. The primary difference was that the former had smoked fewer cigarettes per day and reported lower nicotine dependence prior to quitting. Strengths and limitations of the recruitment strategies are discussed.     

Degradation of inosine-5′-monophosphate (IMP) in aqueous and in layering chicken muscle fibre systems: Effect of pH and temperature

Studies were carried out to assess the effect of pH and temperature on the degradation of major meat flavour precursor inosine mono-phosphate (IMP) in model systems. Breast and leg muscles from Indian domesticated layer chicken (Gallus gallus) were washed repeatedly with 0.1 M phosphate buffer of pH 6 to obtain pigment-free muscle fibres. Degradation of IMP in water and in muscle fibre-IMP systems were studied at 80, 100, and 120 °C under three pH (2, 7 and 11) conditions. The pH of muscle fibres was 6.2-6.4. The IMP content (mg/100 g) of fresh breast muscle (188.5) and its fibre (7.9) were higher (P?0.05) than fresh leg muscle (135.2) and its fibre (1.9). Inosine and hypoxanthine contents were also higher in breast than in leg muscles and their fibres. Degradation of IMP in both model systems was significantly influenced by pH and thermal treatment. In water systems, the degradation of IMP increased with temperature. Acidic pH caused greater degree of degradation than neutral or alkaline pH.