Effect of Ingredients on Rheological, Nutritional and Quality Characteristics of High Protein, High Fibre and Low Carbohydrate Bread

Effect of replacement of wheat flour with a combination of soy protein isolate, oat bran and chickpea flour (SPOBCP) at the levels of 20%, 40% and 60% and addition of combination of additives such as fungal ??-amylase, dry gluten powder, sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (CA) on the rheological and nutritional characteristics of bread was studied. Use of SPOBCP decreased farinograph dough stability, increased pasting temperature, decreased cold paste viscosity and overall quality score of bread. Scanning electron microscopy images showed higher degree of disruption of protein matrix in bread dough with 60% SPOBCP than 20% and 40% SPOBCP. Addition of 60% SPOBCP resulted in flat, uneven shaped bread with an overall quality score of 38 when compared with 54, 81 and 91 for breads with 40%, 20% and 0% SPOBCP, respectively. However, use of CA increased the strength of the dough and improved the overall quality of bread with 40% SPOBCP. Nutritional profile of bread with 40% SPOBCP?+?CA showed higher protein, in vitro protein digestibility, total dietary fibre, resistant starch, ??-glucan and lower starch hydrolysis index than control bread.     

Effect of polyaniline concentration on the photoconversion efficiency of nano-TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> based dye sensitized solar cells

Extensive research have been made in improving the dye sensitized solar cells (DSSC) performance by designing, tailoring and enhancing the photoconversion properties of the matrix. The approaches used are material synthesis, dye permutation combinations, use of natural extracts or using several sensitizers. The polymers are also being explored in this regards in their pristine or composite forms. Therefore, in this study an attempt is made to synthesize a mesoporous polyaniline–titanium dioxide (PANI–TiO₂) nanocomposites with one pot synthesis approach at different concentrations of PANI (0.3–0.7 ml). Titanium isopropoxide was used as precursor for TiO₂ with aniline and the material was synthesized at ice bath temperature. Morphological observations showed that the composite is a mesoporous material with tubular structure where TiO₂ particles are seen entrapped in the polymer matrix and found that intercalation can be tailored with PANI concentration. Structural, functional and optical characterization indicate anatase phase of TiO₂, with several functional bands that can help in dye interaction and broad absorption bands within visible region. The photocurrent-voltage response was measured with simulated light and source-meter. It is interesting to note that increasing PANI concentration enhances the mesoporous structure and hence increases the dye loading capacity and photoconductivity of the material. The efficiency increased by about 22 % with addition of 0.5 ml of PANI from 0.3 ml. The proposed study has indicated that such material have the potential to be used for DSSC fabrication with which the device performance can further be increased to a better levels.     

Palyno-morphological attributes of some selected plant species of family Asteraceae from district Dera Ismail Khan,KPK, Pakistan

The current study aimed to investigate the palyno-morphological features of Asteraceous species from District Dera Ismail Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. A total of 13 species were collected, pressed, identified, and examined by using light and scanning electron microscopy. Both qualitative and quantitative pollen characters were observed, that is, equatorial and polar diameter, number of pores and colpi, exine thickness, exine sculpturing, pollen shape, and P/E ratio. Pollen shapes observed in studied taxa were spheroidal, suboblate, oblate-spheroidal, and lophate-spheroidal. The aperturation patterns of pollens vary from tricolporate to tetracolporate. The maximum polar and equatorial diameter of 75–100 (87.5 ± 13.6) μm and 87.5–117.5 (102.5 ± 16.4) μm, respectively, was recorded in Echinops echinatus, while minimum polar and equatorial diameter of 20–22.5 (21 ± 1.36) μm and 22.5–25 (23.5 ± 1.36) μm, respectively, was recorded in Aster subulatus. Six types of exine sculpturing patterns were observed; echinate, micro-echinate, echinate-microreticulate, microreticulate, echinate-perforate, and scabrate. Maximum exine thickness of 8.75 μm was recorded in E. echinatus and minimum of 1.25 μm in Launaea mucronata. The pollen morphology has valuable significance in understanding the taxonomy of different plant groups and plays a central role in the correct identification and classification of Asteraceous flora at species, generic, and tribe levels.     

Polyphenylene sulphide/carbon fiber composites: study on their thermal,mechanical and microscopic properties

The present study investigates the thermal, mechanical and microscopic properties of polyphenylene sulphide/carbon fiber (PPS/CF) composites by incremental number of fiber layers. The composites were prepared by hand lay-up technique followed by compression molding. A superior matrix-reinforcement adhesion was attained without the use of coupling agent and mechanical stability of the composites improved with increasing fiber layers. Transverse rupture strength and bending modulus were improved by 59.84 and 125.21 %, respectively, without loss in toughness. Impact strength and hardness values were enhanced while storage modulus, loss modulus and damping factor were dropped by increases in fiber layers. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) indicated a gradual rise in thermal stability (16.84 %) of the composite as compared to pure matrix. Surface morphology and crack propagation were studied by optical microscopy. It was found that crack was propagated in a linear plane by applying load. In addition, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) illustrated steady alignment of fibers and uniform distribution of the matrix around reinforcement. Based on the obtained results, fiber layers showed great potential for enhancement of thermal and mechanical properties of the composites.     

Statistical Parameters Effects on Photocatalytic Degradation of Rhodamine 6G Dye with Hexagonal Zinc Oxide Nanorods Synthesized via Solution Process

Hexagonal-shaped zinc oxide nanorods (HNRs) were synthesized via a wet chemical solution process at low temperature in short refluxing time. The structural and morphological properties of the obtained products were characterized by x-ray diffraction pattern and field emission scanning electron microscopy. The photocatalytic degradation process significantly shows enhanced activity of ZnO-HNRs under UV–Vis light in presence of rhodamine 6G dye (RhB). The effective concentration of ZnO-HNRs shows degradation process of RhB dye and was investigated via standard analytical techniques, optimized and validated by statistical analytical parameters. The statistical constraints give necessary information for establishing analytical procedures to ensure the quality and purity of the results. The absorption spectra were recorded at maximum absorbance λ _max 470 nm, 520 nm, and 550 nm for ZnO-HNRs, RhB and ZnO-HNRs-RhB, respectively. Satisfactory data were obtained from UV–Vis spectroscopy, providing more reliable values against many factual variable factors such as concentration, volume, pH, time and temperature, etc.     

3-substituted 2-phenylimidazo[2,1-b]benzothiazoles: synthesis, anticancer activity, and inhibition of tubulin polymerization

A new series of 3‐substituted 2‐phenylimidazo[2,1‐b]benzothiazoles ( 3 a – h ) were synthesized by C‐arylation of 2‐arylimidazo[2,1‐b]benzothiazoles using palladium acetate as catalyst, and the resulting compounds were evaluated for their anticancer activity. Compounds 3 a , 3 e , and 3 h exhibited good antiproliferative activity, with GI₅₀ values in the range of 0.19–83.1 μM . Compound 3 h showed potent anticancer efficacy against 60 human cancer cell lines, with a mean GI₅₀ value of 0.88 μM . This compound also induced cell‐cycle arrest in the G₂/M phase and inhibited tubulin polymerization followed by activation of caspase‐3 and apoptosis. A high‐throughput tubulin polymerization assay showed that the level of inhibition for compound 3 h is similar to that of combretastatin A‐4. Molecular modeling studies provided a molecular basis for the favorable binding of compounds 3 a , 3 e , and 3 h to the colchicine binding pocket of tubulin.     

Possible weak ferromagnetism in pure and M (Mn, Cu, Co, Fe and Tb) doped NiGa2O4 nanoparticles

We report on the structural and magnetic properties of nanoparticles of NiGa2O4 and 5 at.% M doped (M = Mn2+, Cu2+, Co2+, Fe3+ and Tb3+) at Ga site of NiGa2O4, synthesized by gel-combustion method. The particle size, as investigated by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy, could be fine tuned by a controlled annealing process. Weak ferromagnetism becomes significant, when the particles are in the nano regime (5-7 nm). The magnetization becomes insignificant at larger particle size ( 150 nm). Cu2+ and Tb3+ doped NiGa2O4 nanoparticles showed relatively large room temperature ferromagnetism compared to other doped (Fe, Mn and Co) and undoped NiGa2O4 samples. The weak ferromagnetism observed in the nanoparticles of NiGa2O4, which is antiferromagnetic in the bulk, is due to the surface disordered states with uncompensated spins.     

Utilization of Solution Grown Manganese Oxide Nanocrystallite to Microstructure Against Bacteria’s Inhibition

The preparation and applications of transition metal oxide (TMOs) nano and micro structures continues inspiring to material science. This is due to TMOs are imperative and to discover in a various fields. Over a long range of nano & micro structure materials, especially, manganese oxide (Mn₃O₄) structures have numerous technological  applications in various fields such as wastewater treatment, catalysis, sensors, supercapacitors, alkaline and rechargeable batteries etc. The solution process was adopted, which is the best way to follow the preparation of manganese oxide structures and the material was well characterized. The present work shows the formation of Mn₃O₄ microrods (referred to as Mn₃O₄MRs) and applied against the pathogenic bacteria’s (E.coli and S.aureus) at different concentrations of MRs (50, 100, 200, 300, 400 and 500 µg/mL) for to control the proliferation rate and accessed via UV–vis spectroscopy. The crystallite size and their morphology was examined via TEM and it reveals that the individual particle is very small in size (~?7.5 nm) with spherical shaped morphology. The morphology after the interaction of MRs on bacteria’s were also examined through Bio-TEM, which revels that the particles interns to the bacterial cells and reacted. The statistical analytical methods was applied and determined the suitable concentration of Mn₃O₄MRs under the different statistical parameters such as accuracy, precision methods, LOD and LOQ (for E.coli 0.050 and 0.153) and (for S.aureus 0.135 and 0.409 μg mL^?1) respectively, were accomplished for to know the calculative and mechanistic approach and their role of Mn₃O₄MRs against E.coli and S.aureus.

     

Quantitative determination of raw and functionalized carbon nanotubes for the antibacterial studies

The UV–visible spectrophotometric method has been described the study of raw carbon nanotubes (R-MWCNTs) and functionalized multiwall carbon nanotubes (F-MWCNTs) for the control of bacterial growth by using validated analytical techniques. The absorption spectra of functionalized carbon nanotubes (F-MWCNTs) and raw carbon nanotubes (R-MWCNTs) show maximum absorbance at λ _max 600 nm. The linear relationship was found between absorbance and concentration of R-MWCNTs and F-MWCNTs in the range of 0.25–2.0 μg mL^?1. The linear regression equation was evaluated by statistical treatment of calibration data and gives the value of correlation coefficient for F-MWCNTs (0.9999) and R-MWCNTs (0.9993), which indicate excellent linearity. The Optical and regression characteristics of the proposed method were found apparent molar absorptivity, limits of detection (LOD), and limit of quantitation (LOQ) for R-MWCNTs and F-MWCNTs (5.75 × 10²: 8.25 × 10² L mol^?1 cm^?1), (0.052: 0.018 μg mL^?1), and (0.055: 0.158 μg mL^?1), respectively. The validity of the proposed method was checked by precision, accuracy, linearity, limits of detection (LOD), and limit of quantitation (LOQ). The RSD (%) and quantitative recoveries (%) were obtained (0.026–0.0086) and (100.34 and 100.71) for R-MWCNTs: for F-MWCNTs by UV–visible spectrophotometric, respectively.     

Takinib Inhibits Inflammation in Human Rheumatoid Arthritis Synovial Fibroblasts by Targeting the Janus Kinase-Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 3 (JAK/STAT3) Pathway

TGF β-activated kinase 1 (TAK1) is an important participant in inflammatory pathogenesis for diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and gouty arthritis. The central position it occupies between the mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) pathways makes it an attractive therapeutic target. As this field has developed in recent years, several novel inhibitors have been presented as having specific activity that reduces the TAK1 function either covalently as in the case of 5Z-7-oxozeanol (5Z7O) or reversibly (NG-25). However, the mechanism through which takinib elicits its anti-inflammatory activity remains elusive. While this inhibitor shows great promise, a thorough analysis of its inhibitor function and its potential off-target effects is necessary before addressing its clinical potential or its use in inflammatory conditions. An analysis through Western blot showed an unexpected increase in IL-1β-induced TAK1 phosphorylation—a prerequisite for and indicator of its functional potential—by takinib while simultaneously demonstrating the inhibition of the JAK/STAT pathway in human rheumatoid arthritis synovial fibroblasts (RASFs) in vitro. In THP-1 monocyte-derived macrophages, takinib again led to the lipopolysaccharide-induced phosphorylation of TAK1 without a marked inhibition of the TAK1 downstream effectors, namely, of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), phospho-c-Jun, NF-κB phospho-p65 or phospho-IκBα. Taken together, these findings indicate that takinib inhibits inflammation in these cells by targeting multiple signaling pathways, most notably the JAK/STAT pathway in human RASFs.