Thermo-diffusion impact on immiscible flow characteristics of convectively heated vertical two-layered Baffle saturated porous channels in a suspension of nanoparticles:an analytical study

The heat and mass transfer of two immiscible fluids in an inclined channel with thermal diffusion,vicious,and Darcy dissipation is studied.The first region consists of a clear fluid,and the second one is filled with a nanofluid saturated with a porous medium.The behaviors of Cu-H_(2)O,In-H_(2)O,and Au-H_(2)O nanofluids are analyzed.The transport properties are assumed to be constant.The coupled non-linear equations of the flow model are transformed into the dimensionless form,and the solutions for the velocity,temperature,and concentration are obtained by the regular perturbation technique.Investigations are carried out on the flow characteristics for various values of the material parameters.The results show that the velocity and temperature of the fluids enhance with the thermal Grashof number,solutal Grashof number,and Brinkman number while decrease with the porosity parameter and solid volume fraction.

Characteristics of MOF, MWCNT and graphene containing materials for hydrogen storage: A review

Hydrogen is a generally abundant, safe, clean and environmentally apt alternative fuel, which replenishes the void generated by depleting fossil fuel reserves. The adoption of hydrogen as an energy source has been restricted to low levels due to the complications associated with its viable storage and usage. Existing technologies, such as storage of hydrogen in compressed and liquefied forms are not adequate to meet the broad on-board applications. The gravimetric energy density(120 MJ/kg) of hydrogen is three times higher than that of gasoline products, so solid-state hydrogen storage is advantageous.Metal-organic frameworks(MOFs), multi-walled carbon nanotubes(MWCNTs) and graphene are solid adsorbents majorly employed for efficient H_2 storage. The prominent features of MOFs such as permanent porosity, structural rigidity, and surface area are attractive and ideal for hydrogen storage. In addition,nanostructured carbon materials(MWCNTs and graphene) and their composites have demonstrated significant hydrogen storage capacities. Some important parameters for the success of the hydrogen economy include high storage density, adsorption/desorption temperature and cycling time. Cryo-hydrogen storage was achieved in MOFs and their composites with carbon structures, but storage at ambient temperature and acceptable pressures is a major hurdle. This review discusses various strategies and mechanisms in the design of adsorbents explored to improve H_2 storage capacities and afford opportunities to develop new sustainable hydrogen technologies to meet energy targets.

Determination of genotoxic alkyl methane sulfonates and alkyl paratoluene sulfonates in lamivudine using hyphenated techniques

Two highly sensitive methods for the determination of genotoxic alkyl methane sulfonates (AMSs) and alkyl paratoluene sulfonates (APTSs) in lamivudine using hyphenated techniques have been presented. AMSs were determined by GC-MS method using GSBPINOWAX (30 m 0.25 mm 0.25 mm) column. Temperature program was set by maintaining at 100 1C initially for 3 min, then rised to 220 1C at the rate of 15 1C/min and maintained at 220 1C for 16 min. N,N-dimethyl formamide was used as diluent. APTSs were determined by LC-MS using Zorbax, Rx C8, 250 mm 4.6 mm, 5 mm column as stationary phase. 0.01 M ammonium acetate is used as buffer. The mixture of buffer and methanol in 75:25 (v/v) ratio was used as mobile phase A and mixture of buffer and methanol in 5:95 (v/v) ratio was used as mobile phase B. The gradient program (T/%B) was set as 0/28, 16/50, 17/100, 23/100, 27/28 and 40/28. Both the methods were validated as per International Conference on Harmonization guidelines. Limit of quantitation was found 1.5 mg/mL for AMSs and was in the range of 1.0-1.5 mg/mL for APTSs.

Evaluation of Groundwater Quality and Its Suitability for Domestic and Irrigation Use in Parts of the Chandauli-Varanasi Region, Uttar Pradesh, India

The present study focused on the hydrochemistry of groundwater in parts of Chandauli-Varanasi region to assess the quality of groundwater for determining its suitability for drinking and agricultural purposes. Urbanization and agriculture activities have a lot of impacts on the groundwater quality of the study area. A total of 70 ground water samples were collected randomly from different sources viz. hand pump, dug wells and bore wells, and analyzed for major cations and anions. The domination of cations and anions was in the order of Na > Ca > Mg > K and HCO3 > Cl > SO4 > NO3 > F. The Piper classification for hydrogeochemical facies indicates that alkaline earth exceeds alkalis and weak acids exceed strong acid. Water quality index rating was calculated to quantify overall water quality for human consumption. Out of 70 groundwater samples, 7% and 10% samples exhibit water unsuitable for drinking purposes in pre- and post-monsoon, respectively, due to effective leaching of ions, direct discharge of domestic effluents and agricultural activities. Residual sodium carbonate values revealed that 6% sample is not suitable for irrigation purposes in both the seasons due to low permeability of the soil. The calculated values of PI indicate that the water for irrigation uses is excellent to good quality in both seasons. As per Wilcox’s diagram and US salinity laboratory classification, most of the groundwater samples are suitable for irrigation except one sample which is unsuitable for irrigation purposes. The overall quality of groundwater in post-monsoon season in all chemical constituents is on the higher side due to dissolution of surface pollutants during the infiltration and percolation of rainwater at few places due to agricultural and domestic activities.

Development and validation of a stability indicating RP-HPLC method for the determination of Rufinamide

A stability-indicating RP-HPLC method was developed and validated lbr the determination of Rufinamide in tablet dosage forms using C 18 column （250 mm x 4.6 mm, 5 μm） wilh mobile phase consisting of water acetonitrile （40：60, v/v） with a [low rate of 0.8 mL/min （UV detection 215 nm）. Linearity was observed over the concentration range 1.0 200 μg/mL （R2=0.9997） with regression equation y-113190 x＋63053. Rufinamide was subjected to stress conditions including acidic, alkaline, oxidation, photolysis and thermal degradation. Rufinaraide is more sensitive towards acidic degradation. The method was validated as per ICH guidelines.

Stability-indicating liquid chromatographic method for the determination of Letrozole in pharmaceutical formulations

A stability-indicating high-performance liquid chromatographic method was developed and validated for the determination of Letrozole in tablet dosage forms. Reversed-phase chromatography was performed on Shimadzu Model LC-Class-Vp with Lichrocart/Lichrosphere 100 C-18 (250 mm 4.6 mm, 5 mm particle size) column with methanol: tetra butyl ammonium hydrogen sulfate (80:20V/V) as mobile phase at a flow rate of 1 mL/min with UV detection at 240 nm. Linearity was observed in the concentration range of 0.5-150 mg/mL (R 2 0.9998) with regression equation y 102582xt43185. The limit of quantitation (LOQ) and limit of detection (LOD) were found to be 0.043 and 0.012 mg/mL respectively. The forced degradation studies were performed by using HCl, NaOH, H 2 O 2 , thermal and UV radiation. Letrozole is more sensitive towards alkaline conditions and very much resistant towards acidic, oxidative and photolytic degradations. The method was validated as per ICH guidelines. The RSD for intra-day (0.78-0.97) and inter-day (0.86-0.96) precision were found to be lesser than 1%. The percentage recovery was in good agreement with the labeled amount in the pharmaceutical formulations and the method is simple, specific, precise and accurate for the determination of Letrozole in pharmaceutical formulations.

Regulatory role of sphingosine kinase and sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor signaling in progenitor/stem cells

Balanced sphingolipid signaling is important for the maintenance of homeostasis. Sphingolipids were demonstrated to function as structural components, second messengers, and regulators of cell growth and survival in normal and disease-affected tissues. Particularly, sphingosine kinase 1 (SphK1) and its product sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) operate as mediators and facilitators of proliferation-linked signaling. Unlimited proliferation (selfrenewal) within the regulated environment is a hallmark of progenitor/stem cells that was recently associated with the S1P signaling network in vasculature, nervous,muscular, and immune systems. S1P was shown to regulate progenitor-related characteristics in normal and cancerstemcells(CSCs) viaG-protein coupled receptorsS1Pn(n=1 to 5). The SphK/S1P axis is crucially involved in the regulation of embryonic development of vasculature and the nervous system, hematopoietic stem cell migration, regeneration of skeletal muscle, and development of multiple sclerosis. The ratio of the S1P receptor expression, localization, and specific S1P receptoractivated downstream effectors influenced the rate of selfrenewal and should be further explored as regeneration related targets. Considering malignant transformation,it is essential to control the level of self-renewal capacity.Proliferation of the progenitor cell should be synchronized with differentiation to provide healthy lifelong function of blood, immune systems, and replacement of damaged ordead cells. The differentiation-related role of SphK/S1P remains poorly assessed. A few pioneering investigations exploredpharmacologicaltoolsthattargetsphingolipid signaling and can potentially confine and direct self-renewal towards normal differentiation. Further investigation is required to test the role of the SphK/S1P axis in regulation of self-renewal and differentiation.

3D Casson nanofluid flow over slendering surface in a suspension of gyrotactic microorganisms with Cattaneo-Christov heat flux

A mathematical model is proposed to execute the features of the non-uniform heat source or sink in the chemically reacting magnetohydrodynamic （MHD） Casson fluid across a slendering sheet in the presence of microorganisms and Cattaneo-Christov heat flux. Multiple slips （diffusion, thermal, and momentum slips） are applied in the modeling of the heat and mass transport processes. The Runge-Kutta based shooting method is used to find the solutions. Numerical simulation is carried out for various values of the physical constraints when the Casson index parameter is positive, negative, or infinite with the aid of plots. The coefficients of the skin factors, the local Nusselt number, and the Sherwood number are estimated for different parameters, and discussed for engineering interest. It is found that the gyrotactic microorganisms are greatly encouraged when the dimensionless parameters increase, especially when the Casson fluid parameter is negative. It is worth mentioning that th~ velocity profiles when the Casson fluid parameter is positive are higher than those when the Casson fluid parameter is negative or infinite, whereas the temperature and concentration fields show exactly opposite phenomena.

Processing and Mechanical Properties of Al2O3 and Red Mud Particle Reinforced AA6061 Hybrid Composites

Aluminum 6061 alloy metal matrix composites (MMCs) reinforced with four different weight fractions of (Al2O3 + red mud) particles up to 10 wt% were fabricated by a vortex method. The effects of reinforcement content on the mechanical properties of the composites such as hardness and tensile strength were investigated. The density measurements showed that the samples contained little porosity, and the amount of porosity in the composites increased with increasing weight fraction of particles. Scanning electron microscopic observations of the microstructures revealed that the dispersion of the particles was uniform with small clusters at some places and porosity. The results showed that the hardness and the tensile strength of the composites increased with increasing weight fraction of particles.

Synthesis and characterization of ZnS-based quantum dots to trace low concentration of ammonia

In the present work,a solution-based co-precipitation method has been adopted to synthesize pure and cobalt-doped ZnS quantum dots and characterized by XRD,SEM,TEM with EDX,FTIR and gas sensing properties.XRD analysis has shown a single phase of ZnS quantum dots having a zinc blend structure.TEM and XRD line broadening indicated that the average crystallite size in the sample is in the range of 2 to 5 nm.SEM micrographs show spherical-shaped quantum dots.FTIR studies show that cobalt has been successfully doped into the ZnS cubic lattice.EDX spectra have analyzed the elemental presence in the samples and it is evident that the spectra confirmed the presence of cobalt(Co),zinc(Zn),oxygen(O),and sulphur(S)elements only and no other impurities are observed.The ZnS-based quantum dot sensors reveal high sensitivity towards 50 ppm of ammonia vapors at an operating temperature of 70℃.Hence,ZnS-based quantum dots can be a promising and quick traceable sensor towards ammonia sensing applications with good response and recovery time.

Synthesis and Characterization of Nano-Acetamiprid—New Plant Safeguard Nanomaterial

In present days many types of materials are used to reduce the environmental pollution in the world which includes nanomaterials. Nanopesticides increase the efficacy, durability and reduction in the amount of active constituent. The potential applications of nanotechnology in pesticides are quick decomposition in soil or plant, targeted delivery, apparent solubility and controlled release. In this communication the author reported a neonicatonoid insecticide called as Nano-acetamiprid and it is widely used to control fungal infections in different crops like cotton, leafy vegetables, citrus fruits, pome etc. The author reported a facile method i.e. a new Nano-acetamiprid for plant disease control and its subsequent characterization of encapsulated complex using polycaprolactone as an encapsulated agent. Nano-acetamiprid encapsulated particles were characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS), ultraviolet spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). To ascertain the formation and the stability of nanoencapsulated acetamiprid pesticide, the maximum absorption spectra formulated at 421 nm and unformulated pesticide at 520 nm were observed. The size distribution was noted at 40 - 50 nm. The bioactivity study was conducted against various Aspergillus niger. The performance of nano particles was many fold times effective when compared to the original parental particles. The bio-assay of Nano-acetamiprid shows better results when compared to the normal commercial acetamiprid.

A Validated Stability-Indicating UHPLC Method for Determination of Naproxen and Its Related Compounds in Bulk Drug Samples

A simple, rapid, precise, accurate, rugged and robust stability-indicating ultra-fast high performance liquid chromatographic (UHPLC) method has been developed for the estimation of related compounds (imp-A, imp-B, imp-C, imp-D and imp-E) in Naproxen and also the assay of Naproxen from bulk drug samples. The stability indicating capability of the method was proven by subjecting the samples to stress conditions such as acid, base, oxidation, photolysis and thermal degradation. The efficient chromatographic separation was achieved using mobile phase solution A prepared as buffer solution 10 mM monobasic potassium phosphate pH 4.0 ± 0.05 adjusted with diluted ortho phosphoric acid solution and solution B acetonitrile with linear gradient elution on poroshell 120 EC-C18 shot column (50 mm × 4.6 mm, 2.7 μm) and UV detection at 235 nm at a flow rate 1.0 mL/min, column oven temperature was set to 25?C. The above are all known impurities and degradation impurities are well resolved with Naproxen peak and these are eluted within a 10 min runtime of HPLC. The photo diode array detector was used for peak homogeneity testing during stress study experiments and the overall mass balance was found to be 99.2% to 100.2% in all stress conditions. The linear calibration range was found to be 0.05 μg/mL to 0.75 μg/mL for related compounds and 50 μg/mL to 150 μg/mL for Naproxen and the accuracy of the method was found to be 91.5% to 98.5% recovery for the related substance method and 95.4% to 97.4% recovery for the assay method. The Naproxen and related compounds were found to be stable up to 48 hours and the method validation data show excellent results for precision, linearity, specificity, limit of detection, limit of quantitation and robustness. The present method can be successfully used for routine QC and stability studies and it will help to reduce the analysis cost, time and effluent load compared to conventional HPLC methods.

Effect of Copper Doping on Structural, Dielectric and DC Electrical Resistivity Properties of BaTiO₃

The modified BaTiO3 ferroelectric materials are suitable for pyroelectric applications. This paper reports the structural, dielectric and electrical properties on copper influence in BaTiO3 when it was substituted site “A” of perovskite structure of BaTiO3. Copper has been chosen for modified BaTiO3 with different concentrations with stoichiometry Ba1-xCuxTiO3, where x = 0.01%, 0.02%, 0.03% and 0.04%. The X-ray diffraction patterns of the samples doped with different composition of CuO are found to be that the positions and intensities of the diffraction peaks are similar and no secondary phases were observed. The Curie’s temperature (Tc) for all CuO doped BaTiO3 with were found to be in the range of 120°C to 125°C. The frequency dependence of relative permittivity (εr) and dielectric loss (Tanδ) of Ba1-xCuxTiO3 samples at room temperature were reported in the range 100 KHz - 1 MHz. The temperature dependence of D.C electrical resistivity studies were reported for all samples indicating that the participation of Cu2+-Cu+ ions in the conduction process around their Curie’s temperature.

Self Similarity Analysis of Web Users Arrival Pattern at Selected Web Centers

The paper focuses on measuring self-similarity using few techniques by an index called Hurst index which is a self-similarity parameter. It has been evident that Internet traffic exhibits self-similarity. Motivated by this fact, real time web users at various centers considered here as traffic and it has been examined by various methods to test the self-similarity. The results from the experiments carried out verify that the traffic examined in the present study is self similar using a new method based on some descriptive measures;for example percentiles have been applied to compute Hurst parameter which gives intensity of the self-similarity. Numerical results and analysis we discussed and presented here play a significant role to improve the services at web centers in the view of quality of service (QOS).

Effect of Supplementation of Spirulina platensis to Enhance the Zinc Status in Plants of Amaranthus gangeticus, Phaseolus aureus and Tomato

Trace elements or micronutrients play a major role in the metabolism of both plants and humans. Zinc has a major specific role in metabolism when compared with other elements. The microbial biofertilizers are applied in the form of seaweed liquid extracts, microbial inoculants, biostimulators and biofortification agents. All these categories of microbial biofertilizers are involved in the enhancement of plant nutrient uptake. In the present study, Spirulina platensis is used as a biofortification agent to enhance zinc levels in cultivars of Amaranthus gangeticus, Phaseolus aureus and Tomato. Different experimental methods were followed including soaking seeds in different concentrations of Spirulina (5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 g in 100 ml of water);soaking seeds in Spirulina hydrolysate at different time intervals (1, 2, 3, 4, 5 hrs and overnight);Spirulina in combination with biofertilizers, chemical fertilizer, organic fertilizer and vermicompost in various proportions (25:75;50:50;75:25) and foliar spray with different concentrations of Spirulina (25, 50, 75, and 100g in 5 litres of water) respectively. The zinc content of the yield of the cultivars was estimated and the study results indicated that there was a significant increase in zinc levels with p-value 0.015, 0.003 and 0.035 for Amaranthus gangeticus, Phaseolus aureus and Tomato respectively when compared with the control and between the set-ups, with biofortification of Spirulina platensis. The obtained results emphasize the application of Spirulina platensis to enhance the mineral nutrient in plants which are non-polluting, inexpensive, utilizable renewable resource to maintain the soil fertility.

Hepatoprotective activity of Macrothelypteris torresiana (Gaudich.) aerial parts against CCl4-induced hepatotoxicity in rodents and analysis of polyphenolic compounds by HPTLC

Macrothelypteris torresiana is a fern species belonging to the family Thelypteridaceae. The present study was conducted to evaluate hepatoprotective potential of ethanol extract from M. torresiana aerial parts(EEMTAP)and detect the polyphenolic compounds present in the extract using high performance thin layer chromatography(HPTLC). Hepatoprotective potential of EEMTAP were tested at doses of 300 and 600 mg/kg, per os(p.o.), on Wistar albino rats. The extract and silymarin treated animal groups showed significant decrease in activities of different biochemical parameters like serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase(SGOT), serum glutamate-pyruvate transaminase(SGPT), and alkaline phosphatase(ALP), which were elevated by carbon tetrachloride(CCl_4) intoxication. The levels of total bilirubin and total protein along with the liver weight were also restored to normalcy by EEMTAP and silymarin treatment. After CCl_4 administration, the levels of hepatic antioxidant enzymes such as glutathione(GSH) and catalase(CAT) were decreased whereas the level of hepatic lipid peroxidation(LPO) was elevated. The levels of these hepatic antioxidant enzymes were also brought to normalcy by EEMTAP and silymarin treatment. Histological studies supported the biochemical findings, and treatment with EEMTAP at doses of 300 and 600 mg/kg, p.o. was found to be effective in restoring CCl_4-induced hepatotoxicity in rats. A simple HPTLC analysis was conducted for the detection of polyphenolic compounds in EEMTAP, and the result revealed the presence of caffeic acid as phenolic acid and quercetin as flavonoid. The proposed HPTLC method is simple and concise and provides a good resolution of caffeic acid and quercetin from other constituents present in EEMTAP.

A comparative pharmacological and phytochemical analysis of in vivo & in vitro propagated Crotalaria species

Objective:To compare the efficacy for phytochemical.antibacterial and antioxidant activities of petroleum ether,chloroform,ethanol,and aqueous extracts of in vitro propagated plants and field grown plants of Crotalaria sps.,for against five human pathogens.Methods:The preliminary pbytochemistry,antimicrobial and antioxidant activities were evaluated using disc diffusion and DPPH radical scavenging methods.Results:The ethanolic extract of in vitro raised Crotalaria retusa（C.retusa） was effective on tested microorganisms and optimal ZOI values of 38 mm was obtained against Pseudomonas aeruginosa（P.aeruginosa）.The optimal concentration (IC50 required for 50%inhibition of the DPPH radical scavenging was 57.6μg/mL obtained for ethanolic extract of in vitro propagated C.retusa.The in vitro propagated C.retusa has significant pharmacological activities while the Crotalaria prostrate（C.prostrate） and Crotalaria medicaginea（C.medicaginea） has low pharmacological activites.It was cleared that ethanolic extract of in vitro regenerated plants was most effective.Conclusions:These findings indicate compounds isolated from ethanolic extracts of Crotalaria sps..possesses pharmacological properties and potential to develop natural compounds based pharmaceutical products.The IC50 values for ethanolic extracts of Crotalaria sps.was evaluated through the Linear regression analysis（R2≤1）.

Evaluation of larvicidal activity of Pongamia pinnata extracts against three mosquito vectors

Objective:To evaluate the mosquito larvicidal activity of Pongamia pinnata(P.pinnata)extracts against three mosquito vectors.Methods:The methanol and hydroalcohol extracts of bark part of P.pinnata L were tested against fourth instar larvae of Culex quinqnefasciatus,Aedes aegypti and Anopheles stephensi.The mortality was observed 24 h and 48 h after treatment,data was subjected to probit analysis to determine lethal concentration(LC_(50)and LC_(90))to kill 50 and 90 percent of treated larvae of tested species.Results:The larval mortality was found in both methanol and hydroalcohol extracts of P.pinnata against Culex quinquefascialus,Aedes aegypti and Anopheles stephensi with LC_(50)values of 84.8,118.2 and 151.7 ppm;97.7,128.3 and 513 ppm.The highest larval mortality was found in methanol extract of P.pinnala when comparable to the hydroalcohol extract.Conclusions:These results suggest that both methanol and hyrdoalcohol extracts have the potential to be used as an ideal ecofriendly approach for the control of disease vectors.This could lead to isolation of novel natural larvicidal compounds.

Mixed convection effects on heat and mass transfer in a non Newtonian fluid with chemical reaction over a vertical plate

This paper studies mixed convection,double dispersion and chemical reaction effects on heat and mass transfer in a non-Darcy non-Newtonian fluid over a vertical surface in a porous medium under the constant temperature and concentration.The governing boundary layer equations,namely,momentum,energy and concentration,are converted to ordinary differential equations by introducing similarity variables and then are solved numerically by means of fourth-order Runge-Kutta method coupled with double-shooting technique.The velocity,temperature concentration,heat and mass transfer profiles are presented graphically for various values of the parameters,and the influence of viscosity index n,thermal and solute dispersion,chemical reaction parameter χ are observed.

Human butyrylcholinesterase knock-out equivalent: Potential to assess role in Alzheimer’s disease

Butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) is an enzyme which has been shown to be involved in the patho-genesis, treatment and prognosis of Alzheimer’s disease. In its current form, however, evidence is equivocal with all of the associations. Variant forms of the protein exist, where the enzymatic function is lost to varying degrees. We performed in silico evaluation of these variants. Bioinformatics and molecular modeling, based on data from ESTHER database and Protein Data Bank (RCSB), were used for in silico predictions of the structures of the silent variants that involve a single amino acid change. Variants with loss of enzyme activity were evaluated for structural changes near the active site and the thermody-namic stability of the variants was estimated. The results indicated that the loss of activity of the variants can, in most cases, be attributed to structural changes in the active site or to lower thermodynamic stability. Our results showed that the loss of enzyme activity may be due to changes in the active site, oligomerization or loss of structural stability. Individuals with loss of function mutation of BChE can be studied and followed up for their proneness or resistance to cognitive decline with aging.