Performance Evaluation Of Thermally Activated Glass Fibre Reinforced Gypsum Building Equipped With Desiccant System

According to International Energy Outlook 2017, the energy consumption of the building sector is expected to increase by 32% from 2015 to 2040. This is due to the accelerating demand for mechanical air conditioning system for maintaining the indoor comfort conditions and high embodied energy of the conventional building materials. Many solutions are proposed globally to address these problems. Thermally Activated Building System (TABS) is one such energy efficient alternative to the conventional mechanical air conditioning system for providing the desirable indoor comfort conditions. In TABS, copper pipes are embedded in its building structures namely ceiling, floor and walls. Chilled water circulated in the copper pipes cools the building structures which in turn cool the indoor environment by radiative and convective heat exchange methods. However, the TABS handles only the sensible load. Therefore, a solid desiccant system is used along with TABS for maintaining the desired indoor humidity. Glass Fibre Reinforced Gypsum (GFRG) is used as a building material which is made up of reinforced glass and gypsum. It is used in the present study due to its low embodied energy. The combination of TABS and GFRG building is named as Thermally Activated Glass Fibre Reinforced Gypsum (TAGFRG) building. Ventilation rate of the proposed TAGFRG is maintained according to the standards prescribed by ASHRAE. To appreciate the energy saving potential and feasibility of TAGFRG building, its thermal performance is compared with that of the conventional concrete building. Both TAGFRG and conventional concrete building are constructed with the same dimensions (1m (L) x 1m (B) x 1m (H)) for such comparison. The present study analyses the influence of various operating parameters on the performance of the proposed TAGFRG. The operating parameters considered are cooling water temperature, cooling surfaces and air velocity. The performance parameters used to evaluate the indoor thermal comfort of the proposed TAGFRG are indoor temperature and humidity, Predicted Percentage Dissatisfied (PPD) and Predicted Mean Vote (PMV). The decrease in supply water temperature and increase in radiant surface area, increase the thermal comfort level of the indoor. The results of the present study will be useful for predicting the optimum design of proposed TAGFRG which has the potential to reduce the energy consumption and carbon emission of the building sector

Tangeretin regulates platelet function through inhibition of phosphoinositide 3-Kinase and cyclic nucleotide signaling

OBJECTIVE: Dietary flavonoids have long been appreciated in reducing cardiovascular disease risk factors, but their mechanisms of action are complex in nature. In this study, the effects of tangeretin, a dietary flavonoid, were explored on platelet function, signaling, and hemostasis. APPROACH AND RESULTS: Tangeretin inhibited agonist-induced human platelet activation in a concentration-dependent manner. It inhibited agonist-induced integrin αIIbβ3 inside-out and outside-in signaling, intracellular calcium mobilization, and granule secretion. Tangeretin also inhibited human platelet adhesion and subsequent thrombus formation on collagen-coated surfaces under arterial flow conditions in vitro and reduced hemostasis in mice. Further characterization to explore the mechanism by which tangeretin inhibits platelet function revealed distinctive effects of platelet signaling. Tangeretin was found to inhibit phosphoinositide 3-kinase-mediated signaling and increase cGMP levels in platelets, although phosphodiesterase activity was unaffected. Consistent with increased cGMP levels, tangeretin increased the phosphorylation of vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein at S239. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides support for the ability and mechanisms of action of dietary flavonoids to modulate platelet signaling and function, which may affect the risk of thrombotic disease

Antitumor effect of leaves of Ravenala madagascariensis Sonn., in PANC1 and SW1990 pancreatic cell lines

Pancreatic cancer is the seventh leading cause of cancer-related deaths in developed countries with an average survival rate of less than 9%. Up to 80% of the patients with pancreatic cancer are found to be diabetic at the time of diagnosis. Leaves of Ravenala madagascariensis Sonn., have been traditionally used in the treatment of diabetes and was scientifically proven to be effective as an antidiabetic, hypolipidemic, renoprotective and antioxidant agent. In the present study, the antitumor effect of successive ethanolic leaf extract over two human pancreatic cancer cell lines PANC1 and SW1990 was evaluated by MTT assay. The shade dried, powdered leaves of R. madagascariensis, was subjected to successive soxhlet extraction with n-hexane, ethyl acetate followed by ethanol, concentrated and evaporated to dryness. The extract was subjected to preliminary phytochemical screening and was found to possess alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, glycosides, phenols and tannins. The thin layer chromatography and high performance thin layer chromatography of various extracts of R. madagascariensis, was established. Based on the free radical scavenging potential, the ethanol extract was selected for further cytotoxicity studies. The ethanolic extract exhibited excellent cytotoxic effect against PANC1 and SW1990 with an IC50 value of 12.58 µg/mL and 18.9 µg/mL respectively. Thus the results validate the antitumor potential of R. madagascariensis, leaf extract against pancreatic cancer and further studies were aimed at the identification of active components responsible for the activity

Antitumor effect of leaves of Ravenala madagascariensis Sonn., in PANC1 and SW1990 pancreatic cell lines

89-95Pancreatic cancer is the seventh leading cause of cancer-related deaths in developed countries with an average survival rate of less than 9%. Up to 80% of the patients with pancreatic cancer are found to be diabetic at the time of diagnosis. Leaves of Ravenala madagascariensis Sonn., have been traditionally used in the treatment of diabetes and was scientifically proven to be effective as an antidiabetic, hypolipidemic, renoprotective and antioxidant agent. In the present study, the antitumor effect of successive ethanolic leaf extract over two human pancreatic cancer cell lines PANC1 and SW1990 was evaluated by MTT assay. The shade dried, powdered leaves of R. madagascariensis, was subjected to successive soxhlet extraction with n-hexane, ethyl acetate followed by ethanol, concentrated and evaporated to dryness. The extract was subjected to preliminary phytochemical screening and was found to possess alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, glycosides, phenols and tannins. The thin layer chromatography and high performance thin layer chromatography of various extracts of R. madagascariensis, was established. Based on the free radical scavenging potential, the ethanol extract was selected for further cytotoxicity studies. The ethanolic extract exhibited excellent cytotoxic effect against PANC1 and SW1990 with an IC50 value of 12.58 µg/mL and 18.9 µg/mL respectively. Thus the results validate the antitumor potential of R. madagascariensis, leaf extract against pancreatic cancer and further studies were aimed at the identification of active components responsible for the activity

Intracellular trafficking, localization, and mobilization of platelet-borne thiol isomerases

OBJECTIVE: Thiol isomerases facilitate protein folding in the endoplasmic reticulum, and several of these enzymes, including protein disulfide isomerase and ERp57, are mobilized to the surface of activated platelets, where they influence platelet aggregation, blood coagulation, and thrombus formation. In this study, we examined the synthesis and trafficking of thiol isomerases in megakaryocytes, determined their subcellular localization in platelets, and identified the cellular events responsible for their movement to the platelet surface on activation. APPROACH AND RESULTS: Immunofluorescence microscopy imaging was used to localize protein disulfide isomerase and ERp57 in murine and human megakaryocytes at various developmental stages. Immunofluorescence microscopy and subcellular fractionation analysis were used to localize these proteins in platelets to a compartment distinct from known secretory vesicles that overlaps with an inner cell-surface membrane region defined by the endoplasmic/sarcoplasmic reticulum proteins calnexin and sarco/endoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase 3. Immunofluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry were used to monitor thiol isomerase mobilization in activated platelets in the presence and absence of actin polymerization (inhibited by latrunculin) and in the presence or absence of membrane fusion mediated by Munc13-4 (absent in platelets from Unc13dJinx mice). CONCLUSIONS: Platelet-borne thiol isomerases are trafficked independently of secretory granule contents in megakaryocytes and become concentrated in a subcellular compartment near the inner surface of the platelet outer membrane corresponding to the sarco/endoplasmic reticulum of these cells. Thiol isomerases are mobilized to the surface of activated platelets via a process that requires actin polymerization but not soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive fusion protein attachment receptor/Munc13-4-dependent vesicular-plasma membrane fusion

Template-Assisted Synthesis and Characterization of Passivated Nickel Nanoparticles

Potential applications of nickel nanoparticles demand the synthesis of self-protected nickel nanoparticles by different synthesis techniques. A novel and simple technique for the synthesis of self-protected nickel nanoparticles is realized by the inter-matrix synthesis of nickel nanoparticles by cation exchange reduction in two types of resins. Two different polymer templates namely strongly acidic cation exchange resins and weakly acidic cation exchange resins provided with cation exchange sites which can anchor metal cations by the ion exchange process are used. The nickel ions which are held at the cation exchange sites by ion fixation can be subsequently reduced to metal nanoparticles by using sodium borohydride as the reducing agent. The composites are cycled repeating the loading reduction cycle involved in the synthesis procedure. X-Ray Diffraction, Scanning Electron Microscopy, Transmission Electron microscopy, Energy Dispersive Spectrum, and Inductively Coupled Plasma Analysis are effectively utilized to investigate the different structural characteristics of the nanocomposites. The hysteresis loop parameters namely saturation magnetization and coercivity are measured using Vibrating Sample Magnetometer. The thermomagnetization study is also conducted to evaluate the Curie temperature values of the composites. The effect of cycling on the structural and magnetic characteristics of the two composites are dealt in detail. A comparison between the different characteristics of the two nanocomposites is also provided

Structural, functional and mechanistic insights uncover the fundamental role of orphan connexin-62 in platelets

Connexins (Cxs) oligomerise to form hexameric hemichannels in the plasma membrane that can further dock together on adjacent cells to form gap junctions and facilitate intercellular-trafficking of molecules. In this study, we report the expression and function of an ‘orphan’ connexin, Cx62, in human and mouse (Cx57, mouse homologue) platelets. A novel mimetic peptide (62Gap27) was developed to target the second extracellular loop of Cx62 and 3D structural models predicted its interference with gap junction and hemichannel function. The ability of 62Gap27 to regulate both gap junction and hemichannel-mediated intercellular communication was observed using FRAP analysis and flow cytometry. Cx62 inhibition by 62Gap27 suppressed a range of agonist-stimulated platelet functions and impaired thrombosis and haemostasis. This was associated with elevated PKA-dependent signalling in a cyclic adenosine monophosphate-independent manner, and was not observed in Cx57 deficient mouse platelets (in which the selectivity of 62Gap27 for this connexin was also confirmed). Notably, Cx62 hemichannels were observed to function independently of Cx37 and Cx40 hemichannels. Together, our data reveal a fundamental role for a hitherto uncharacterised connexin in the regulation of the function of circulating cells

Antibacterial and antiviral properties of Chenopodin-derived synthetic peptides

Antimicrobial peptides have been developed based on plant-derived molecular scaffolds for the treatment of infectious diseases. Chenopodin is an abundant seed storage protein in quinoa, an An-dean plant with high nutritional and therapeutic properties. Here, we used computer- and physico-chemical-based strategies and designed four peptides derived from the primary structure of Che-nopodin. Two peptides reproduce natural fragments of 14 amino acids from Chenopodin, named Chen1 and Chen2 and two engineered peptides of the same length were designed based on the Chen1 sequence. The two amino acids of Chen1 containing amide side chains were replaced by ar-ginine (ChenR) or tryptophan (ChenW) to generate engineered cationic and hydrophobic peptides. The evaluation of these 14-mer peptides on Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli showed that Chen1 does not have antibacterial activity up to 512 µM against these strains, while other peptides exhibited antibacterial effects at lower concentrations. The chemical substitutions of glutamine and asparagine by amino acids with cationic or aromatic side chains significantly favoured their antibacterial effects. These peptides did not show significant hemolytic activity. Fluorescence mi-croscopy analysis highlighted the membranolytic nature of Chenopodin-derived peptides. Using molecular dynamic simulations, we found that a pore is formed when multiple peptides are as-sembled in the membrane. Whereas some of them form secondary structures when interacting with the membrane, allowing water translocations during the simulations. Finally, Chen2 and ChenR significantly reduced SARS-CoV-2 infection. These findings demonstrate that Chenopodin is a highly useful template for design, engineering, and manufacturing of non-toxic, antibacterial, and antiviral peptides

Synthesis, growth and characterization of NaAl(SO4)·H2O triangular prism single crystal for inorganic NLO application

An inorganic coordination complex of single crystal containing sodium and aluminum (SA) was grown at room temperature by slow evaporation technique. The crystal was characterized using single crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD), FT-IR, UV-Vis, SHG, SEM, EDX and TG/DTA analyses. The size of the grown crystal was around 17 mm × 15 mm × 5 mm. Both optical and SEM photographs confirmed that the crystal is transparent with smooth surface. The XRD data showed that the crystal belongs to the BCC crystal structure. The crystal shows excellent transparency in the entire region of visible light (cut-off value is 339 cm−1). The dielectric constant as well as dielectric loss of the sample was calculated by varying frequencies at different temperatures and the presence of low dielectric loss proved that this crystal can be used for the NLO application

Formation of electroless Ni–B coatings using low temperature bath and evaluation of their characteristic properties

The formation of electroless Ni–B coatings obtained using a low temperature bath and evaluation of their characteristic properties are addressed in this paper. An alkaline bath having nickel chloride as the source of nickel and borohydride as the reducing agent was used to prepare the electroless Ni–B coatings. The influence of concentration of sodium borohydride in bath on the plating rate and the nickel/boron content of the resultant Ni–B coatings was studied. Selected coatings were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning lorimetry (DSC) and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), respectively, for assessing the phase content, phase transformation behaviour and magnetic properties. XRD patterns reveal that the structure of electroless Ni–B coatings in as-plated condition is a function of the boron content of the coating: higher the boron content, greater the amorphous nature of the coating and vice-versa. DSC traces exhibit two exothermic peaks around 300 and 420 °C, corresponding to the phase transformation of crystalline nickel and Ni3B phases at 300 °C and the transformation of a higher phase compound to Ni3B at 420 °C. VSM studies indicate that the magnetic properties of the coating is also a function of the boron content of the coating: higher the boron content, lesser the saturation magnetization