Determination of <i>n</i>-alkane constituents and their phenological variation in the epicuticular wax of mature leaves of <i>Nyctanthes arbor-tristis</i> L.

<div><p>The present communication is a first-time report on the analyses of <i>n</i>-alkane profile of epicuticular wax extracted from the mature leaves of <i>Nyctanthes arbor-tristis</i> L. during a calender year. The composition of <i>n</i>-alkanes revealed hentriacontane (<i>n</i>-C₃₁), tritriacontane (<i>n</i>-C₃₃), tetratriacontane (<i>n</i>-C₃₅) and nonacosane (<i>n</i>-C₂₉) as the major constituents with tritriacontane (<i>n</i>-C₃₃) being the dominant constituent. The cumulative percentage of these four odd-numbered alkanes also showed phenological variation being highest during the fruit ripening stage (average value 63.29%) followed by the flowering stage (mean value 60.74%). The values remained moderate on an average of 54.31% for the rest of the year. This study also confirms the xerophytic feature of the plant having higher proportion of longer carbon chain <i>n</i>-alkanes greater than C₃₁ (dominant peaks are of C₃₃ and C₃₅).</p></div

Optical Properties of Zn2Mo3O8: Combination of Theoretical and Experimental Study

We have investigated the electronic structure and optical properties of zinc molybdenum oxide (Zn2Mo3O8) by using both first-principle calculations and experiments. Optical properties of this material is very similar to other ternary oxides of tetravalent molybdenum (A(2)Mo(3)O(8): A = Mg, Fe, Cd); therefore, this study provides meaningful insight into optical properties and possible phtotovoltaic applicability of these class of metal oxide cluster compounds. We use state-of-the-art methods, based on density functional theory and the GW approximation to the self-energy, to obtain the quasiparticle band structure and absorption spectra of the material. Our calculations shows that Zn2Mo3O8 is a near indirect gap semiconductor with an indirect gap of 3.14 eV. The direct gap of the material is 3.16 eV. We also calculate the optical absorption in the material. Calculated results compare well with UV-visible spectroscopy and spectroscopic ellipsometry measurements done on polycrystalline thin films of Zn2Mo3O8. We show the material has a large excitonic binding energy of 0.78 eV

Radiosensitizing effect of ellagic acid on growth of Hepatocellular carcinoma cells: an in vitro study

Abstract Failure of treatment for cancer in clinic by radio/chemotherapy is generally attributed to tumour resistance. Therefore, it is important to develop strategies to increase the cytotoxicity of tumour cells by radiation in combination with unique tumour selective cytotoxic agents. We evaluated the potential of ellagic acid (EA) as an enhancer of oxidative stress in cancer cells. HepG2 cells were treated with EA (10 µM) for 12 h prior to exposure of single 7.5 Gy dose of irradiation. Treatment of HepG2 cells with EA and gamma radiation showed increased reactive oxygen species generation, up regulation of p53 protein expression, decreased survival markers level like p-Akt, p-NF-kB and p-STAT3 which were significantly higher after radiation treatment alone. We also found that combination treatment increased G2/M phase cell population, decreased IL-6, COX–2 and TNF-α expression and caused a loss in mitochondrial membrane potential with decreased level of angiogenesis marker MMP-9. Over expression of Bax and activation of caspase 3 indicated the apoptosis of the cells. The results provided a strong unique strategy to kill cancer cells HepG2, using less radiation dose along with effective pro-oxidant dose of EA

Optical Properties of Zn₂Mo₃O₈: Combination of Theoretical and Experimental Study

We have investigated the electronic structure and optical properties of zinc molybdenum oxide (Zn₂Mo₃O₈) by using both first-principle calculations and experiments. Optical properties of this material is very similar to other ternary oxides of tetravalent molybdenum (A₂Mo₃O₈: A = Mg, Fe, Cd); therefore, this study provides meaningful insight into optical properties and possible phtotovoltaic applicability of these class of metal oxide cluster compounds. We use state-of-the-art methods, based on density functional theory and the GW approximation to the self-energy, to obtain the quasiparticle band structure and absorption spectra of the material. Our calculations shows that Zn₂Mo₃O₈ is a near indirect gap semiconductor with an indirect gap of 3.14 eV. The direct gap of the material is 3.16 eV. We also calculate the optical absorption in the material. Calculated results compare well with UV–visible spectroscopy and spectroscopic ellipsometry measurements done on polycrystalline thin films of Zn₂Mo₃O₈. We show the material has a large excitonic binding energy of 0.78 eV

Electrical and optical properties of low-bandgap oxide Zn2Mo3O8 for optoelectronic applications

Semiconducting metal oxides are attractive for various applications since most oxides are non-toxic, stable, and easy to deposit. Wide band-gap materials have been studied more extensively, compared to low bandgap materials, which introduces limitations to the applications of oxides. Study of low band-gap semiconducting oxides can propel the usage of oxides in a wider range of applications. Here, the electronic, structural, and optical properties of Zn2Mo3O8 (ZMO) are investigated. Stoichiometric polycrystalline films of ZMO are deposited using pulsed laser deposition system at room temperature. The unintentionally n-doped films show a hall electron mobility of 0.7 cm(2)V(-1) s(-1) and have a bandgap of 2.1 eV. The photoelectron spectra contain complex peak profiles which are explained to be a manifestation of final state effects. The orbital contribution to the valence band of ZMO is probed using resonant photoelectron spectroscopy, which confirms that the valence band is composed of Mo 4d levels. The conduction and valence band edges are predicted to be at 4.2 eV and 6.3 eV, so most of the conventional wide band-gap oxides can be used as hole-blocking layers with ZMO. Under A.M. 1.5 illumination, single-sided Schottky diode with Fluorine-doped fin oxide/TiO2/ZMO/Au structure shows no photovoltaic action, possibly due to high exciton binding energy and low carrier drift lengths. However, the Schottky device shows a higher current under illumination, which suggests that with improvement in carrier drift lengths, ZMO can find applications in low-cost optoelectronic devices on flexible substrates like plastic or Polyethylene terephthalate

An association study of severity of intellectual disability with peripheral biomarkers of disabled children in a rehabilitation home, Kolkata, India

International audienceThe current investigation has identified the biomarkers associated withseverity of disability and correlation among plethora of systemic,cellular and molecular parameters of intellectual disability (ID) in arehabilitation home. The background of study lies with the recentclinical evidences which identified complications in ID. Variousindicators from blood and peripheral system serve as potentialsurrogates for disability related changes in brain functions. IDsubjects (Male, age 10 ± 5 yrs, N = 45) were classified as mild,moderate and severe according to the severity of disability usingstandard psychometric analysis. Clinical parameters including stressbiomarkers, neurotransmitters, RBC morphology, expressions ofinflammatory proteins and neurotrophic factor were estimated from PBMC,RBC and serum. The lipid peroxidation of PBMC and RBC membranes, levelsof serum glutamate, serotonin, homocysteine, ROS, lactate and LDH-Aexpression increased significantly with severity of ID whereas changesin RBC membrane ?-actin, serum BDNF, TNF-? and IL-6 was found non-significant. Structural abnormalities of RBC were more in severelydisabled children compared to mildly affected ones. The oxidative stressremained a crucial factor with severity of disability. This is confirmednot only by RBC alterations but also with other cellular dysregulations.The present article extends unique insights of how severity ofdisability is correlated with various clinical, cellular and molecularmarkers of blood. This unique study primarily focuses on the strongpredictors of severity of disability and their associations via brain-blood axis

Gossypetin ameliorates ionizing radiation-induced oxidative stress in mice liver—a molecular approach

<div><p></p><p>Radioprotective action of gossypetin (GTIN) against gamma (γ)-radiation-induced oxidative stress in liver was explored in the present article. Our main aim was to evaluate the protective efficacy of GTIN against radiation-induced alteration of liver in murine system. To evaluate the effect of GTIN, it was orally administered to mice at a dose of 30 mg/kg body weight for three consecutive days prior to γ-radiation at a dose of 5 Gy. Radioprotective efficacy of GTIN were evaluated at physiological, cellular, and molecular level using biochemical analysis, comet assay, flow cytometry, histopathology, immunofluorescence, and immunoblotting techniques. Ionizing radiation was responsible for augmentation of hepatic oxidative stress in terms of lipid peroxidation and depletion of endogenous antioxidant enzymes. Immunoblotting and immunofluorescence studies showed that irradiation enhanced the nuclear translocation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) level, which leads to hepatic inflammation. To investigate further, we found that radiation induced the activation of stress-activated protein kinase/c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (SAPK/JNK)-mediated apoptotic pathway and deactivation of the NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)-mediated redox signaling pathway, whereas GTIN pretreatment ameliorated these radiation-mediated effects. This is the novel report where GTIN rationally validated the molecular mechanism in terms of the modulation of cellular signaling system’ instead of ‘ This is the novel report where GTIN is rationally validated in molecular terms to establish it as promising radioprotective agents. This might be fruitful especially for nuclear workers and defense personnel assuming the possibility of radiation exposure.</p></div