Effects of calcination temperature and time on the ca3co4o9 purity when synthesized using starch-assisted sol-gel combustion method

Ca3Co4O9 is a p-type semiconducting material that is well-known for its thermoelectric (TE), magnetic, electronic, and electro-optic properties. In this study, sol-gel autoignition was used to prepare Ca3Co4O9 at different calcination temperatures (773, 873, 973, and 1073 K) and time (4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 14 h) using starch as a fuel. The phase and microstructure of the prepared Ca3Co4O9 powder were investigated. Thermogravimetry.differential thermal analysis (TGA) confirms that the final weight loss occurred at 1073 K to form Ca3Co4O9 stable powder. The variable-pressure scanning electron microscopy (VP-SEM) images show that the size of powder particles increases from 1.15 to 1.47 μm as calcination time increases from 4 to 12 h, and the size remains almost constant thereafter. A similar pattern is also observed on the increment of the crystallite size and percentage of crystallinity with X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. The highest crystallinity is found about 92.9% when the powder was calcinated at 1073 K for 12 and 14 h with 458 and 460 Å crystallite size, respectively. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) analysis demonstrates that the calcinated powder has a high intensity of Ca, Co, and O with uniform distribution. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) images prove that there is no distinct lattice distortion defect on the crystal structure

ANTIMICROBIAL AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF METHANOLIC ROOT EXTRACT OF TABERNAEMONTANA ALTERNIFOLIA L

Objective: The infectious diseases caused by bacteria are a major problem and most of them are resistant to the present antibiotics. Also the free radicals act on structural and functional architecture of the cell in turn lead to cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of the cell. In this regard plants would have molecules alternative to antibiotics with higher safety, efficiency and will play a key role in maintaining human health.Methods: In this study antimicrobial activity of methanolic crude extract of Tabernaemontana alternifolia root extract was determined by an agar gel diffusion method against Bacillus flexus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and Proteus aureus and E. coli bacteria, Aspergillus terreus and Scopulariopsis sp. fungi. Antioxidant potential of root extract was determined by ABTS assay and DPPH method.Results: The methanolic root extracts of T. alternifolia posses significant antibacterial activity and reducing power. The significant inhibition was observed at 250, 500, 750, 1000µg/ml for Bacillus flexus, Proteus aureus bacteria. Staphylococcus aureus was inhibited at 1000µg/ml concentration of the plant extracts. Crude extract inhibited DPPH with IC50 value 250 µg/ml and ABTS with IC50 value 600 µg/ml. No antifungal activity was observed.Conclusion: The overall result can conclude that T. alternifolia root posses marked antibacterial activity and anti oxidant activity at lower concentration of plant extract.Â

Serum Lipid Profile and Electrocardiographic Changes in Young Smokers

Smoking represents an important and rapidly growing global cause of cardiovascular mortality and morbidity.Cigarrette smoking is one of the major modifiable risk factors of cardiovascular disease, unless smokers are able to quit, approximately 40% of them will die prematurely.The need of the hour is timely intervention through smoking cessation.Our study was carried out in young smokers to demonstrate the effects of smoking on lipid profile and electrocardiographic changes. We aimed to study the effect of smoking on lipid profile and electrocardiographic changes in young smokers.The study design was a cross sectional study comprising 75 male smokers and 75 healthy controls.Smoking history and physical examination was done .Fasting sample was analysed for lipid profile and electrocardiograph of all subjects were recorded.The statistical anaylsis between mean values were evaluated by student‘t' test. Statistical significance was assessed by chi-square test, p<0.001 was considered to be significant.The mean pulse rate, the mean systolic blood pressure, abnormal lipid profile and prolonged Qt interval were significantly higher in smokers (p<0.001).We demonstrated significant lipid abnormalities and electrocardiographic changes in young smokers who form an important risk group and target population in whom smoking cessation counseling should be carried out to decrease long term cardiovascular risk

Complement-Coagulation Cross-talk: Factor H-mediated regulation of the Complement Classical Pathway activation by fibrin clots

The classical pathway of the complement system is activated by the binding of C1q in the C1 complex to the target activator, including immune complexes. Factor H is regarded as the key downregulatory protein of the complement alternative pathway. However, both C1q and factor H bind to target surfaces via charge distribution patterns. For a few targets, C1q and factor H compete for binding to common or overlapping sites. Factor H, therefore, can effectively regulate the classical pathway activation through such targets, in addition to its previously characterized role in the alternative pathway. Both C1q and factor H are known to recognize foreign or altered-self materials, e.g., bacteria, viruses, and apoptotic/necrotic cells. Clots, formed by the coagulation system, are an example of altered self. Factor H is present abundantly in platelets and is a well-known substrate for FXIIIa. Here, we investigated whether clots activate the complement classical pathway and whether this is regulated by factor H. We show here that both C1q and factor H bind to the fibrin formed in microtiter plates and the fibrin clots formed under in vitro physiological conditions. Both C1q and factor H become covalently bound to fibrin clots, and this is mediated via FXIIIa. We also show that fibrin clots activate the classical pathway of complement, as demonstrated by C4 consumption and membrane attack complex detection assays. Thus, factor H downregulates the activation of the classical pathway induced by fibrin clots. These results elucidate the intricate molecular mechanisms through which the complement and coagulation pathways intersect and have regulatory consequences

Synthesis of 1,2-dimethyl-6-(2' -hydroxyisopropyl)-7 -methoxynaphthalene, an isomer of emmotin-G methyl ether

857-86

Low-Power and Area-Efficient Carry Select Adder

Carry Select Adder (CSLA) is one of the fastest adders used in many data-processing processors to perform fast arithmetic functions. From the structure of the CSLA, it is clear that there is scope for reducing the area and power consumption in the CSLA. This work uses a simple and efficient gate-level modification to significantly reduce the area and power of the CSLA. Based on this modification 8-, 16-, 32-, and 64-b square-root CSLA (SQRT CSLA) architecture have been developed and compared with the regular SQRT CSLA architecture. The proposed design has reduced area and power as compared with the regular SQRT CSLA with only a slight increase in the delay. This work evaluates the performance of the proposed designs in terms of delay, area, power, and their products by hand with logical effort and through custom design and layout in CMOS process technology. The results analysis shows that the proposed CSLA structure takes only 30.385 ns which is better than the regular SQRT CSLA

GALLSTONES IN PATIENTS WITH INHERITED HEMOLYTIC DISEASES

The purpose is to provide an overview on the incidence of gallstone disease in patients with various types of inherited (chronic) hemolytic diseases at risk of cholelithiasis/choledocholithiasis with particular emphasis on its pathogenesis, genetic, risk factors and management. A detailed electronic literature search to determine the source of materials for this review article was done. The reported incidences of gallstones and choledocholithiasis vary according to the different types of inherited hemolytic diseases and the ethnicity of the studied populations. To date, no review article summarises the incidences of cholelithiasis in patients with various inherited haemolytic diseases was published. Regular ultrasound examination for the presence of gallstones recommended in patients with inherited haemolytic anaemias, particularly those with additional risk factors recommended. Further studies for evaluating the reasons for the higher incidence of cholelithiasis in thalassemia major and sickle cell anemia compared to hereditary spherocytosis; the effect of co inheritance of alpha thalassaemia on decreasing bilirubin level in patients with sickle cell disease and beta thalassaemia; the effect of the co inheritance of UGT1A1 and ABCG8 gene mutation on the incidence of gallstones in other blood diseases such as Hb-H disease, autoimmune haemolytic anaemias, congenital dyserythropoietic anaemia, hereditary elliptocytosis, Southeast Asian Ovalocytosis, glucose-6-phosphate and pyruvate kinase deficiency are recommended. Evaluation of the potential role of the solubility of the mutant proteins and haemoglobin subunit in the red blood cells as an additional mechanism for the development of gallstones in patients with inherited haemolytic anaemias recommended

Acidic Nanoparticles Are Trafficked to Lysosomes and Restore an Acidic Lysosomal pH and Degradative Function to Compromised ARPE-19 Cells

Lysosomal enzymes function optimally in acidic environments, and elevation of lysosomal pH can impede their ability to degrade material delivered to lysosomes through autophagy or phagocytosis. We hypothesize that abnormal lysosomal pH is a key aspect in diseases of accumulation and that restoring lysosomal pH will improve cell function. The propensity of nanoparticles to end up in the lysosome makes them an ideal method of delivering drugs to lysosomes. This study asked whether acidic nanoparticles could traffic to lysosomes, lower lysosomal pH and enhance lysosomal degradation by the cultured human retinal pigmented epithelial cell line ARPE-19. Acidic nanoparticles composed of poly (DL-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) 502 H, PLGA 503 H and poly (DL-lactide) (PLA) colocalized to lysosomes of ARPE-19 cells within 60 min. PLGA 503 H and PLA lowered lysosomal pH in cells compromised by the alkalinizing agent chloroquine when measured 1 hr. after treatment, with acidification still observed 12 days later. PLA enhanced binding of Bodipy-pepstatin-A to the active site of cathepsin D in compromised cells. PLA also reduced the cellular levels of opsin and the lipofuscin-like autofluorescence associated with photoreceptor outer segments. These observations suggest the acidification produced by the nanoparticles was functionally effective. In summary, acid nanoparticles lead to a rapid and sustained lowering of lysosomal pH and improved degradative activity. © 2012 Baltazar et al

Acidic Nanoparticles Are Trafficked to Lysosomes and Restore an Acidic Lysosomal pH and Degradative Function to Compromised ARPE-19 Cells

Lysosomal enzymes function optimally in acidic environments, and elevation of lysosomal pH can impede their ability to degrade material delivered to lysosomes through autophagy or phagocytosis. We hypothesize that abnormal lysosomal pH is a key aspect in diseases of accumulation and that restoring lysosomal pH will improve cell function. The propensity of nanoparticles to end up in the lysosome makes them an ideal method of delivering drugs to lysosomes. This study asked whether acidic nanoparticles could traffic to lysosomes, lower lysosomal pH and enhance lysosomal degradation by the cultured human retinal pigmented epithelial cell line ARPE-19. Acidic nanoparticles composed of poly (DL-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) 502 H, PLGA 503 H and poly (DL-lactide) (PLA) colocalized to lysosomes of ARPE-19 cells within 60 min. PLGA 503 H and PLA lowered lysosomal pH in cells compromised by the alkalinizing agent chloroquine when measured 1 hr. after treatment, with acidification still observed 12 days later. PLA enhanced binding of Bodipy-pepstatin-A to the active site of cathepsin D in compromised cells. PLA also reduced the cellular levels of opsin and the lipofuscin-like autofluorescence associated with photoreceptor outer segments. These observations suggest the acidification produced by the nanoparticles was functionally effective. In summary, acid nanoparticles lead to a rapid and sustained lowering of lysosomal pH and improved degradative activity