Fluorescent probe for specific detection of cysteine in the lipid dense region of cells - Ali, Firoj; Anila, H. A.; Taye, Nandaraj; Gonnade, Rajesh G.; Chattopadhyay, Samit; Das, Amitava (Chemical Communications, 2015)
A new cysteine (Cys) specific chemodosimetric reagent (ER-F) is used in imaging of endogenous Cys localized in the lipid dense region of the live Hct116 cells and the release of Cys within HepG2 cells from a drug following a biochemical transformation. A silica surface, modified with ER-F, could be used for quantitative estimation of Cys present in aqueous solution (pH 7.2) and in a human blood plasma (HBP).

Fractional photo-current dependence of graphene quantum dots prepared from carbon nanotubes - Kundu, Sumana; Ghosh, Sujoy; Fralaide, Michael; Narayanan, T. N.; Pillai, Vijayamohanan K.; Talapatra, Saikat (Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 2015)
We report on the photo-conductivity studies of chemically synthesized graphene quantum dots (GQDs) of average size 12 nm obtained by the oxidative acid treatment of MWCNTs. The dependence of photocurrent I-ph (I-ph = I-ill - I-dark) on the laser intensity P under a wide range of laser intensities (5 mW <= P <= 60 mW) shows a fractional power dependence of I-ph on light intensity. The temperature dependence (300 K < T < 50 K) of I-ph observed in thin films of these GQDs indicates that in the higher temperature region (T > similar to 100 K), as the temperature increases, the number of thermally generated carriers increase resulting in increased I-ph. At sufficiently low temperatures (T <= 100 K), a constant I-ph is observed, indicating a constant photocarrier density. Such a behavior is typically observed in many photoactive disordered semiconductors, which are often used in a variety of applications. We believe that the investigations presented here will enhance our understanding of the photocurrent generation phenomenon in chemically obtained GQDs.

FRET-based probe for monitoring pH changes in lipid-dense region of Hct116 cells - Reddy, Upendar G.; Anila, H. A.; Ali, Firoj; Taye, Nandaraj; Chattopadhyay, Samit; Das, Amitava (Organic Letters, 2015)
A rhodamine conjugate (L) with a pseudo Stokes shift of 165 nm is used for probing changes in solution pH under physiological conditions. This reagent is found to be nontoxic, and the luminescence response could be used for imaging changes in endogenous pH induced by dexamethanose (DMT) in the endoplasmic reticulum.

Functional characterization of novel sesquiterpene synthases from Indian sandalwood, santalum album - Srivastava, Prabhakar Lal; Daramwar, Pankaj P.; Krithika, Ramakrishnan; Pandreka, Avinash; Shankar, S. Shiva; Thulasiram, Hirekodathakallu V. (Scientific Reports, 2015)
Indian Sandalwood, Santalum album L. is highly valued for its fragrant heartwood oil and is dominated by a blend of sesquiterpenes. Sesquiterpenes are formed through cyclization of farnesyl diphosphate (FPP), catalyzed by metal dependent terpene cyclases. This report describes the cloning and functional characterization of five genes, which encode two sesquisabinene synthases (SaSQS1, SaSQS2), bisabolene synthase (SaBS), santalene synthase (SaSS) and farnesyl diphosphate synthase (SaFDS) using the transcriptome sequencing of S. album. Using Illumina next generation sequencing, 33.32 million high quality raw reads were generated, which were assembled into 84,094 unigenes with an average length of 494.17 bp. Based on the transcriptome sequencing, five sesquiterpene synthases SaFDS, SaSQS1, SaSQS2, SaBS and SaSS involved in the biosynthesis of FPP, sesquisabinene, beta-bisabolene and santalenes, respectively, were cloned and functionally characterized. Novel sesquiterpene synthases (SaSQS1 and SaSQS2) were characterized as isoforms of sesquisabinene synthase with varying kinetic parameters and expression levels. Furthermore, the feasibility of microbial production of sesquisabinene from both the unigenes, SaSQS1 and SaSQS2 in non-optimized bacterial cell for the preparative scale production of sesquisabinene has been demonstrated. These results may pave the way for in vivo production of sandalwood sesquiterpenes in genetically tractable heterologous systems.

Furosemide cocrystals with pyridines: an interesting case of color cocrystal polymorphism - Sangtani, Ekta; Sahu, Sanjay Kumar; Thorat, Shridhar H.; Gawade, Rupesh L.; Jha, Kunal K.; Munshi, Parthapratim; Gonnade, Rajesh G. (Crystal Growth & Design, 2015)
Furosemide (FS), a loop diuretic drug commonly used for the treatment of hypertension and edema, exhibited color cocrystal polymorphism with coformer 4,4'-bipyridine (4BPY) in the stoichiometry 2:1, albeit both the API and the cocrystal former are colorless. Crystallization from ethanol, isopropanol, ethanol-water (v/v, 1/1) mixture, and acetonitrile yielded pale yellow (form II, thin needles) and orange (form 1II, blocks) cocrystals concomitantly. Needles appeared from solution within a day, while the blocks were obtained after 1-2 days from the same flask, indicating that yellow needles were formed faster and the orange blocks were perhaps formed under thermodynamic conditions. Form 1I cocrystals could also be produced from the variety of common solvents. Cocrystallization of FS with 2,2'-bipyridine (2BPY) and 4-aminopyridine (4AP) gave colorless cocrystals 2 and 3, respectively, and did not exhibit polymorphism. The single-crystal X-ray structures, powder X-ray diffraction, photophysical characterization, differential scanning calorimetry, hot stage microscopy studies, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations provide insight into the structure property relationship. The common structural features observed in all of the structures is the formation of sandwich motifs comprising FS and pyridines through pi-stacking interactions. These motifs are linked differently through hydrogen bonding interactions in all three directions. The significant color difference between the two cocrystals dimorphs could be attributed to the different pi-stacking patterns and hydrogen bonding interactions between molecules of FS and 4BPY in their cocrystal structures. Investigation on the origin of the color difference using DFT calculations revealed the decrease in HOMO-LUMO gap for form 1II cocrystals (orange) compared to form 1I crystals (light yellow). The crystal-to-crystal thermal transformation of form 1I crystals to form 1II crystals of 1 suggests the role of pi-stacking assemblies in driving the self-assembly.

Gedunin and azadiradione: human pancreatic alpha-amylase inhibiting limonoids from neem (azadirachta indica) as anti-diabetic agents - Ponnusamy, Sudha; Haldar, Saikat; Mulani, Fayaj A.; Smita S. Zinjarde; Thulasiram, Hirekodathakallu; RaviKumar, Ameeta (Plos One, 2015)
Human pancreatic alpha-amylase (HPA) inhibitors offer an effective strategy to lower postprandial hyperglycemia via control of starch breakdown. Limonoids from Azadirachta indica known for their therapeutic potential were screened for pancreatic alpha-amylase inhibition, a known anti-diabetic target. Studies were carried out to reveal their mode of action so as to justify their hypoglycemic potential. Of the nine limonoids isolated/semi-synthesized from A. indica and screened for alpha-amylase inhibition, azadiradione and exhibited potential inhibition with an IC50 value of 74.17 and 68.38 mu M, respectively against HPA under in vitro conditions. Further screening on AR42J alpha-amylase secretory cell line for cytotoxicity and bioactivity revealed that azadiradione and gedunin exhibited cytotoxicity with IC50 of 11.1 and 13.4 mu M. Maximal secreted alpha-amylase inhibition of 41.8% and 53.4% was seen at 3.5 and 3.3 mu M, respectively. Michaelis-Menten kinetics suggested a mixed mode of inhibition with maltopentaose (K-i 42.2, 18.6 mu M) and starch (K-i' 75.8, 37.4 mu M) as substrate with a stiochiometry of 1: 1 for both azadiradione and gedunin, respectively. The molecular docking simulation indicated plausible p-alkyl and alkyl-alkyl interactions between the aromatic amino acids and inhibitors. Fluorescence and CD confirmed the involvement of tryptophan and tyrosine in ligand binding to HPA. Thermodynamic parameters suggested that binding is enthalpically and entropically driven with Delta G degrees of -21.25 kJ mol(-1) and -21.16 kJ mol(-1) for azadiradione and gedunin, respectively. Thus, the limonoids azadiradione and gedunin could bind and inactivate HPA (anti-diabetic target) and may prove to be lead drug candidates to reduce/control post-prandial hyperglycemia.

Gelation landscape engineering using a multi-reaction supramolecular hydrogelator system - Foster, Jamie S.; Zurek, Justyna M.; Almeida, Nuno M. S.; Hendriksen, Wouter E.; le Sage, Vincent A. A.; Lakshminarayanan, Vasudevan; Thompson, Amber L.; Banerjee, Rahul; Eelkema, Rienk; Mulvana, Helen; Paterson, Martin J.; van Esch, Jan H.; et al. (Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2015)
Simultaneous control of the kinetics and thermodynamics of two different types of covalent chemistry allows pathway selectivity in the formation of hydrogelating molecules from a complex reaction network. This can lead to a range of hydrogel materials with vastly different properties, starting from a set of simple starting compounds and reaction conditions. Chemical reaction between a trialdehyde and the tuberculosis drug isoniazid can form one, two, or three hydrazone connectivity products, meaning kinetic gelation pathways can be addressed. Simultaneously, thermodynamics control the formation of either a keto or an enol tautomer of the products, again resulting in vastly different materials. Overall, this shows that careful navigation of a reaction landscape using both kinetic and thermodynamic selectivity can be used to control material selection from a complex reaction network.

Genetic programming based quantitative structure-retention relationships for the prediction of Kovats retention indices - Goel, Purva; Bapat, Sanket; Vyas, Renu; Tambe, Amruta; Tambe, Sanjeev S. (Journal of Chromatography A, 2015)
The development of quantitative structure-retention relationships (QSRR) aims at constructing an appropriate linear/nonlinear model for the prediction of the retention behavior (such as Kovats retention index) of a solute on a chromatographic column. Commonly, multi-linear regression and artificial neural networks are used in the QSRR development in the gas chromatography (GC). In this study, an artificial intelligence based data-driven modeling formalism, namely genetic programming (GP), has been introduced for the development of quantitative structure based models predicting Kovats retention indices (KRI). The novelty of the GP formalism is that given an example dataset, it searches and optimizes both the form (structure) and the parameters of an appropriate linear/nonlinear data-fitting model. Thus, it is not necessary to pre-specify the form of the data-fitting model in the GP-based modeling. These models are also less complex, simple to understand, and easy to deploy. The effectiveness of GP in constructing QSRRs has been demonstrated by developing models predicting KRIs of light hydrocarbons (case study-I) and adamantane derivatives (case study-II). In each case study, two-, three- and four-descriptor models have been developed using the KRI data available in the literature. The results of these studies clearly indicate that the GP-based models possess an excellent KRI prediction accuracy and generalization capability. Specifically, the best performing four-descriptor models in both the case studies have yielded high (>0.9) values of the coefficient of determination (R-2) and low values of root mean squared error (RMSE) and mean absolute percent error (MAPE) for training, test and validation set data. The characteristic feature of this study is that it introduces a practical and an effective GP-based method for developing QSRRs in gas chromatography that can be gainfully utilized for developing other types of data-driven models in chromatography science. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Artificial intelligence; Gas chromatography; genetic programming; Kovats retention index; Molecular descriptors; Quantitative structure-retention relationships

Genotype x environment interactions and QTL clusters underlying dough rheology traits in triticum aestivum L. - Prashant, Ramya; Mani, Elangovan; Rai, Richa; Gupta, R. K.; Tiwari, Ratan; Dholakia, Bhushan B.; Oak, Manoj; Roeder, Marion; Kadoo, Narendra Y.; Gupta, Vidya (Journal of Cereal Science, 2015)
Genetic dissection of dough rheology traits (DRT) in hexaploid wheat was carried out using nine mixograph characters evaluated in two consecutive years in three agro-climatic zones in India in an RIL population (HI977 x HD2329). Pearson correlations determined in each year-location indicated 15 stable trait inter-relationships among them but inconsistent correlations with loaf volume (LV) were observed. Using AMMI analysis we derived patterns in G x E interactions (GEI) indicating 6-47% contribution for the DRT. Composite interval mapping using a linkage map of 202 SSR markers identified 144 DRT QTLs of which, 96 were detected in single- and the rest in two to five year-locations. Sixteen QTL clusters located on ten chromosomes were identified and only three of them on chromosomes 1B, 5B and 6D involved LV QTLs. For each trait, majority of the DRT QTLs detected in single as well as multiple environments showed location-specificity and suggested that owing to GEI, breeding for wheat dough quality might need careful selection of QTLs targeted for individual agro-climatic zones. The inconsistent correlations of DRT and LV and differential locations of their QTLs in this population corroborated that using dough rheological traits alone to predict LV might pose challenges during wheat improvement. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords: AMMI analysis; Dough rheology; Mixograph; QTL

Heat transfer and mixing in flow through pinched pipe - Hasabnis, Nilesh S.; Totlani, Kartik A.; Ranade, Vivek V. (Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering, 2015)
There is an increasing trend of using tubular reactors either with passive or active augmentation methods for process intensification. A new passive method with pinching of pipe' is proposed and investigated for its performance. In the present work, initially, flow in a pinched pipe was studied experimentally and the same was reproduced numerically. The computational model was then used to investigate influences of key geometrical parameters of pinched pipe configuration on pressure drop, heat transfer, and mixing. The simulated results obtained with the pinched pipe were compared with a straight pipe, and with a commonly-used passive augmentation method (twisted tape inserts). The pinched pipe configuration offers better performance and more flexibility in manipulating heat transfer and mixing in intensified devices.
Keywords: computational fluid dynamics (CFD); heat transfer; mixing; pinched pipe; pressure drop

Highly emissive organic solids with remarkably broad color tunability based on N,C-chelate, four-coordinate organoborons - Shaikh, Aslam C.; Ranade, Dnyanesh S.; Thorat, Shridhar; Maity, Arunava; Kulkarni, Prasad P.; Gonnade, Rajesh G.; Munshi, Parthapratim; Patil, Nitin T. (Chemical Communications, 2015)
Molecular fluorophores based on N,C-chelate, four-coordinate organo-borons exhibit tunable solid-state emission colors that cover the whole visible region from blue to red. The emission color can be tuned through the substituents on either quinolines or the boron center.

High-throughput simulations of dimer and trimer assembly of membrane proteins. the DAFT approach - Wassenaar, Tsjerk A.; Pluhackova, Kristyna; Moussatova, Anastassiia; Sengupta, Durba; Marrink, Siewert-Jan; Tieleman, D. Peter; Boeckmann, Rainer A. (Journal of Chemical Theory and Computation, 2015)
Interactions between membrane proteins are of great biological significance and are consequently an important target for pharmacological intervention. Unfortunately, it is still difficult to obtain detailed views on such interactions, both experimentally, where the environment hampers atomic resolution investigation, and computationally, where the time and length scales are problematic. Coarse grain simulations have alleviated the later issue, but the slow movement through the bilayer, coupled to the long life times of nonoptimal dimers, still stands in the way of characterizing binding distributions. In this work, we present DAFT, a Docking Assay For Transmembrane components, developed to identify preferred binding orientations. The method builds on a program developed recently for generating custom membranes, called insane (INSert membrANE). The key feature of DAFT is the setup of starting structures, for which optimal periodic boundary conditions are devised. The purpose of DAFT is to perform a large number of simulations with different components, starting from unbiased noninteracting initial states, such that the simulations evolve collectively, in a manner reflecting the underlying energy landscape of interaction. The implementation and characteristic features of DAFT are explained, and the efficacy and relaxation properties of the method are explored for oligomerization of glycophorin A dimers, polyleucine dimers and trimers, MS1 trimers, and rhodopsin dimers. The results suggest that, for simple helices, such as GpA and polyleucine, in POPC/DOPC membranes series of 500 simulations of 500 ns each allow characterization of the helix dimer orientations and allow comparing associating and nonassociating components. However, the results also demonstrate that short simulations may suffer significantly from nonconvergence of the ensemble and that using too few simulations may obscure or distort features of the interaction distribution. For trimers, simulation times exceeding several microseconds appear needed, due to the increased complexity. Similarly, characterization of larger proteins, such as rhodopsin, takes longer time scales due to the slower diffusion and the increased complexity of binding interfaces. DAFT and its auxiliary programs have been made available from http://cgmartini.nl/, together with a working example.

Identification and computational analysis of gene regulatory elements - Taher, Leila; Narlikar, Leelavati; Ovcharenko, Ivan (Cold Spring Harbor Protocols, 2015)
Over the last two decades, advances in experimental and computational technologies have greatly facilitated genomic research. Next-generation sequencing technologies have made de novo sequencing of large genomes affordable, and powerful computational approaches have enabled accurate annotations of genomic DNA sequences. Charting functional regions in genomes must account for not only the coding sequences, but also noncoding RNAs, repetitive elements, chromatin states, epigenetic modifications, and gene regulatory elements. A mix of comparative genomics, high-throughput biological experiments, and machine learning approaches has played a major role in this truly global effort. Here we describe some of these approaches and provide an account of our current understanding of the complex landscape of the human genome. We also present overviews of different publicly available, large-scale experimental data sets and computational tools, which we hope will prove beneficial for researchers working with large and complex genomes. © 2015 Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.

Influence of macromolecular architecture on necking in polymer extrusion film casting process - Pol, Harshawardhan V.; Banik, Sourya; Azad, Lal Busher; Thete, Sumeet; Doshi, Pankaj; Lele, Ashish (30th International Conference of the Polymer-Processing-Society (PPS), 2015)
Extrusion film casting (EFC) is an important polymer processing technique that is used to produce several thousand tons of polymer films/coatings on an industrial scale. In this research, we are interested in understanding quantitatively how macromolecular chain architecture (for example long chain branching (LCB) or molecular weight distribution (MWD or PDI)) influences the necking and thickness distribution of extrusion cast films. We have used different polymer resins of linear and branched molecular architecture to produce extrusion cast films under controlled experimental conditions. The necking profiles of the films were imaged and the velocity profiles during EFC were monitored using particle tracking velocimetry (PTV) technique. Additionally, the temperature profiles were captured using an IR thermography and thickness profiles were calculated. The experimental results are compared with predictions of one-dimensional flow model of Silagy et al(1) wherein the polymer resin rheology is modeled using molecular constitutive equations such as the Rolie-Poly (RP) and extended Pom Pom (XPP). We demonstrate that the 1-D flow model containing the molecular constitutive equations provides new insights into the role of macromolecular chain architecture on film necking. D-1. Silagy, Y. Demay, and J-F. Agassant, Polym. Eng. Sci., 36, 2614 (1996).

Insect trehalase: physiological significance and potential applications - Shukla, Ekta; Thorat, Leena J.; Nath, Bimalendu B.; Gaikwad, Sushama M. (Glycobiology, 2015)
Trehalose, a non-reducing disaccharide, is widespread throughout the biological world. It is the major blood sugar in insects playing a crucial role as an instant source of energy and in dealing with abiotic stresses. The hydrolysis of trehalose is under the enzymatic control of trehalase. The enzyme trehalase is gaining interest in insect physiology as it regulates energy metabolism and glucose generation via trehalose catabolism. The two forms of insect trehalase namely, Tre-1 and Tre-2, are important in energy supply, growth, metamorphosis, stress recovery, chitin synthesis and insect flight. Insect trehalase has not been reviewed in depth and the information available is quite scattered. The present mini review discusses our recent understanding of the regulation, mechanism and biochemical characterization of insect trehalase with respect to its physiological role in vital life functions. We also highlight the molecular and biochemical properties of insect trehalase that makes it amenable to competitive inhibition by most glycosidase inhibitors. Due to its crucial role in carbon metabolism in insects, application of inhibitors against trehalose can form a promising area towards formulating strategies for insect pest control.
Keywords: carbohydrate metabolism; glycosidase inhibitor; glycoside hydrolase; trehalase; trehalose

Intramolecular cyclization of carbonate and thiocarbonate derivatives of myo-inositol in the solid state: implications for acyl group transfer reactions in molecular crystals - Tamboli, Majid I.; Shashidhar, Mysore S.; Gonnade, Rajesh G.; Krishnaswamy, Shobhana (Chemistry-A European Journal, 2015)
Racemic 4-O-phenoxycarbonyl and 4-O-phenoxythiocarbonyl derivatives of myo-inositol orthoformate undergo thermal intramolecular cyclization in the solid state to yield the corresponding 4,6-bridged carbonates and thiocarbonates, respectively. The thermal cyclization also occurs in the solution and molten states, but less efficiently, suggesting that these cyclization reactions are aided by molecular pre-organization, although not strictly topochemically controlled. Crystal structures of two carbonates and a thiocarbonate clearly revealed that the relative orientation of the electrophile and the nucleophile in the crystal lattice facilitates the intramolecular cyclization reaction and forbids the intermolecular reaction. The correlation observed between the chemical reactivity and the non-covalent interactions in the crystal of the reactants provides a way to estimate the chemical stability of analogous molecules in the solid state.
Keywords: crystal engineering; cyclitols; inositols; nucleophilic substitution; solid-phase synthesis

Investigation of antiglycation activity of isoprenaline - Kolekar, Yogesh M.; Vannuruswamy, Garikapati; Bansode, Sneha B.; Santhakumari, B.; Thulasiram, Hirekodathakallu V.; Kulkarni, Mahesh J. (RSC Advances, 2015)
Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are implicated in pathogenesis of diabetes and its complications. In this study, we report the ability of isoprenaline to inhibit the AGE modification of protein by fluorescence spectroscopy and western blotting. Isoprenaline was more effective in inhibiting AGE modification than aminoguanidine, a well known glycation inhibitor. Further, we show that isoprenaline inhibits at Amadori product formation during glycation reaction by various techniques such as MALDI-TOF-MS, LC-MS/MS, and fructosamine assay. Mass spectrometric analysis of the glycation reaction mixture incubated with isoprenaline suggested that it forms adducts with glucose and thus inhibits glycation. The finding of the additional property of isoprenaline of inhibiting glycation suggests that it is a potential candidate for drug repositioning for the treatment of diabetes and its complications, as it is an FDA approved drug.

Isolation, characterization and antifungal docking studies of wortmannin isolated from penicillium radicum - Singh, Vineeta; Praveen, Vandana; Tripathi, Divya; Haque, Shafiul; Somvanshi, Pallavi; Katti, S. B.; Tripathi, C. K. M. (Scientific Reports, 2015)
During the search for a potent antifungal drug, a cell-permeable metabolite was isolated from a soil isolate taxonomically identified as Penicillium radicum. The strain was found to be a potent antifungal agent. Production conditions of the active compound were optimized and the active compound was isolated, purified, characterized and identified as a phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor, commonly known as wortmannin (Wtmn). This is very first time we are reporting the production of Wtmn from P. radicum. In addition to its previously discovered anticancer properties, the broad spectrum antifungal property of Wtmn was re-confirmed using various fungal strains. Virtual screening was performed through molecular docking studies against potential antifungal targets, and it was found that Wtmn was predicted to impede the actions of these targets more efficiently than known antifungal compounds such as voriconazole and nikkomycin i.e. 1) mevalonate-5-diphosphate decarboxylase (1FI4), responsible for sterol/isoprenoid biosynthesis; 2) exocyst complex component SEC3 (3A58) where Rho-and phosphoinositide-dependent localization is present and 3) Kre2p/Mnt1p a Golgi alpha1,2-mannosyltransferase (1S4N) involved in the biosynthesis of yeast cell wall glycoproteins). We conclude that Wtmn produced from P. radicum is a promising lead compound which could be potentially used as an efficient antifungal drug in the near future after appropriate structural modifications to reduce toxicity and improve stability.

Landscapes of membrane protein interactions from high-throughput MD simulations using the daft approach - Wassenaar, Tsjerk A.; Pluhackova, Kristyna; Moussatova, Anastassiia; Sengupta, Durba; Marrink, Siewert-Jan; Tieleman, D. Peter; Boeckmann, Rainer A. (Biophysical Journal, 2015)
59th Annual Meeting of the Biophysical-Society, Baltimore, MD, FEB 07-11, 2015

Ligand-promoted intramolecular dehydrogenative cross-coupling using a Cu catalyst: direct access to polycyclic heteroarenes - Ray, Devalina; Manikandan, T.; Roy, Arup; Tripathi, Krishna N.; Singh, Ravi P. (Chemical Communications, 2015)
A copper(II)-promoted intramolecular C-H coupling reaction between indole-2 and imidazole-2 moieties has been developed for polycyclic heteroarene synthesis. The method provides direct access to biheteroaryl incorporated polycyclic frameworks, which are of huge interest in the area of functional materials and drug-discovery.

Mechanism of oxygen atom transfer from Fe-V(O) to olefins at room temperature - Singh, Kundan K.; Tiwari, Mrityunjay K.; Dhar, Basab B.; Vanka, Kumar; Sen Gupta, Sayam (Inorganic Chemistry, 2015)
In biological oxidations, the intermediate Fe-V(0)(OH) has been proposed to be the active species for catalyzing the epoxidation of alkenes by nonheme iron complexes. However, no study has been reported yet that elucidates the mechanism of direct O-atom transfer during the reaction of Fe-V(0) with alkenes to form the corresponding epoxide. For the first time, we study the mechanism of O-atom transfer to alkenes using the Fe-V(0) complex of biuret-modified Fe-TAML at room temperature. The second-order rate constant (k(2)) for the reaction of different alkenes with Fe-V(0) was determined under single-turnover conditions. An 8000-fold rate difference was found between electron-rich (4-methoxystyrene; k(2) = 216 M-1 s(-1)) and electron-deficient (methyl transcinnamate; k(2) = 0.03 M-1 s(-1)) substrates. This rate difference indicates the electrophilic character of Fe-V(0). The use of cis-stilbene as a mechanistic probe leads to the formation of both cis- and trans-stilbene epoxides (73:27). This suggests the formation of a radical intermediate, which would allow C-C bond rotation to yield both stereoisomers of stilbene-epoxide. Additionally, a Hammett rho value of -0.56 was obtained for the para-substituted styrene derivatives. Detailed DFT calculations show that the reaction proceeds via a two-step process through a doublet spin surface. Finally, using biuret-modified Fe-TAML as the catalyst and NaOCl as the oxidant under catalytic conditions epoxide was formed with modest yields and turnover numbers.

Microbacterium enclense sp nov., isolated from sediment sample - Mawlankar, Rahul R.; Mual, Poonam; Sonalkar, Vidya V.; Thorat, Meghana N.; Verma, Ashish; Srinivasan, Krishnamurthi; Dastager, Syed Gulam (International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, 2015)
A novel bacterium (strain NIO-1002(T)) belonging to the genus Microbacterium was isolated from a marine sediment sample in Chorao Island, Goa Province, India. Its morphology, physiology, biochemical features and 16S rRNA gene sequence were characterized. Cells of this strain were Gram-stain-positive, non-motile, non-spore-forming rods that formed yellow-pigmented colonies. It grew in 0-12 % (w/v) NaCl and at 25-37 degrees C, with optimal growth at 30 degrees C. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain NIO-1002(T) is associated with members of the genus Microbacterium, with highest sequence similarity with Microbacterium hominis CIP 105731(T) (98.1%) and Microbacterium testaceum KCTC 9103(T) (98.0 %). Within the phylogenetic tree, this novel strain shared a branching point with M. hominis CIP 105731(T). The DNA G+C content was 66.5 mol% and DNA DNA hybridization relatedness between NI-1002(T), M. hominis CIP 105731(T) and M. testaceum KCTC 9103(T) was 39.0 +/- 2.0 % and 41.0 +/- 2.0 %, respectively. The major fatty acids were ai-C-15:0, i-C-16:0 and al-C-17:0 and the diamino acid in the cell-wall peptidoglycan of NIO-1002(T) was lysine. Data obtained from DNA-DNA hybridization and chemotaxonomic phenotypic analysis support the conclusion that strain NIO-1002(T) represents a novel species within the genus Microbacterium. The name Microbacterium enclense sp. nov. is proposed, with NIO-1002(T) (=NCIM 5454(T)=DSM 25125(T)=CCTCC AB 2011120(T)) as the type strain.

Molecular mechanism underlying recruitment and insertion of lipid-anchored LC3 protein into membranes - Thukral, Lipi; Sengupta, Durba; Ramkumar, Amrita; Murthy, Divya; Agrawal, Nikhil; Gokhale, Rajesh S. (Biophysical Journal, 2015)
Lipid modification of cytoplasmic proteins initiates membrane engagement that triggers diverse cellular processes. Despite the abundance of lipidated proteins in the human proteome, the key determinants underlying membrane recognition and insertion are poorly understood. Here, we define the course of spontaneous membrane insertion of LC3 protein modified with phosphatidylethanolamine using multiple coarse-grain simulations. The partitioning of the lipid anchor chains proceeds through a concerted process, with its two acyl chains inserting one after the other. Concurrently, a conformational rearrangement involving the alpha-helix III of LC3, especially in the three basic residues Lys(65), Arg(68), and Arg(69), ensures stable insertion of the phosphatidylethanolamine anchor into membranes. Mutational studies validate the crucial role of these residues, and further live-cell imaging analysis shows a substantial reduction in the formation of autophagic vesicles for the mutant proteins. Our study captures the process of water-favored LC3 protein recruitment to the membrane and thus opens, to our knowledge, new avenues to explore the cellular dynamics underlying vesicular trafficking.

Molecular sieves and ultrasound-assisted synthesis of novel 1,3,4-oxadiazole-2-thiones derivatives as potential antifungal agents - Nikalje, Anna Pratima G.; Nimbalkar, Ms Urja D.; Tupe, Santosh; Vazquez, Julio A. Seijas; Tato, Maria Pilar Vazquez (19TH INTERNATIONAL ELECTRONIC CONFERENCE ON SYNTHETIC ORGANIC CHEMISTRY, 2015)
In the category of microorganism, fungi are considered as the special class of microbes responsible for opportunistic pathogenic infections in humans species. Due to the side effects of commercially available antifungal drugs and the emergence of new drug resistant fungal species in the past few years, has forced the researchers to search for novel and efficient antifungal drug molecules. The 1,3,4-oxadiazoles scaffold is associated with diverse biological activities. The multipurpose use of the Mannich bases in pharmaceutical chemistry promote us to prepare a new series of 5-(4-(benzyloxy)substituted phenyl)-3-((phenyl amino)methyl)-1,3,4oxadiazole-2(3H)-thione as antifungal agents. Herein, we report molecular sieves and ultrasound assisted synthesis of novel series of Mannich bases of the 5-substituted 1,3,4-oxadiazole-2-thiones by amino methylation with paraformaldehyde and substituted primary / secondary amines and their evaluation for antifungal activity. The structures of the newly synthesized compounds were determined by IR, NMR and Mass spectral study. The synthesized compounds exhibited interesting moderate to excellent antifungal activity against Candida albicans (NCIM 3557), Candida albicans(NCIM3471), Candida glabrata(NCIM3237), Cryptococcus neoformans (NCIM 3542), Cryptococcus neoformans(NCIM 3378), Aspergillus fumigates(NCIM 902), Aspergillus niger(NCIM 628) using Flucanazole as a standard reference drug. The synthesised compounds 6d, 6f,6g, 6h and 6j exhibited promising antifungal activity as antifungal agents.
Keywords: 1; 3; 4-oxadiazoles; Antifungal activity; Mannich reaction; Molecular sieves; Ultrasound -assisted

Myroides indicus sp nov., isolated from garden soil - Ram, Hari; Kumar, Alok; Thomas, Lebin; Dastager, Syed Gulam; Mawlankar, Rahul R.; Singh, Ved Pal (International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, 2015)
A novel aerobic, non-motile, rod-shaped, catalase-and oxidase-positive bacterial strain, designated UKS3(T), was isolated from garden soil, and subjected to polyphasic taxonomic analysis. Strain UKS3(T) formed whitish, viscous colonies on nutrient agar and was Gram-staining negative. Phylogenetic analysis, based on 16S rRNA gene sequence, showed that maximum pairwise similarity occurs with representatives of the genus Myroides. The most closely related species include Myroides marinus JS-08(T) (92.7 % sequence similarity), Myroides phaeus MY15(T) (92.7 %), Myroides odoratus DSM 2801(T) (91.5 %) and Myroides odoratimimus CCUG 39352(T) (91.4 %). Strain UKS3(T) contained menaquinone-6 (MK-6) as the major respiratory quinone and iso-C-15 : 0 (40.2 %), anteiso-C-15 : 0 (9.4 %) and iso-C-17 : 0 3-OH (8.5 %) as major fatty acids. Phosphatidylethanolamine, phospholipids and three aminolipids were the major polar lipids. The DNA G + C content of strain UKS3(T) was 36.8 +/- 2.0 mol%. On the basis of phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and molecular analysis, strain UKS3(T) represents a novel species of the genus Myroides, for which the name Myroides indicus sp. nov., is proposed. The type strain is UKS3(T) (= DSM 28213(T) = NCIM 5555(T)).

New imaging reagents for lipid dense regions in live cells and the nucleus in fixed MCF-7 cells - Ramu, Vadde; Ali, Firoj; Taye, Nandaraj; Garai, Bikash; Alam, Aftab; Chattopadhyay, Samit; Das, Amitava (Journal of Materials Chemistry B, 2015)
Two new uracil (U) and 5-flurouracil (5-FU) labeled ruthenium(II)-polypyridyl based cellular imaging reagents are reported. Confocal laser scanning microscopic images with live and paraformaldehyde (PFA) fixed MCF-7 cells are examined using these two low-cytotoxic reagents. Experimental results show that these two complexes, appropriately functionalized with U (1) and 5-FU (2), have specific affinity for the lipid dense regions like the endoplasmic reticulum, cell membrane, and cytoplasmic vacuoles in live MCF-7 cells, and dye internalization in these regions happened following an endocytosis pathway. Interestingly, these two complexes are found to be localized in the nucleus of the PFA fixed cells. For fixed cells, presumably the lipid layer disruption helped in the explicit localization of the complexes 1 and 2 in the cell nucleus through specific interaction with cellular DNA. Poor and non-specific internalization of an analogous model complex 3, without having a U or 5-FU moiety, reveals the definite influence of U or 5-FU as well as the role of lipophilicity of the respective complex 1 and 2 in the cellular internalization process. Apart from these, a large Stokes shift (similar to 160 nm) and an appreciably long lived (MLCT)-M-3 excited state (similar to 320 ns) in aq. buffer medium (pH 7.4) are other key features for complexes 1 and 2. Unlike the common nuclear DNA staining reagents like DAPI, these low-cytotoxic reagents are found to be highly stable towards photo-bleaching upon irradiation with 455 nm at the MLCT band for these complexes.

New turn on Pd2+-specific fluorescence probe and its use as an imaging reagent for cellular uptake in Hct116 cells - Reddy, Upendar G.; Ali, Firoj; Taye, Nandaraj; Chattopadhyay, Samit; Das, Amitava (Chemical Communications, 2015)
A new coumarin-rhodamine conjugate is used as a specific probe for Pd2+ ions and this could even delineate Pd(II) from Pd(0) or Pd(IV) in aqueous buffer medium (pH similar to 7). Laser confocal microscopic studies reveal that efficient cellular internalization of this reagent helps in imaging the cellular uptake of Pd2+ as low as 0.1 ppm in Hct 116 cells. This reagent could even be used for estimation of Pd2+ in human urine samples.

Nonomuraea indica sp nov., novel actinomycetes isolated from lime-stone open pit mine, India - Quadri, Syed Raziuddin; Tian, Xin-Peng; Zhang, Jing; Li, Jie; Nie, Guo-Xing; Tang, Shu-Kun; Al Ruwaili, Jamal; Agsar, Dayanand; Li, Wen-Jun; Dastager, Syed Gulam (Journal of Antibiotics, 2015)
A Gram-positive, aerobic, nonmotile actinomycete strain designated DRQ-2(T) was isolated from the soil sample collected from limestone open pit mine from the Gulbarga region, Karnataka province, India. Strain DRQ-2(T) was identified as a member of the genus Nonomuraea by a polyphasic approach. Strain DRQ-2(T) could be differentiated from other members of the genus Nonomuraea on the basis of physiology and 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. The 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity of strain DRQ-2(T) showed highest sequence similarity to Nonomuraea muscovyensis DSM 45913(T) (99.1%), N. salmonea DSM 43678(T) (98.2%) and N. maheshkhaliensis JCM 13929(T) with 98.0%, respectively. Chemotaxonomic properties showing predominant menaquinones of MK-9 (H-4), MK-9(H-2) and MK-9(H-6), major polar lipids comprised diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylmono methyl ethanolamine (PME), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), hydroxy-PME (OH-PME), hydroxy PE (OH-PEE), phosphatidylglycerol (PG), ninhydrin-positive phosphoglycolipid and unknown phospholipid, fatty acids with major amounts of i-C-16:0, ai-C-15:0 and ai-C-17:0 supported allocation of the strain to the genus Nonomuraea. Results of DNA-DNA hybridization and physiological tests allowed genotypic and phenotypic differentiation of strain DRQ-2(T) from closely related species. The genomic DNA G+C content of the organism was 72.5 mol%. On the basis of phenotypic, chemotypic and molecular characteristics, strain DRQ-2(T) represents a novel species of the genus Nonomuraea, for which the name N. indica sp. nov. is proposed, with type strain DRQ-2(T) (= NCIM 5480(T) = CCTCC AA 209050(T)).

Novel 2,6-diformyl-4-methyl phenol based chemosensor for Zn-II ion by ratiometric displacement of Cd-II ion and its application for cell imaging on human melanoma cancer cells - Mitra, Debarshan; Venkatathari, N.; Sabharwal, S. C.; Godbole, S. V.; Tyagi, A. K.; Das, Sangbrita (Journal of the Indian Chemical Society, 2015)
A new chelating ligand [4-methyl-2,6-bis-(pyridin-2-yl-hydrazonomethyl)-phenol] (1) was prepared by the condensation of 2-hydrazinylpyridine with 2,6-diformyl-p-cresol. Compound 1 exhibits weak fluorescence due to intramolecular photoinduced electron transfer (PET). The sensor (1) demonstrates Zn2+-specific emission enhancement due to ``PET off'' process through a 1 : 1 binding mode with the metal ion. The fluorescence quantum yield of the chemosensor 1 is only 0.020, and it increases more than 14-fold (0.280) in the presence of one equivalent of the zinc ion. Interestingly, the introduction of other metal ions causes the fluorescence intensity to remain either unchanged or weakened except for Cd2+. Ratiometric displacement of Cd2+ ion from the complex by Zn2+ ion supports the formation of more stable sensor-Zn2+ complex over the sensor-Cd2+ complex. The experimental findings have been correlated with theoretical results using B3LYP functional and 6-31G(d,p), LANL2DZ basis set for Cd2+ (2) and Zn2+ (3) complex, respectively, by Density Functional Theory (DFT) method. Moreover, the ability of probe 1 to sense Zn2+ within human melanoma cancer cells has been explored, and the Zn2+-probing process in living cells was reversible. [Mn-2(PHMP)(2)](ClO4)(2) (4) and [Ni-2(PHMP)(H2O)(5)](NO3)(3) (5) have been also synthesized and characterized crystallographically and spectroscopically to understand the ligating behavior of the ligand PHMP.
Keywords: Cd-II ion; Chemosensor; Density functional theory; human melanoma cancer cells; photoinduced electron transfer; Zn-II ion

Novel one-pot multi-component synthesis of 3,3 `-disubstituted oxindole and spirooxindole scaffolds via Sn-catalyzed C(sp(3))-H functionalization of azaarenes by sequential Knoevenagel-Michael-cyclization reaction - Chavan, Santosh S.; Pathan, Mohsinkhan Y.; Thorat, Shridhar H.; Gonnade, Rajesh G.; Mulla, Shafeek Abdul Rashid (RSC Advances, 2015)
Sn-catalyzed C(sp(3))-H bond functionalization of 2-methyl azaarenes/2-(azaaryl)methanes has been achieved for the first time in a one-pot multi-component reaction with isatin and active methylene compounds via tandem sequential Knoevenagel-Michael-intramolecular C-N cyclization. This strategy provides new cost-effective access to potent and biologically/medicinally important spirooxindoles/3,3'-disubstituted 2-oxindoles in good to excellent yields.

Optimisation of parameters affecting the performance of single compartment CEDI unit - Thorat, Prathamesh P.; Desale, G. R.; Gajjal, S. Y.; Patil, Sagar R. (1ST International Conference on Computing Communication Control and Automation ICCUBEA 2015, 2015)
The present work describes the production of the ultrapure water using Continuous Electro-deionization (CEDI) method. TheCEDI unit consist of ion exchange membranes, Mixed Bed-12 (MB-12) ion exchange resin and electrodes to remove ion impurities from feed water. The product water from the RO unit is supplied to the CEDI unit. The Quality of the ultra-pure water is determined by the amount of ions present in the water. Higher quality of Ultra-pure water is obtained when the maximum number of ions is transferred through the membranes. The Parameters affecting the performance of the CEDI unit are identified and optimized for maximum ions exchange. Inorder to reduce the number of experimentsTaguchi method was used for optimisation of operating parameters. An orthogonal L array (three factor and three level) was employed to evaluate the effect of feed concentration (35,40and 45 ppm), Flow rate (8, 9 and 10 LPH) and voltage (22, 23, 24 volts). Thus it was observed that increasing the applied voltage anddecreasing the waterflow rateincreases the number of ions transfers through the membrane. However, decreasing water flow rate has certain limits as it decreases the production capacity of the unit. Also it is observed that decreasing the ions in the feed water decreases the overall transfer of ions.
Keywords: Continuous Electro-deionization; Ion Exchange membranes; Optimisation; Taguchi method; Ultrapure Water

Overexpression of squalene synthase in withania somnifera leads to enhanced withanolide biosynthesis - Patel, Neha; Patel, Parth; Kendurkar, Shuchishweta V.; Thulasiram, Hirekodathakallu V.; Khan, Bashir Mohammad (Plant Cell Tissue and Organ Culture, 2015)
Genetic engineering of secondary metabolic pathways is an emerging area of research for production and improvement of natural products in plant biotechnology. Here, we describe a systematic approach to manipulate a key regulatory step of isoprenoid biosynthetic pathway in Withania somnifera to study its effect on withanolide production. We generated T-0 W. somnifera plants overexpressing squalene synthase (WsSQS) by Agrobacterium tumefaciens mediated transformation, which were analyzed by Gus biochemical assay and PCR of hygromycin phosphotransferase (hptII) and WsSQS. qRT-PCR analyses of various transformed tissues indicated 2-5 fold increase in WsSQS transcripts in both T-0 and T-1 generations. The tissue specific protein expression studies revealed 2-3 fold increase in WsSQS, which was further confirmed by enzyme activity. These observations were corroborated with the 1.5-2 fold increase in total withanolide content of the transformed tissues. However, in leaf tissue, the levels of Withaferin A and Withanolide A increased significantly up to 4-4.5 fold. These findings demonstrate genetic engineering of isoprenoid pathway in W. somnifera resulting in enhanced production of withanolides, and also provide insights into such metabolic pathways for their manipulation to improve the pharmacological content of different medicinally important plants.
Keywords: Agrobacterium tumefaciens; Solanaceae; Squalene synthase; Withania somnifera; Withanolides

Porous poly(ethylene glycol)-polyurethane hydrogels as potential biomaterials - Divakaran, Anumon V.; Torris, Arun A. T.; Lele, Ashish K.; Badiger, Manohar V. (Polymer International, 2015)
We report the synthesis of porous poly(ethylene glycol)-polyurethane (PEG-PU) hydrogels using PEG-4000 as a soft segment and 4,4-methylenebis(cyclohexylisocyanate) as a hard segment. The degree of swelling in the hydrogels could be controlled by varying the amount of crosslinking agent, namely 1,2,6-hexanetriol. Structural characterization of the hydrogels was performed using solid-state C-13 NMR and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Wide-angle X-ray diffraction studies revealed the existence of crystalline domains of PEG and small-angle X-ray scattering studies showed the presence of lamellar microstructures. For generating a porous structure in the hydrogels, cryogenic treatment with lyophilization was used. Scanning electron microscopy and three-dimensional micro-computed tomography imaging of the hydrogels indicated the presence of interconnected pores. The mechanical strength of the hydrogels and xerogels was measured using dynamic mechanical analysis. The observed dynamic storage moduli (E) for the equilibrium swollen and dry gels were found to be 0.15 and 4.2 MPa, respectively. Interestingly, the porous PEG-PU xerogel also showed E of 5.6 MPa indicating a similar mechanical strength upon incorporating porosity into the gel matrix. Finally, preliminary cytocompatibility studies showed the ability of cells to proliferate in the hydrogels. These gels show promise for applications as scaffolds and implants in tissue engineering. (c) 2014 Society of Chemical Industry
Keywords: hydrogels; permeability; poly(ethylene glycol); polyurethane; porosity

Possible mechanism of antifungal phenazine-1-carboxamide from pseudomonas sp against dimorphic fungi Benjaminiella poitrasii and human pathogen Candida albicans - Tupe, S. G.; Kulkarni, R. R.; Shirazi, F.; Sant, D. G.; Joshi, Swati P.; Deshpande, Mukund V. (Journal of Applied Microbiology, 2015)
AimInvestigation of antifungal mechanism of phenazine 1-carboxamide (PC) produced by a Pseudomonas strain MCC2142. Methods and ResultsAn antifungal metabolite produced by a Pseudomonas was purified and identified as PC. Human pathogenic fungi such as Candida albicans, Candidaglabrata, Cryptococcus neoformans, Fusarium oxysporum, Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus niger were found to be inhibited by PC (MIC90 32-64gml(-1)). Addition of PC (20gml(-1)) during yeast (Y)-hypha (H) transitions inhibited germ tube formation by >90% and >99% in C.albicans National Collection of Industrial Microorganisms (NCIM) 3471 and nonpathogenic model Benjaminiella poitrasii, respectively. After exposure to PC (20gml(-1)), 75-80% yeast cells of B.poitrasii and C.albicans NCIM 3471 showed rhodamine 123 fluorescence indicating high intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. ROS further led to hyperpolarization of mitochondrial membrane, subsequently induction of apoptosis as evident by externalization of phosphatidylserine, DNA fragmentation, chromatin condensation and finally death in B.poitrasii. In C.albicans NCIM 3471, PC (20gml(-1)) induced apoptosis. ConclusionsThe antifungal effect of PC in B.poitrasii and C.albicans may be due to ROS-mediated apoptotic death. Significance and Impact of the StudyInhibition of Y-H transition of B.poitrasii and C.albicans by PC indicates that it may prove useful in the control of dimorphic human pathogens.
Keywords: Apoptosis; Candida albicans; dimorphism; phenazines; Pseudomonas sp; reactive oxygen species

Preferential enrichment of DL-leucine using cocrystal formation with oxalic acid under nonequilibrium crystallization conditions - Manoj, Kochunnoonny; Takahashi, Hiroki; Morita, Yoko; Gonnade, Rajesh G.; Iwama, Sekai; Tsue, Hirohito; Tamura, Rui (Chirality, 2015)
By utilizing the preferential enrichment (PE) technique, we achieved an improved enantiomeric resolution of DL-leucine (Leu) using a 1:1 cocrystal (DL-1) of DL-Leu and oxalic acid. The crystal structure analysis of DL-1 indicated the occurrence of a novel type of phase transition and subsequent preferential redissolution of one enantiomer from the resulting crystals into solution. Chirality 27:405-410 2015. (c) 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Keywords: chiral resolution; cocrystal formation; leucine; phase transition; preferential enrichment

Preparation and characterization of flexible ferromagnetic nanocomposites for microwave applications - Thomas, Teena; Kanoth, Bipinbal P.; Nijas, C. M.; Joy, Pattayil Alias; Joseph, Joseph M.; Kuthirummal, Narayanan; Thachil, Eby T. (Materials Science and Engineering B-Advanced Functional Solid-State Materials, 2015)
Magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles (similar to 20 nm) were synthesized using the chemical co-precipitation method with a view of developing flexible and easily processable ferromagnetic materials with high mouldability to be used as microwave absorbers. The nanoparticles prepared were incorporated into natural rubber through latex stage processing. This novel processing method gives better dispersion of particles in the rubber matrix. The composites were characterized using XRD, SEM, vibrating sample magnetometer, dynamic mechanical analyzer, cavity perturbation, thermogravimetry (TGA), and Fourier transform infrared photoacoustic spectroscopy (FTIR-PAS). A notable improvement in the mechanical properties of composites was observed upon adding Fe3O4 particles. Magnetic and microwave characteristics of the composites indicate the formation of a flexible ferromagnetic material with good microwave absorption characteristics. (C) 2015 Published by Elsevier B.V.
Keywords: Fe3O4; Ferromagnetic; FTIR-PAS; Microwave absorption; Natural rubber; SEM; XRD

p-type NiO hybrid visible photodetector - Mallows, John; Planells, Miguel; Thakare, Vishal; Bhosale, Reshma; Ogale, Satishchandra; Robertson, Neil (ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 2015)
A novel hybrid visible-light photodetector was created using a planar p-type inorganic NiO layer in a junction with an organic electron acceptor layer. The effect of different oxygen pressures on formation of the NiO layer by pulsed laser deposition shows that higher pressure increases the charge carrier density of the film and lowers the dark current in the device. The addition of a monolayer of small molecules containing conjugated pi systems and carboxyl groups at the device interface was also investigated and with correct alignment of the energy levels improves the device performance with respect to the quantum efficiency, responsivity, and photogeneration. The thickness of the Organic layer was also optimized for the device, giving a responsivity of 1.54 X 10(-2) A W-1 in 460 nm light.
Keywords: nickel oxide; organic; oxygen vacancies; photodetector; pulsed laser deposition; surface modifier

Radical-mediated dehydrative preparation of cyclic imides using (NH4)(2)S2O8-DMSO: application to the synthesis of vernakalant - Garad, Dnyaneshwar N.; Tanpure, Subhash D.; Mhaske, Santosh B. (Beilstein Journal of Organic Chemistry, 2015)
Ammonium persulfate-dimethyl sulfoxide (APS-DMSO) has been developed as an efficient and new dehydrating reagent for a convenient one-pot process for the synthesis of miscellaneous cyclic imides in high yields starting from readily available primary amines and cyclic anhydrides. A plausible radical mechanism involving DMSO has been proposed. The application of this facile one-pot imide forming process has been demonstrated for a practical synthesis of vernakalant.
Keywords: APS-DMSO; imides; practical synthesis; radical-mediated; vernakalant

Rational drug design, synthesis and biological evaluation of dihydrofolate reductase inhibitors as antituberculosis agents - Tawari, Nilesh R.; Bag, Seema; Raju, Archana; Lele, Arundhati C.; Bairwa, Ranjeet; Ray, Mukti Kanta; Rajan, M. G. R.; Nawale, Laxman U.; Sarkar, Dhiman; Degani, Mariam S. (Future Medicinal Chemistry, 2015)
Background: A series of 2,4-diamino-s-triazines was designed, with potential for activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) dihydrofolate reductase enzyme, on the basis of virtual screening results and structure-based drug design. Results: The compounds were evaluated against Mtb (H(37)Rv) and their cytotoxicity was assessed using VERO cell lines. Of particular note, two compounds were found to have the most promising antituberculosis activity (6b minimum inhibitory concentration: 1.76 mu M and 6i minimum inhibitory concentration: 1.57 mu M) along with low cytotoxicity (CC50 : > 300 mu M). The enzyme assay results of these two indicated significant inhibition of Mtb dihydrofolate reductase along with selectivity. Selected derivatives were tested against dormant tubercle bacilli in vivo and ex vivo indicating potential inhibition. Conclusion: This study provides promising antituberculosis dihydrofolate reductase inhibitors that can act as potential leads for further development.

Reaction of N-heterocyclic carbenes with chalcones leading to the synthesis of deoxy-breslow intermediates in their oxidized form - Bhunia, Anup; Thorat, Shridhar H.; Gonnade, Rajesh G.; Biju, Akkattu T. (Chemical Communications, 2015)
The synthesis of deoxy-Breslow intermediates in their oxidized form has been developed via the reaction of N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) with chalcones. Moreover, the initial tetrahedral adduct formed from the 1,4-addition of NHCs to chalcones is also isolated.

Reagent for specific recognition of cysteine in aqueous buffer and in natural milk: imaging studies, enzymatic reaction and analysis of whey protein - Anila, H. A.; Reddy, Upendar G.; Ali, Firoj; Taye, Nandaraj; Chattopadhyay, Samit; Das, Amitava (Chemical Communications, 2015)
We report a new chemodosimetric probe (L) for specific recognition of cysteine (Cys) in aqueous buffer and in whey protein isolated from fresh cow's milk. Using this reagent we could develop a luminescence-based methodology for estimation of Cys released from a commercially available Cys-supplement drug by aminoacylase-1 in live cells.

Recyclable ionic liquid iodinating reagent for solvent free, regioselective iodination of activated aromatic and heteroaromatic amines - Deshmukh, Amarsinh; Gore, Babasaheb; Thulasiram, Hirekodathakallu V.; Swamy, Vincent P. (RSC Advances, 2015)
This article describes a simple, efficient method for iodination of activated aromatic and heteroaromatic amines using recyclable 1-butyl-3-methylpyridinium dichloroiodate (BMPDCI) as an ionic liquid iodinating reagent, in the absence of any solvent. The main advantages are a simple efficient procedure, good yields and no need for any base/toxic heavy metals, or oxidizing agents. The ionic liquid was recovered and recycled in five subsequent reactions, without much loss of activity. This method was applied for the synthesis of the antiprotozoal drug iodoquinol and the antifungal drug clioquinol.

Renewable fuels from biomass-derived compounds: Ru-containing hydrotalcites as catalysts for conversion of HMF to 2,5-dimethylfuran - Nagpure, Atul S.; Venugopal, Ashok Kumar; Lucas, Nishita; Manikandan, Marimuthu; Thirumalaiswamy, Raja; Chilukuri, Satyanarayana V. (Catalysis Science & Technology, 2015)
Production of transportation fuels from renewable biomass is hugely important considering the current ecological concerns over CO2 built up in the atmosphere. Ruthenium-containing hydrotalcite (HT) catalysts were applied for the selective hydrogenolysis of biomass-derived 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) to 2,5-dimethylfuran (DMF). Structural and morphological features of the catalysts were examined using various physico-chemical characterization techniques. The influence of various reaction parameters, such as reaction temperature, solvent, Ru content of the catalyst, etc., was investigated with respect to HMF conversion and DMF yield. The study clearly shows that well-dispersed Ru nanoparticles are highly active and selective in the conversion of HMF to DMF. A catalyst containing only 0.56 wt% Ru converted 100 mol% HMF to yield 58 mol% DMF. This catalyst was found to be recyclable as the activity was retained even after five cycles of reaction. 2-Propanol was found to be a good solvent as it helped to improve DMF yield through transfer hydrogenation. Based on the results of the investigations, a reaction pathway for the conversion of HMF to DMF was proposed for the present Ru-based catalyst system.

Reversal of H-bonding direction by N-sulfonation in a synthetic reverse-turn peptide motif - Vijayadas, Kuruppanthara N.; Kotmale, Amol S.; Thorat, Shridhar H.; Gonnade, Rajesh G.; Nair, Roshna V.; Rajamohanan, Pattuparambil R.; Sanjayan, Gangadhar J. (Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry, 2015)
This communication depicts an intriguing example of hydrogen-bonding reversal upon introduction of a sulfonamide linkage at the N-terminus of a synthetic reverse-turn peptide motif. The ready availability of two sulfonyl oxygen atoms, as hydrogen-bonding acceptors, combined with the inherent twisted conformation of sulfonamides are seen to act as switches that engage/disengage the hydrogen-bond at the sticky ends/termini.

Rifampicin reduces advanced glycation end products and activates DAF-16 to increase lifespan in Caenorhabditis elegans - Golegaonkar, Sandeep; Tabrez, Syed S.; Pandit, Awadhesh; Sethurathinam, Shalini; Jagadeeshaprasad, Mashanipalya G.; Bansode, Sneha B.; Sampathkumar, Srinivasa-Gopalan; Kulkarni, Mahesh J.; Mukhopadhyay, Arnab (Aging Cell, 2015)
Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are formed when glucose reacts nonenzymatically with proteins; these modifications are implicated in aging and pathogenesis of many age-related diseases including type II diabetes, atherosclerosis, and neurodegenerative disorders. Thus, pharmaceutical interventions that can reduce AGEs may delay age-onset diseases and extend lifespan. Using LC-MSE, we show that rifampicin (RIF) reduces glycation of important cellular proteins in vivo and consequently increases lifespan in Caenorhabditis elegans by up to 60%. RIF analog rifamycin SV (RSV) possesses similar properties, while rifaximin (RMN) lacks antiglycation activity and therefore fails to affect lifespan positively. The efficacy of RIF and RSV as potent antiglycating agents may be attributed to the presence of a p-dihydroxyl moiety that can potentially undergo spontaneous oxidation to yield highly reactive p-quinone structures, a feature absent in RMN. We also show that supplementing rifampicin late in adulthood is sufficient to increase lifespan. For its effect on longevity, rifampicin requires DAF-18 (nematode PTEN) as well as JNK-1 and activates DAF-16, the FOXO homolog. Interestingly, the drug treatment modulates transcription of a different subset of DAF-16 target genes, those not controlled by the conserved Insulin-IGF-1-like signaling pathway. RIF failed to increase the lifespan of daf-16 null mutant despite reducing glycation, showing thereby that DAF-16 may not directly affect AGE formation. Together, our data suggest that the dual ability to reduce glycation in vivo and activate prolongevity processes through DAF-16 makes RIF and RSV effective lifespan-extending interventions.
Keywords: advanced glycation end products; aging; Caenorhabditis elegans; DAF-16; Glycation; lifespan; rifampicin

Role of chemical reactivity and transition state modeling for virtual screening - Karthikeyan, Muthukumarasamy; Vyas, Renu; Tambe, Sanjeev S.; Radhamohan, Deepthi; Kulkarni, Bhaskar D. (Combinatorial Chemistry & High Throughput Screening, 2015)
Every drug discovery research program involves synthesis of a novel and potential drug molecule utilizing atom efficient, economical and environment friendly synthetic strategies. The current work focuses on the role of the reactivity based fingerprints of compounds as filters for virtual screening using a tool ChemScore. A reactant-like (RLS) and a product-like (PLS) score can be predicted for a given compound using the binary fingerprints derived from the numerous known organic reactions which capture the molecule-molecule interactions in the form of addition, substitution, rearrangement, elimination and isomerization reactions. The reaction fingerprints were applied to large databases in biology and chemistry, namely ChEMBL, KEGG, HMDB, DSSTox, and the Drug Bank database. A large network of 1113 synthetic reactions was constructed to visualize and ascertain the reactant product mappings in the chemical reaction space. The cumulative reaction fingerprints were computed for 4000 molecules belonging to 29 therapeutic classes of compounds, and these were found capable of discriminating between the cognition disorder related and anti-allergy compounds with reasonable accuracy of 75% and AUC 0.8. In this study, the transition state based fingerprints were also developed and used effectively for virtual screening in drug related databases. The methodology presented here provides an efficient handle for the rapid scoring of molecular libraries for virtual screening.
Keywords: fingerprints; intermediates; metabolic pathways; product-like score; reactant-like score; reaction; screening; synthesis; virtual screening

Role of methyl jasmonate in the expression of mycorrhizal induced resistance against Fusarium oxysporum in tomato plants - Nair, Aswathy; Kolet, Swati P.; Thulasiram, Hirekodathakallu V.; Bhargava, Sujata (Physiological and Molecular Plant Pathology, 2015)
Arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) colonization led to a decrease in the severity of fusarium wilt disease caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici in tomato plants. The involvement of two plant defense hormones, namely methyl jasmonate (MeJA) and salicylic acid (SA), in the expression of mycorrhiza induced resistance (MIR) against this vascular pathogen was studied in the AM colonized and non-colonized (controls) plants. Activity of lipoxygenase (LOX), which plays a role in jasmonic acid (JA) biosynthesis, as well as levels of methyl jasmonate (MeJA) increased in AM colonized plants as compared to controls, but did not show any further changes in response to F. oxysporum inoculation. On the other hand, activity of phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL), which is an enzyme from salicylic acid (SA) biosynthetic pathway, as well as SA levels, increased in both controls and AM colonized plants in response to application of F. oxysporum spores. Hence the JA and not the SA signalling pathway appeared to play a role in the expression of MIR against this vascular pathogen. The resistance observed in AM colonized plants was completely compromised when plants were treated with the JA biosynthesis inhibitor salicylhydroxamic acid (SHAM). This confirmed that the AM-induced increase in JA levels was involved in the expression of resistance toward F. oxysporum. The SA response gene pathogenesis-related 1 (PR1) showed an increased expression in response to F. oxysporum infection in SHAM treated AM colonized plants as compared to plants that were not treated with this JA inhibitor. This suggested the possibility that JA inhibited SA responses, at least in the roots. AM colonization therefore appeared to prime plants for improved tolerance against the vascular pathogen F. oxysporum, which was mediated through the JA signalling pathway. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Fusarium wilt; Glomus fasciculatum; Methyl jasmonate; Mycorrhiza induced resistance; Salicylic acid; Tomato

Self-similar rupture of thin free films of power-law fluids - Thete, Sumeet Suresh; Anthony, Christopher; Basaran, Osman A.; Doshi, Pankaj (Physical Review E, 2015)
The rupture of a thin free film of a power-law fluid under the competing influences of destabilizing van der Waals pressure and stabilizing surface tension pressure is analyzed. In such a fluid, viscosity decreases with the deformation rate raised to the n - 1 power where 0 < n <= 1 (n = 1 for a Newtonian fluid). When 6/7 < n <= 1, film rupture occurs under a balance between van der Waals pressure, inertial stress, and viscous stress. When n < 6/7, however, the dominant balance changes: Viscous stress becomes negligible and the film ruptures under the competition between van der Waals pressure, inertial stress, and surface tension pressure.

Silicon incorporated morpholine antifungals: design, synthesis, and biological evaluation - Jachak, Gorakhnath R.; Ramesh, Remya; Sant, Duhita G.; Jorwekar, Shweta U.; Jadhav, Manjusha R.; Tupe, Santosh G.; Deshpande, Mukund V.; Reddy, D. Srinivasa (ACS Medicinal Chemistry Letters, 2015)
Known morpholine class antifungals (fenpropimorph, fenpropidin, and amorolfine) were synthetically modified through silicon incorporation to have 15 sila-analogues. Twelve sila-analogues exhibited potent antifungal activity against different human fungal pathogens such as Candida albicans, Candida glabrata, Candida tropicalis, Cryptococcus neoformans, and Aspergillus niger. Si la-analogue 24 (fenpropimorph analogue) was the best in our hands, which showed superior fungicidal potential than fenpropidin, fenpropimorph, and amorolfine. The mode of action of sila-analogues was similar to morpholines, i.e., inhibition of sterol reductase and sterol isomerase enzymes of ergosterol synthesis pathway.
Keywords: Antifungal drugs; Candida albicans; ergosterol biosynthesis; morpholines; sila-analogues

Solvent-mediated molar conductivity of protic ionic liquids - Thawarkar, Sachin; Khupse, Nageshwar D.; Kumar, Anil (Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 2015)
The molar conductivity, A(m), of protic ionic liquids (PILs) in molecular solvents is measured at 298.15 K. The decrease in the A(m) values of PILs is observed with an increase in the concentration of PILs. The limiting molar conductivities, A(m)(0), were obtained for each PIL in different molecular solvents using a least squares method. The A(m)(0) data for PILs were correlated with the structural aspects of PILs and solvent properties. The polar protic solvents show poor ionic association as compared to the polar aprotic solvents, which is discussed on the basis of the hydrogen bond donating (HBD) ability of solvents and PILs. The alkyl chain substitution of anions plays a significant role in the ionic association of the PILs. The diffusion coefficient D-0 and the transport number t were determined, which were consistent with the A(m)(0) values of PILs in water. The A(m)(0) and D-0 values are dependent on the hydrodynamic radius of anions of these ionic liquids. The extent of ionic association for each PIL was discussed using temperature dependent A(m) data for aqueous PIL systems in terms of the Walden plot.

Specific reagent for Cr(III): imaging cellular uptake of Cr(III) in Hct116 cells and theoretical rationalization - Ali, Firoj; Saha, Sukdeb; Maity, Arunava; Taye, Nandaraj; Si, Mrinal Kanti; Suresh, E.; Ganguly, Bishwajit; Chattopadhyay, Samit; Das, Amitava (Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 2015)
A new rhodamine-based reagent (L-1), trapped inside the micellar structure of biologically benign Triton-X 100, could be used for specific recognition of Cr(III) in aqueous buffer medium having physiological pH. This visible light excitable reagent on selective binding to Cr(III) resulted in a strong fluorescence turn-on response with a maximum at similar to 583 nm and tail of that luminescence band extended until 650 nm, an optical response that is desired for avoiding the cellular autofluorescence. Interference studies confirm that other metal ions do not interfere with the detection process of Cr(III) in aqueous buffer medium having pH 7.2. To examine the nature of binding of Cr(III) to L-1, various spectroscopic studies are performed with the model reagent L-1 which tend to support Cr(III)-eta(2)-olefin pi-interactions involving two olefin bonds in molecular probe L-1. Computational studies are also performed with another model reagent L-M to examine the possibility of such Cr(III)-eta(2)-olefin pi-interactions. Presumably, polar functional groups of the model reagent L-M upon coordination to the Cr(III) center effectively reduce the formal charge on the metal ion and this is further substantiated by results of the theoretical studies. This assembly is found to be cell membrane permeable and shows insignificant toxicity toward live colon cancer cells (Hct116). Confocal laser scanning microscopic studies further revealed that the reagent L-1 could be used as an imaging reagent for detection of cellular uptake of Cr(III) in pure aqueous buffer medium by Hct116 cells. Examples of a specific reagent for paramagnetic Cr(III) with luminescence ON response are scanty in the contemporary literature. This ligand design helped us in achieving the turn on response by utilizing the conversion from spirolactam to an acyclic xanthene form on coordination to Cr(III).

Spin-coatable, photopatternable magnetic nanocomposite thin films for MEMS device applications - Kandpal, Manoj; Sharan, C.; Palaparthy, V.; Tiwary, N.; Poddar, P.; Rao, V. Ramgopal (RSC Advances, 2015)
Magnetic nanomaterials' (especially metals) air stability and compatibility with standard micro-fabrication technologies are often a concern for development of MEMS-based magnetic devices. In this paper, we report an air-stable, photo-patternable and spin-coatable magnetic thin film preparation process for MEMS applications. This magnetic nanocomposite thin film was prepared by incorporating carbon capped ferromagnetic cobalt nanoparticles of dimension 20-80 nm into the SU-8 matrix. TEM, XRD and EDAX analyses were done, to investigate the crystal structure, dispersion and phase stability of the films. The SQUID magnetometry and MFM measurements of the film confirmed its magnetic response at room temperature and the retention of its magnetic properties over a period of time. The material compatibility for MEMS device applications was demonstrated through fabrication of a suspended circular membrane of radius similar to 250 mu m, having four U-shaped beams, of dimension similar to 270 x 50 mu m each. Three conventional lithography steps and a sacrificial release layer of similar to 1 mm thick oxide was used for the fabrication. The membrane was characterized by evaluating its spring constant and resonant frequency. The spring constant and resonant frequencies were estimated to be similar to 4.2 N m(-1) and similar to 29 kHz respectively. Finally, we demonstrated the actuation of the magnetic membrane by an off-chip generated magnetic field, for its possible use as a MEMS device.

Stable field emission from layered MoS2 nanosheets in high vacuum and observation of 1/f noise - Kashid, Ranjit V.; Joag, Pracheetee D.; Thripuranthaka, M.; Rout, Chandra S.; Late, Dattatray J.; More, Mahendra A. (Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology, 2015)
Field emission and current noise of hydrothermally synthesized MoS2 nanosheets are investigated in ultra-high-vacuum and industrially suited high-vacuum conditions. The study reveals that the emission turn-on field is pressure dependent. Moreover, the MoS2 nanosheets exhibit more stable field-electron emission in high-vacuum than in ultra-high-vacuum conditions. The investigations on field-emission current fluctuations show features of 1/f-type noise in ultra-high-vacuum and high-vacuum conditions, attributed to adsorption and desorption processes. The post-field-emission results indicate the MoS2 nanosheets are a robust field emitter in high-vacuum conditions.
Keywords: Electron emission; layered materials; MoS2; Noise measurement; Raman spectroscopy

Study of applications of machine learning based classification methods for virtual screening of lead molecules - Vyas, Renu; Bapat, Sanket; Jain, Esha; Tambe, Sanjeev S.; Karthikeyan, Muthukumarasamy; Kulkarni, Bhaskar D. (Combinatorial Chemistry & High Throughput Screening, 2015)
The ligand-based virtual screening of combinatorial libraries employs a number of statistical modeling and machine learning methods. A comprehensive analysis of the application of these methods for the diversity oriented virtual screening of biological targets/drug classes is presented here. A number of classification models have been built using three types of inputs namely structure based descriptors, molecular fingerprints and therapeutic category for performing virtual screening. The activity and affinity descriptors of a set of inhibitors of four target classes DHFR, COX, LOX and NMDA have been utilized to train a total of six classifiers viz. Artificial Neural Network (ANN), k nearest neighbor (k-NN), Support Vector Machine (SVM), Naive Bayes (NB), Decision Tree - (DT) and Random Forest - (RF). Among these classifiers, the ANN was found as the best classifier with an AUC of 0.9 irrespective of the target. New molecular fingerprints based on pharmacophore, toxicophore and chemophore (PTC), were used to build the ANN models for each dataset. A good accuracy of 87.27% was obtained using 296 chemophoric binary fingerprints for the COX-LOX inhibitors compared to pharmacophoric (67.82 %) and toxicophoric (70.64 %). The methodology was validated on the classical Ames mutagenecity dataset of 4337 molecules. To evaluate it further, selectivity and promiscuity of molecules from five drug classes viz. anti-anginal, anti-convulsant, anti-depressant, anti-arrhythmic and anti-diabetic were studied. The TPC fingerprints computed for each category were able to capture the drug-class specific features using the k-NN classifier. These models can be useful for selecting optimal molecules for drug design.
Keywords: Anti-anginal; anti-arrythmic; anti-bacterial; anti-convulsant; anti-depressant anti-diabetic; binary QSAR; chemophore; machine learning; pharmacophore; toxicophore

Supramolecular scaffolds on glass slides as sugar based rewritable sensors for bacteria - Gade, Madhuri; Paul, Ajay; Alex, Catherine; Choudhury, Devika; Thulasiram, Hirekodathakallu V.; Kikkeri, Raghavendra (Chemical Communications, 2015)
We describe here the sugar functionalized beta-cyclodextrin-ferrocene glass slides as fully reversible bacterial biosensors under the influence of external adamantane carboxylic acid. The prototype D-mannose - E. coli ORN 178 and L-fucose - P. aeruginosa interactions serve as a model to illustrate the new approach.

Synthesis and antifungal potential of 1,2,3-triazole and 1,2,4-triazole thiol substituted strobilurin derivatives - Chaudhary, Preeti M.; Tupe, Santosh G.; Jorwekar, Shweta U.; Sant, Duhita G.; Deshpande, Sunita R.; Maybhate, Shailaja P.; Likhite, Anjali P.; Deshpande, Mukund V. (Indian Journal of Chemistry Section B-Organic Chemistry Including Medicinal Chemistry, 2015)
beta-Methoxyacrylate group is an important pharmacophore of commercially used strobilurin fungicides. In the present study, a total of seventeen 1,2,4-triazole thiols 8a-h and 1,2,3-triazole substituted 10a-i strobilurin derivatives have been synthesized. 1,2,4-Triazole thiol substituted strobilurin derivatives 8a-h have been found to inhibit the growth of plant pathogens such as Fusarium oxysporum, Magnaporthe grisea, Drechslera oryzae and human pathogens Aspergillus fumigatus and different strains of Cryptococcus neoformans, with MIC in the range of 16-256 mu g/mL. In case of Candida albicans tested strain, the MIC is > 256 mu g/mL. p-Chlorophenyl substituted 1,2,4-triazole thiol strobiulrin derivative 8e is the most potent inhibitor with MIC of 16-64 mu g/mL against most of the tested pathogens. Antifungal action of the compounds is due to inhibition of mitochondrial respiration. In the resazurin reduction assay, EC50 for inhibition of RZ reduction in D. oryzae by azoxystrobin and 8e are 3.42 +/- 0.03 mu g/mL and 3.63 +/- 0.21 mu g/mL, respectively; while in case of C. neoformans, EC50,, of azoxystrobin and 8e are between 0.65-0.85 mu g/mL. In a non-pathogenic model Benjaminiella poitrasii, though the MIC for all the synthesized compounds 8a-h and 10a-i are > 256 mu g/ml, yeast to hypha transition is inhibited in the range of 21-75% at 4 mu g/mL concentration while EC50 for inhibition of RZ reduction by azoxystrobin and 8e are 31.5 +/- 0.4 mu g/mL and 17.95 +/- 0.7 mu g/mL, respectively. The 50% germ tube formation inhibition in case of C. albicans is observed at 108.49 mu g/mL. 1,2,4-Triazole thiol substituted strobilurin derivatives hold promise for the control of pathogenic fungi in agriculture and health care.
Keywords: 1; 2; 3-triazole strobilurin; 4-triazole thiol strobilurin; antifungal; Strobilurin; Y-H transition inhibition

Synthesis and characterization of PEPO grafted carboxymethyl guar and carboxymethyl tamarind as new thermo-associating polymers - Gupta, Nivika R.; Torris, Arun A. T.; Wadgaonkar, Prakash P.; Rajamohanan, P. R.; Ducouret, Guylaine; Hourdet, Dominique; Creton, Costantino; Badiger, Manohar V. (Carbohydrate Polymers, 2015)
New thermo associating polymers were designed and synthesized by grafting amino terminated poly(ethylene oxide-co-propylene oxide) (PEPO) onto carboxymethyl guar (CMG) and carboxymethyl tamarind (CMT). The grafting was performed by coupling reaction between-NH2 groups of PEPO and -COOH groups of CMG and CMT using water-soluble EDC/NHS as coupling agents. The grafting efficiency and the temperature of thermo-association, T-assoc in the copolymer were studied by NMR spectroscopy. The graft copolymers, CMG-g-PEPO and CMT-g-PEPO exhibited interesting thermo-associating behavior which was evidenced by the detailed rheological and fluorescence measurements. The visco-elastic properties (storage modulus, G'; loss modulus, G'') of the copolymer solutions were investigated using oscillatory shear experiments. The influence of salt and surfactant on the T-assoc was also studied by rheology, where the phenomenon of ``Salting out'' and ``Salting in'' was observed for salt and surfactant, respectively, which can give an easy access to tunable properties of these copolymers. These thermo-associating polymers with biodegradable nature of CMG and CMT can have potential applications as smart injectables in controlled release technology and as thickeners in cosmetics and pharmaceutical formulations. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Carboxymethyl guar; Carboxymethyl tamarind; Pluronics; Rheology; Solution behavior; Thermo-associating polymers

Synthesis and characterization of polyetherimides containing multiple ether linkages and pendent pentadecyl chains - Tawade, Bhausaheb V.; Kulkarni, Arun D.; Wadgaonkar, Prakash P. (Polymer International, 2015)
4-(4-(4-(4-Aminophenoxy)-2-pentadecylphenoxy)phenoxy)aniline (APPPA) was synthesized starting from cashew nut shell liquid-derived bisphenol, i.e. 4-(4-hydroxyphenoxy)-3-pentadecylphenol, by nucleophilic substitution reaction with 4-chloronitrobenzene followed by reduction of the formed 4-(4-nitrophenoxy)-1-(4-(4-nitrophenoxy)phenoxy)-2-pentadecylbenzene. Three new polyetherimides containing multiple ether linkages and pendent pentadecyl chains were synthesized by one-step high-temperature solution polycondensation of APPPA in m-cresol with three aromatic dianhydrides, i.e. 3,3,4,4-oxydiphthalic anhydride, 4,4-(hexafluoroisopropylidene)diphthalic anhydride and 3,3,4,4-biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride. Inherent viscosities and number-average molecular weights of the polyetherimides were in the ranges 0.66-0.70 dLg(-1) and 17100-29700gmol(-1) (gel permeation chromatography, polystyrene standards), respectively, indicating the formation of reasonably high molecular weight polymers. The polyetherimides were soluble in organic solvents such as chloroform, dichloromethane, tetrahydrofuran, pyridine, m-cresol, N,N-dimethylformamide, N,N-dimethylacetamide, N-methylpyrrolidone and dimethylsulfoxide, and could be cast into transparent, flexible and tough films from their solutions in chloroform. The polyetherimides exhibited glass transition temperatures (T-g) in the range 113-131 degrees C. The lowering of T-g could be attributed to the combined influence of flexibilizing ether linkages and pentadecyl chains which act as packing-disruptive' groups. The temperature at 10% weight loss (T-10), determined from thermogravimetric analysis in nitrogen atmosphere, was in the range 460-470 degrees C demonstrating good thermal stability. The virtues of solubility and large gap between T-g and T-10 mean that the polyetherimides containing pendent pentadecyl chains have possibilities for both solution as well as melt processability. (c) 2015 Society of Chemical Industry
Keywords: CNSL; ether linkage; pentadecyl; polyetherimide; processability

Synthesis of (+/-) debenzoyl analogs of norsampsones as potential anticancer agents - Jadhav, Amol R.; Thombal, Raju S.; Nigam, Preeti; Jadhav, Vrushali H. (Tetrahedron Letters, 2015)
Synthesis of (+/-) debenzoyl analogs of norsampsones 1 and 2 is reported starting from commercially available 1,3-cyclohexadione in six steps with overall yields of 37% and 36%, respectively. Compounds 1 and 2 were tested for their anticancer activity and showed moderate anticancer activity against HeLa cell lines. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Acylphloroglucinols; Anticancer; Debenzoyl; Norsampsones

Systemic jasmonic acid modulation in mycorrhizal tomato plants and its role in induced resistance against alternaria alternata - Nair, A.; Kolet, Swati P.; Thulasiram, H. V.; Bhargava, S. (Plant Biology, 2015)
Tomato plants colonised with the arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungus Glomus fasciculatum show systemic induced resistance to the foliar pathogen Alternaria alternata, as observed in interactions of other AM-colonised plants with a range of pathogens. The role of jasmonic (JA) and salicylic (SA) acid in expression of this mycorrhiza-induced resistance (MIR) against A.alternata was studied by measuring: (i) activity of enzymes reported to be involved in their biosynthesis, namely lipoxygenase (LOX) and phenylammonia lyase (PAL); and (ii) levels of methyl jasmonate (MeJA) and SA. Transcript abundance of some defence genes associated with JA and SA response pathways were also studied. Both LOX and PAL activity increased twofold in response to pathogen application to control plants. AM-colonised plants had three-fold higher LOX activity compared to control plants, but unlike controls, this did not increase further in response to pathogen application. Higher LOX activity in AM-colonised plants correlated with four-fold higher MeJA in leaves of AM-colonised plants compared to controls. Treatment of plants with the JA biosynthesis inhibitor salicylhydroxamic acid (SHAM) led to 50% lower MeJA in both control and AM-colonised plants and correlated with increased susceptibility to A.alternata, suggesting a causal role for JA in expression of MIR against the pathogen. Genes involved in JA biosynthesis (OPR3) and response (COI1) showed six- and 42-fold higher expression, respectively, in leaves of AM-colonised plants compared to controls. AM-colonised plants also showed increased expression of the SA response gene PR1 and that of the wound-inducible polypeptide prosystemin. Our results suggest that the systemic increase in JA in response to AM colonisation plays a key role in expression of MIR against A. alternata.
Keywords: Alternaria alternata; AM colonisation; induced resistance; Methyl jasmonate; salicylhydroxamic acid; Salicylic acid; Solanum lycopersicum

Total synthesis of the natural product EBC-329 - Thombal, Raju S.; Jadhav, Vrushali H. (Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry, 2015)
The first total synthesis of an anti-leukemic diterpene natural product EBC-329 (1) has been accomplished starting from readily available 6,6-dimethyl-3-oxabicyclo[3.1.0] hexane-2,4-dione (7). An efficient and general approach has been reported for the synthesis of EBC-329 in 13 steps with an overall yield of 10%.

Triterpenoid profiling and functional characterization of the initial genes involved in isoprenoid biosynthesis in neem (Azadirachta indica) - Pandreka, Avinash; Dandekar, Devdutta S.; Haldar, Saikat; Uttara, Vairagkar; Vijayshree, Shinde G.; Mulani, Fayaj A.; Aarthy, Thiagarayaselvam; Thulasiram, Hirekodathakallu V. (BMC Plant Biology, 2015)
Background: Neem tree (Azadirachta indica) is one of the richest sources of skeletally diverse triterpenoids and they are well-known for their broad-spectrum pharmacological and insecticidal properties. However, the abundance of Neem triterpenoids varies among the tissues. Here, we delineate quantitative profiling of fifteen major triterpenoids across various tissues including developmental stages of kernel and pericarp, flower, leaf, stem and bark using UPLC-ESI (+)-HRMS based profiling. Transcriptome analysis was used to identify the initial genes involved in isoprenoid biosynthesis. Based on transcriptome analysis, two short-chain prenyltransferases and squalene synthase (AiSQS) were cloned and functionally characterized. Results: Quantitative profiling revealed differential abundance of both total and individual triterpenoid content across various tissues. RNA from tissues with high triterpenoid content (fruit, flower and leaf) were pooled to generate 79.08 million paired-end reads using Illumina GA.. platform. 41,140 transcripts were generated by d e novo assembly. Transcriptome annotation led to the identification of the putative genes involved in isoprenoid biosynthesis. Two short-chain prenyltransferases, geranyl diphosphate synthase (AiGDS) and farnesyl diphosphate synthase (AiFDS) and squalene synthase (AiSQS) were cloned and functionally characterized using transcriptome data. RT-PCR studies indicated five-fold and ten-fold higher relative expression level of AiSQS in fruits as compared to leaves and flowers, respectively. Conclusions: Triterpenoid profiling indicated that there is tissue specific variation in their abundance. The mature seed kernel and initial stages of pericarp were found to contain the highest amount of limonoids. Furthermore, a wide diversity of triterpenoids, especially C-seco triterpenoids were observed in kernel as compared to the other tissues. Pericarp, flower and leaf contained mainly ring-intact triterpenoids. The initial genes such as AiGDS, AiFDS and AiSQS involved in the isoprenoids biosynthesis have been functionally characterized. The expression levels of AiFDS and AiSQS were found to be in correlation with the total triterpenoid content in individual tissues.
Keywords: Azadirachta indica; Quantitative profiling; Transcriptome; Triterpenoids

Unprecedented ferrocene-quinoline conjugates: facile proton conduction via 1D helical water chains and a selective chemosensor for Zn(II) ions in water - Ponniah, Joseph S.; Barik, Subrat Kumar; Borthakur, Rosmita; Thakur, Arunabha; Garai, Bikash; Janaa, Sourita; Ghosh, Sundargopal (RSC Advances, 2015)
Two novel ferrocene-quinoline derivatives 3 (C22H19O2N3Fe) and 4 (C34H28O4N6Fe) have been synthesized and structurally characterized. Compound 3 exhibits good proton conductivity through 1D helical water chains. In addition, both compounds 3 and 4 selectively detect Zn2+ ions in water with a detection limit of 2 ppb through multiple channels.

Whole-cell mediated 11 beta-hydroxylation on the basic limonoid skeleton by cunninghamella echinulata - Haldar, Saikat; Mulani, Fayaj A.; Aarthy, Thiagarayaselvam; Thulasiram, Hirekodathakallu V. (Journal of Organic Chemistry, 2015)
Regio- and stereoselective 11 beta-hydroxylation was achieved on the basic limonoid skeleton through microbial transformation. Whole cells of Cunninghamella echinulata efficiently converted basic limonoids such as epoxyazadiradione, azadiradione, and gedunin to their 11 beta-hydroxy analogues as the sole metabolite. Fermentation conditions affecting the efficiency (96%) of biotransformation including substrate concentration, incubation period, pH, and temperature were optimized. The position and stereochemistry of hydroxyl functionality on the isolated metabolites were established through extensive spectroscopic and spectrometric studies (1D, 2D NMR, ESI-MS, and MS/MS).

Zinc inhibits glycation induced structural, functional modifications in albumin and protects erythrocytes from glycated albumin toxicity - Tupe, Rashmi; Kulkarni, Amruta; Adeshara, Krishna; Sankhe, Neena; Shaikh, Shamim; Dalai, Sayli; Bhosale, Siddharth H.; Gaikwad, Sushama M. (International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 2015)
The present work aims to investigate the concentration and time dependant effect of zinc on the in vitro non enzymatic modifications of albumin by diabetic levels of glucose. Further, preventive and curative effect of zinc was studied by adding zinc before and after initiation of glycation respectively. Glycation of albumin was done at different concentrations of zinc (125, 250 and 500 mu M) at different time intervals (21,28 and 35 days) with appropriate controls. The antiglycation potential of zinc was assessed by estimating different markers of albumin glycation (fructosamines, carbonyls, bound sugar, AGEs), structural modifications (free amino, thiol group, beta amyloid, native PAGE, ANS binding, fluorescence lifetime decay and CD analysis) and functional properties (antioxidant activity, hemolysis). Zinc at highest concentration (500 mu M) significantly reduced modifications of albumin which was comparable to aminoguanidine and also protected secondary and tertiary structure of albumin after 28 days of incubation. Zinc exhibited significant protective effect on erythrocytes by inhibiting hemolysis. Thus the present study indicate preventive mode of albumin glycation inhibition by zinc. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Albumin; Erythrocytes; Glycation

Actinorectispora indica gen. nov., sp nov isolated from soil, a member of the family pseudonocardiaceae - Quadri, Syed Raziuddin; Tian, Xin-Peng; Zhang, Jing; Al Ruwaili, Jamal; Hozzein, Wael N.; Agsar, Dayanand; Li, Wen-Jun; Dastager, Syed Gulam (International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, 2016)
The taxonomic positions of three Gram-stain-positive, aerobic strains, designated YIM 75722, 75726 and 75728(T), and isolated from a soil sample collected from Kurnool of Andhra Pradesh province, India, were assessed using a polyphasic approach. Growth was observed at pH 7.0-10.0 (optimum pH 7.0), 15-28 degrees C (optimum 28 degrees C) and 0-8% (w/v) NaCl (grew without NaCl). Strains showed cylindrical spores with straight-chain morphology on aerial mycelium, but did not reveal sporangium-like structures or fragmentation of the substrate mycelium. Whole-cell hydrolysates of all strains contained galactose and ribose as the diagnostic sugars and meso-diaminopimelic acid as the diamino acid. The predominant menaquinone was MK-9(H-4); MK-9 (H-6) and MK-10 (H-4) were present in smaller amounts. The phospholipid pattern consisted mainly of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylcholine. The major fatty acids were i-C-15: 0, ai-C-15: 0, i-C-17 : 0 and ai-C-17 : 0. The genomic DNA G+C content was 68.0 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis, based on 16S rRNA gene sequences, revealed that strain YIM 75728(T) should be placed within the family Pseudonocardiaceae, in which the strain formed a distinct lineage. The combination of phylogenetic analysis, phenotypic characteristics and chemotaxonomic data support the conclusion that strain YIM 75728(T) represents a novel species of a novel genus of the family Pseudonocardiaceae for which the name Actinorectispora indica gen. nov., sp. nov., is proposed. Strain YIM 75728(T) (=DSM 45410(T)=CCTCC AA 209065(T)) is the type strain of Actinorectispora indica. Strain YIM 75728(T) was considered as the type strain over the other two strains based on the highest sequence read length of the strain.

Adsorption of strontium (II) metal ions using phosphonate-functionalized polymer - Bhosle, S. M.; Ponrathnam, S.; Tambe, S. S.; Chavan, N. N. (Bulletin of Materials Science, 2016)
Diethyl[3-(methoxydimethylsilyl)propyl]phosphonate (DMPP) polymer was synthesized for the strontium (II) metal ion recovery using diethylallylphosphonate as staring material. Diethylallylphosphonate was reacted with poly(methylhydro)siloxane (MW 1900-2000 g mol (-1) ) in the presence of Speier's catalyst. The synthesized monomer was characterized by IR, (1) H NMR, (1 3) C NMR and FT-IR spectroscopy techniques, and the synthesized polymers were characterized by IR and NMR spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis and solubility. The synthesized polymer was used for sequestering strontium metal from the aqueous solution. The metal binding was examined by the energy dispersive spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy for the adsorbed Sr(II). Batch adsorption studies were performed by varying three parameters, namely initial pH, adsorbent dose and the contact time. The reaction kinetics was determined by the Langmuir, Freundlich, and pseudo-first- and second-order models. Results of this study indicate that the synthesized polymer DMPP has been effective in removing Sr(II) from the aqueous solution.

Ammonium catalyzed cyclitive additions: evidence for a cation-pi interaction with alkynes - Nagy, Edith; St Germain, Elijah; Cosme, Patrick; Maity, Pradip K.; Terentis, Andrew C.; Lepore, Salvatore D. (Chemical Communications, 2016)
The addition of carbamate nitrogen to a non-conjugated carbon-carbon triple bond is catalyzed by an ammonium salt leading to a cyclic product. Studies in homogeneous systems suggest that the ammonium agent facilitates nitrogen-carbon bond formation through a cation-p interaction with the alkyne unit that, for the first time, is directly observed by Raman spectroscopy.

Application of glucose derived magnetic solid acid for etherification of 5-HMF to 5-EMF, dehydration of sorbitol to isosorbide, and esterification of fatty acids - Thombal, Raju S.; Jadhav, Vrushali H. (Tetrahedron Letters, 2016)
In this study, the catalytic activity of Glu-Fe3O4-SO3H was evaluated for three acid catalyzed reactions: etherification of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) to 5-ethoxymethylfurfural (5-EMF) in ethanol, dehydration of sorbitol to isosorbide, and esterification of fatty acids with good yields and selectivity. Moreover, the catalyst can be easily separated from the reaction with an external magnetic force and reused at least five times without a significant decrease in catalytic activity. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords: dehydration; Esterification; etherification; Magnetic

Aryne [2,3] stevens rearrangement - Roy, Tony; Thangaraj, Manikandan; Kaicharla, Trinadh; Kamath, Rupa V.; Gonnade, Rajesh G.; Biju, Akkattu T. (Organic Letters, 2016)
Arynes are employed in the transition-metal-free and mild [2,3] Stevens rearrangement of tertiary allylic amines for the synthesis of functionalized homoallylic amines in moderate to good yield with a broad substrate scope. The key nitrogen ylide intermediate was generated by the N-arylation of allyl amines using arynes. Moreover, the reaction of chiral allyl amines with arynes resulted in the enantiospecific synthesis of homoallylic amines. In addition, preliminary studies on the [1,2] Stevens rearrangement is also presented.

Azadirachta indica triterpenoids promote osteoblast differentiation and mineralization in vitro and in vivo - Kushwaha, Priyanka; Khedgikar, Vikram; Haldar, Saikat; Gautam, Jyoti; Mulani, Fayaj A.; Thulasiram, Hirekodathakallu V.; Trivedi, Ritu (Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters, 2016)
Terpenoids were isolated using chromatographic purification through solvent purification technique and identified as Azadirone (1), Epoxyazadiradione (2) Azadiradione (3) Gedunin (4) Nimbin (5) Salannin (6) Azadirachtin A (7) and Azadirachtin B (8) from Azadirachta indica. Out of eight compounds, only three compounds had osteogenic activity and enhanced osteoblast proliferation, differentiation and mineralization in osteoblast cells. Active compounds stimulated osteogenic genes ALP, RunX-2 and OCN expressions in vitro, but Azadirachtin A had a maximum ability to stimulate osteoblast differentiation and mineralization compared to other two active compounds. For in vivo study, Azadirachtin A injected subcutaneously in pups, which enhanced osteogenic gene expressions and promoted bone formation rate significantly. Here, we conclude that active compounds of Azadirachta indica have osteogenic activity and Azadirachtin A has a beneficial effects on bone. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords: ALP and mineralization assay; Balb/c mice pups; Calvarial osteoblast cells; Gene expressions

Azadirachtin a interacts with er alpha domain and regulates bone formation - Kushwaha, P.; Khedgikar, V.; Gautam, J.; Kumar, A.; Thulasiram, Hirekodathakallu V.; Mishra, P. R.; Trivedi, P. K.; Trivedi, R. (Osteoporosis International, 2016)

Bacillus cellulasensis sp nov., isolated from marine sediment - Mawlankar, Rahul R.; Thorat, Meghana N.; Krishnamurthi, Srinivasan; Dastager, Syed Gulam (Archives of Microbiology, 2016)
A novel bacterial strain NIO-1130(T) was isolated from sediment sample taken from Chorao Island, Goa Province, India, and subjected to a taxonomic investigation. The strain was Gram-positive, aerobic, and motile. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences placed the isolate within the genus Bacillus and strain NIO-1130(T) showed highest sequence similarity with Bacillus halosaccharovorans DSM 25387(T) (98.4 %) and Bacillus niabensis CIP 109816(T) (98.1 %), whereas other Bacillus species showed < 97.0 % similarity. Tree based on gyrB gene sequence revealed that strain bacillus group. The major menaquinone was MK-7 and the predominant cellular fatty acids were iso-C-15:0, anteiso-C-15:0, iso-C-17:0, and anteiso-C-17:0. The strain showed a DNA G+C content of 39.9 mol%. DNA-DNA hybridization studies revealed that strain NIO-1130(T) exhibits 70 % similarity with Bacillus halosaccharovorans DSM 25387(T) and Bacillus niabensis CIP 109816T. On the basis of physiological, biochemical, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic analyses, we consider the isolate to represent a novel species of the genus Bacillus, for which the name Bacillus cellulasensis sp. nov., is proposed. The type strain is NIO-1130(T) (=NCIM 5461(T) = CCTCC AB 2011126(T)).
Keywords: Bacillus sp; Cellulase; Marine sediment; Polyphasic taxonomy

Building and analysis of protein-protein interactions related to diabetes mellitus using support vector machine, biomedical text mining and network analysis - Vyas, Renu; Bapat, Sanket; Jain, Esha; Karthikeyan, Muthukumarasamy; Tambe, Sanjeev; Kulkarni, Bhaskar D. (Computational Biology and Chemistry, 2016)
In order to understand the molecular mechanism underlying any disease, knowledge about the interacting proteins in the disease pathway is essential. The number of revealed protein-protein interactions (PPI) is still very limited compared to the available protein sequences of different organisms. Experiment based high-throughput technologies though provide some data about these interactions, those are often fairly noisy. Computational techniques for predicting protein protein interactions therefore assume significance. 1296 binary fingerprints that encode a combination of structural and geometric properties were developed using the crystallographic data of 15,000 protein complexes in the pdb server. In a case study, these fingerprints were created for proteins implicated in the Type 2 diabetes mellitus disease. The fingerprints were input into a SVM based model for discriminating disease proteins from non disease proteins yielding a classification accuracy of 78.2% (AUC value of 0.78) on an external data set composed of proteins retrieved via text mining of diabetes related literature. A PPI network was constructed and analysed to explore new disease targets. The integrated approach exemplified here has a potential for identifying disease related proteins, functional annotation and other proteomics studies. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Calculation of hyperfine structure constants of small molecules using Z-vector method in the relativistic coupled-cluster framework - Sasmal, Sudip; Talukdar, Kaushik; Nayak, Malaya K.; Vaval, Nayana; Pal, Sourav (Journal of Chemical Sciences, 2016)
The Z-vector method in the relativistic coupled-cluster framework is employed to calculate the parallel and perpendicular components of the magnetic hyperfine structure constant of a few small alkaline earth hydrides (BeH, MgH, and CaH) and fluorides (MgF and CaF). We have compared our Z-vector results with the values calculated by the extended coupled-cluster (ECC) method reported in Phys. Rev. A 91 022512 (2015). All these results are compared with the available experimental values. The Z-vector results are found to be in better agreement with the experimental values than those of the ECC values.

Capsicum annuum proteinase inhibitor ingestion negatively impacts the growth of sorghum pest Chilo partellus and promotes differential protease expression - Jadhav, A. R.; War, A. R.; Nikam, A. N.; Adhav, A. S.; Gupta, V. S.; Sharma, H. C.; Giri, A. P.; Tamhane, V.A. (Biochemistry and Biophysics Reports, 2016)
Background Chilo partellus is an important insect pest infesting sorghum and maize. The larvae internalize in the stem, rendering difficulties in pest management. We investigated the effects of Capsicum annuum proteinase inhibitors (CanPIs) on C. partellus larvae by in-vitro and in-vivo experiments. Methods Recombinant CanPI-7 (with four-Inhibitory Repeat Domains, IRDs), -22 (two-IRDs) and insect proteinase activities were estimated by proteinase assays, dot blot assays and in gel activity assays. Feeding bioassays of lab reared C. partellus with CanPI-7 and -22 were performed. C. partellus proteinase gene expression was done by RT-PCR. In-silico structure prediction of proteinases and CanPI IRDs was carried out, their validation and molecular docking was done for estimating the interaction strength. Results Larval proteinases of C. partellus showed higher activity at alkaline pH and expressed few proteinase isoforms. Both CanPIs showed strong inhibition of C. partellus larval proteinases. Feeding bioassays of C. partellus with CanPIs revealed a dose dependent retardation of larval growth, reduction of pupal mass and fecundity, while larval and pupal periods increased significantly. Ingestion of CanPIs resulted in differential up-regulation of C. partellus proteinase isoforms, which were sensitive to CanPI-7 but were insensitive to CanPI-22. In-silico interaction studies indicated the strong interaction of IRD-9 (of CanPI-22) with Chilo proteinases tested. Conclusions Of the two PIs tested, CanPI-7 prevents induction of inhibitor insensitive proteinases in C. partellus so it can be explored for developing C. partellus tolerance in sorghum. General significance Ingestion of CanPIs, effectively retards C. partellus growth; while differentially regulating the proteinases.

Characterization and valorization of biomass ashes - Trivedi, Nikhilesh S.; Mandavgane, Sachin A.; Mehetre, Sayaji; Kulkarni, Bhaskar D. (Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 2016)
In India, farming is the primary source of income for many families. Following each harvest, a huge amount of biomass is generated. These are generally discarded as "agrowaste," but recent reports have indicated several beneficial uses for these biomasses and their ashes. However, before the utilization of biomass ashes (BMAs), their chemical and physical properties need to be investigated (characterized) so as to utilize their potential benefit to the fullest. In this paper, eight different biomass ashes (soybean plant ash, mustard plant ash, maize ash, groundnut plant ash, cotton plant ash, wheat plant ash, pigeon peas ash, and groundnut shell ash) were characterized, and their chemical properties are discussed. Surface chemical composition analysis, proximate analysis, and ultimate analysis were performed on all BMA samples, and properties such as porosity, particle density, bulk density, point of zero charge, BET surface area, water-absorption capacity, and bulk parameters such as surface pH and surface charges were determined. BMAs were characterized by SEM and FTIR. The surface areas of biomass ashes vary from 1.9 to 46 m(2)/g, and point of zero charge for all BMAs exceed 9.8, which confirmed the alkaline nature of these samples. Based on the chemical composition, BMAs are categorized into four types (S, C, K, and CK), and their utilization is proposed based on the type. BMAs find applications in agriculture and construction industries; glass, rubber, and zeolite manufacturing; and in adsorption (as a source of silica/zeolites). The paper also discusses the research challenges and opportunities in utilization of BMAs.

Cobalt-modified covalent organic framework as a robust wateroxidation electrocatalyst - Aiyappa, Harshitha Barike; Thote, Jayshri; Shinde, Digambar Balaji; Banerjee, Rahul; Kurungot, Sreekumar (Chemistry of Materials, 2016)
The development of stable, efficient oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalyst capable of oxidizing water is one of the premier challenges in the conversion of solar energy to electrical energy, because of its poor kinetics. Herein, a bipyridine-containing covalent organic framework (TpBpy) is utilized as an OER catalyst by way of engineering active Co(II) ions into its porous framework. The as-obtained Co-TpBpy retains a highly accessible surface area (450 m(2)/g) with exceptional stability, even after 1000 cycles and 24 h of OER activity in phosphate buffer under neutral pH conditions with an overpotential of 400 mV at a current density of 1 mA/cm(2). The unusual catalytic stability of Co-TpBpy arises from the synergetic effect of the inherent porosity and presence of coordinating units in the COF skeleton.

Comparative functional characterization of eugenol synthase from four different ocimum species: implications on eugenol accumulation - Anand, Atul; Jayaramaiah, Ramesha H.; Beedkar, Supriya D.; Singh, Priyanka A.; Joshi, Rakesh S.; Mulani, Fayaj A.; Dholakia, Bhushan B.; Punekar, Sachin A.; Gade, Wasudeo N.; Thulasiram, Hirekodathakallu V.; Giri, Ashok P. (Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta-Proteins and Proteomics, 2016)
Isoprenoids and phenylpropanoids are the major secondary metabolite constituents in Ocimum genus. Though enzymes from phenylpropanoid pathway have been characterized from few plants, limited information exists on how they modulate levels of secondary metabolites. Here, we performed phenylpropanoid profiling in different tissues from five Ocimum species, which revealed significant variations in secondary metabolites including eugenol, eugenol methyl ether, estragole and methyl cinnamate levels. Expression analysis of eugenol synthase (EGS) gene showed higher transcript levels especially in young leaves and inflorescence; and were positively correlated with eugenol contents. Additionally, transcript levels of coniferyl alcohol acyl transferase, a key enzyme diverting pool of substrate to phenylpropanoids, were in accordance with their abundance in respective species. In particular, eugenol methyl transferase expression positively correlated with higher levels of eugenol methyl ether in Ocimum tenuiflorum. Further, EGSs were functionally characterized from four Ocimum species varying in their eugenol contents. Kinetic and expression analyses indicated, higher enzyme turnover and transcripts levels, in species accumulating more eugenol. Moreover, biochemical and bioinformatics studies demonstrated that coniferyl acetate was the preferred substrate over coumaryl acetate when used, individually or together, in the enzyme assay. Overall, this study revealed the preliminary evidence for varied accumulation of eugenol and its abundance over chavicol in these Ocimum species. Current findings could potentially provide novel insights for metabolic modulations in medicinal and aromatic plants. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Comparative investigation of the ionicity of aprotic and protic ionic liquids in molecular solvents by using conductometry and NMR spectroscopy - Thawarkar, Sachin; Khupse, Nageshwar D.; Kumar, Anil (Chemphyschem, 2016)
Electrical conductivity (sigma), viscosity (), and self-diffusion coefficient (D) measurements of binary mixtures of aprotic and protic imidazolium-based ionic liquids with water, dimethyl sulfoxide, and ethylene glycol were measured from 293.15 to 323.15K. The temperature dependence study reveals typical Arrhenius behavior. The ionicities of aprotic ionic liquids were observed to be higher than those of protic ionic liquids in these solvents. The aprotic ionic liquid, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate, [bmIm][BF4], displays 100% ionicity in both water and ethylene glycol. The protic ionic liquids in both water and ethylene glycol are classed as good ionic candidates, whereas in DMSO they are classed as having a poor ionic nature. The solvation dynamics of the ionic species of the ionic liquids are illustrated on the basis of the (HNMR)-H-1 chemical shifts of the ionic liquids. The self-diffusion coefficients D of the cation and anion of [HmIm][CH3COO] in D2O and in [D-6]DMSO are determined by using H-1 nuclei with pulsed field gradient spin-echo NMR spectroscopy.
Keywords: conducting materials; Electrochemistry; electrostatic interactions; Ion pairs; ionic liquids

Constructing covalent organic frameworks in water via dynamic covalent bonding - Thote, Jayshri; Aiyappa, Harshitha Barike; Kumar, Raya Rahul; Kandambeth, Sharath; Biswal, Bishnu P.; Shinde, Digambar Balaji; Roy, Neha Chaki; Banerjee, Rahul (Iucrj, 2016)
The formation of keto-enamine based crystalline, porous polymers in water is investigated for the first time. Facile access to the Schiff base reaction in water has been exploited to synthesize stable porous structures using the principles of Dynamic Covalent Chemistry (DCC). Most credibly, the water-based Covalent Organic Frameworks (COFs) possess chemical as well as physical properties such as crystallinity, surface area and porosity, which is comparable to their solvothermal counterparts. The formation of COFs in water is further investigated by understanding the nature of the monomers formed using hydroxy and non-hydroxy analogues of the aldehyde. This synthetic route paves a new way to synthesize COFs using a viable, greener route by utilization of the DCC principles in conjunction with the keto-enol tautomerism to synthesize useful, stable and porous COFs in water.

Convenient synthesis of alpha,alpha `- homo- and alpha,alpha `-hetero-bifunctionalized poly(epsilon-caprolactone)s by ring opening polymerization: the potentially valuable precursors for miktoarm star copolymers - Patil, Sachin S.; Tawade, Bhausaheb V.; Wadgaonkar, Prakash P. (Journal of Polymer Science Part A-Polymer Chemistry, 2016)
Two new ring opening polymerization (ROP) initiators, namely, (3-allyl-2-(allyloxy)phenyl)methanol and (3-allyl-2-(prop-2-yn-1-yloxy)phenyl)methanol each containing two reactive functionalities viz. allyl, allyloxy and allyl, propargyloxy, respectively, were synthesized from 3-allylsalicyaldehyde as a starting material. Well defined -allyl, -allyloxy and -allyl, -propargyloxy bifunctionalized poly(epsilon-caprolactone)s with molecular weights in the range 4200-9500 and 3600-10,900 g/mol and molecular weight distributions in the range 1.16-1.18 and 1.15-1.16, respectively, were synthesized by ROP of epsilon-caprolactone employing these initiators. The presence of -allyl, -allyloxy and -allyl, -propargyloxy functionalities on poly(epsilon-caprolactone)s was confirmed by FT-IR, H-1, C-13 NMR spectroscopy, and MALDI-TOF analysis. The kinetic study of ROP of epsilon-caprolactone with both the initiators revealed the pseudo first order kinetics with respect to epsilon-caprolactone consumption and controlled behavior of polymerization reactions. The usefulness of -allyl, -allyloxy functionalities on poly(epsilon-caprolactone) was demonstrated by performing the thiol-ene reaction with poly(ethylene glycol) thiol to obtain (mPEG)(2)-PCL miktoarm star copolymer. -Allyl, -propargyloxy functionalities on poly(epsilon-caprolactone) were utilized in orthogonal reactions i.e copper catalyzed alkyne-azide click (CuAAC) with azido functionalized poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) followed by thiol-ene reaction with poly(ethylene glycol) thiol to synthesize PCL-PNIPAAm-mPEG miktoarm star terpolymer. The preliminary characterization of A(2)B and ABC miktoarm star copolymers was carried out by H-1 NMR spectroscopy and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). (c) 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2016, 54, 844-860
Keywords: 3-allylsalicyaldehyde; alpha `-allyloxy and alpha-allyl; alpha `-propargyloxy bifunctionalized poly (epsilon-caprolactone)s; alpha-allyl; atom transfer radical polymerization; orthogonal reactions; ring-opening polymerization; star copolymers

Cu-Catalyzed iminative hydroolefination of unactivated alkynes en route to 4-imino-tetrahydropyridines and 4-aminopyridines - Kumar, Ravi; Thorat, Shridhar H.; Reddy, Maddi Sridhar (Chemical Communications, 2016)
A general method for synthesizing 4-imino tetrahydropyridine derivatives is achieved, from readily available beta-enaminones and sulfonyl azides, which comprises a sequential copper catalyzed ketenimine formation and its hitherto inaccessible intramolecular hydrovinylation. The products are shown as ready precursors for highly valuable 4-sulfonamidopyridine derivatives via DDQ mediated oxidation.

Cysteine-specific fluorescent switch for monitoring oxidative stress and quantification of aminoacylase-1 in blood serum - Anila, H. A.; Ali, Firoj; Kushwaha, Shilpi; Taye, Nandaraj; Chattopadhyay, Samit; Das, Amitava (Analytical Chemistry, 2016)

Data of in vitro synthesized dsRNAs on growth and development of helicoverpa armigera - Chikate, Y. R.; Dawkar, V. V.; Barbole, R. S.; Tilak, P. V.; Gupta, V. S.; Giri, A. P. (Data in Brief, 2016)
The data presented in this article is related to the research article "RNAi of selected candidate genes interrupts growth and development of Helicoverpa armigera" (Chikate et al., 2016) [1]. RNA interference (RNAi) is emerging as a potent insect pest control strategy over current methods and their resistance by pest. In this study we tested 15 different in vitro synthesized dsRNAs for gene silencing in Helicoverpa armigera. These dsRNAs were specific against H. armigera enzymes/proteins such as proteases like trypsins (HaTry2, 3, 4 and 6), chymotrypsin (HaChy4) and cysteine proteases such as cathepsin (HaCATHL); glutathione S-transferases (HaGST1a, 6 and 8); esterases (HaAce4, HaJHE); catalase (HaCAT); super-oxide-dismutase (HaCu/ZnSOD); fatty acid binding protein (HaFabp) and chitin deacetylase (HaCda5b). These dsRNAs were fed to second instar larvae at an optimized dose (60 μg/day) for 3 days separately. Effects of dsRNA feeding were observed in terms of larval mass gain, percentage mortality and phenotypic abnormalities in later developmental stages of H. armigera. These findings might provide potential new candidates for designing sequence-specific dsRNA as pesticide in crop protection.

Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of novel fluorinated pyrazole encompassing pyridyl 1,3,4-oxadiazole motifs - Desai, Nisheeth C.; Kotadiya, Ghanshyam M.; Trivedi, Amit R.; Khedkar, Vijay M.; Jha, Prakash C. (Medicinal Chemistry Research, 2016)
A rational approach was adopted for the synthesis of 1-(2-(3-(4-fluorophenyl)-1-phenyl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)-5-(pyridin-4-yl)-1,3,4-oxadiazol-3(2H)-yl)-3-(aryl)prop-2-en-1-ones (5a-n) using conventional heating as well as microwave irradiation techniques. Compounds 5a-n were tested for their in vitro antimicrobial activity and cytotoxicity. Compounds 5g showed most potent antibacterial activity, while compound 5k emerged as the most effective antifungal agent. The most active compounds 5f, 5g, 5l, and 5m were also screened against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Among these compounds, 5g and 5m inhibited the growth against MRSA at low level of cytotoxicity. A binary quantitative structure-activity relationship based recursive partitioning model was developed to probe the physico-chemical properties influencing the structure-activity relationship for this class of molecules, which was used to correctly classify active and inactive compounds.

Development of genetic programming based softsensor model for styrene polymerization process and its application in model based control - Ghugare, Suhas B.; Tambe, Sanjeev S. (2016 Indian Control Conference (ICC), 2016)
In recent years, soft sensors have been established as a valuable alternative to the traditional hardware sensors for the acquisition of critical information regarding ``difficult-to-measure'' process variables and/or parameters in chemical process monitoring and control. Soft sensors can also be modified as a novel process identification tool for process monitoring and model based control. Often, in polymer industries the main polymerization reaction is highly nonlinear and complex to model accurately by the conventional ``first principles'' approach. In such cases, genetic programming (GP)-a novel artificial intelligence-based exclusively data driven modeling technique-can be employed for process identification. In this work GP-based soft sensors have been developed for a continuous styrene polymerization reactor. The resulting GP-based models (soft sensor) showed high prediction and generalization performances. The best performing model was successfully utilized in designing a model predictive control (MPC) scheme for the polymerization reactor.
2nd Indian Control Conference (ICC), Indian Inst Technol, Hyderabad, INDIA, JAN 04-06, 2016
Keywords: Artificial intelligence; genetic programming; Model Predictive Control; process identification; Styrene Polymerization

Effect of mixed acid catalysis on pretreatment and enzymatic digestibility of sugar cane bagasse - Pal, Siddhartha; Joy, Shereena; Kumbhar, Pramod; Trimukhe, K. D.; Varma, Anjanikumar; Padmanabhan, Sasisanker (Energy & Fuels, 2016)
Aqueous pretreatment using homogeneous acid catalyst is considered as a low-cost technology in the production of lignocellulosic bioethanol. To establish the synergism of mixed acids, pilot-level aqueous pretreatments of bagasse covering a wide range of combined severity (CS) were carried out. To investigate the effect of application of mixture of acids on xylose hydrolysis as well as glucose hydrolysis via pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis, the following three combinations of acids were explored: (1) oxalic acid + sulfuric acid (organic + mineral acid), (2) phosphoric + sulfuric acid (mineral acids), and (3) ferric chloride + sulfuric acid (Lewis acid with a mineral acid). Of the pretreatments evaluated, the synergism was most pronounced for the combination of sulfuric and phosphoric acid, which resulted in more than 90% conversion of hemicellulose to xylose and 70% conversion of cellulose to glucose through enzymatic hydrolysis. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) studies of pretreated samples showed higher syringyl/guaiacyl (S/G) ratio for sulfuric and phosphoric acid combination pretreatment, leading to higher enzymatic conversion. FTIR and dynamic light scattering (DLS) experiments conducted on pretreated sugar cane bagasse provided useful correlation with regard to the pretreatment type, particle size, and enzymatic hydrolysis.

Effective noncovalent functionalization of poly(ethylene glycol) to reduced graphene oxidenanosheets through gamma-radiolysis for enhanced lubrication - Gupta, Bhavana; Kumar, Niranjan; Panda, Kalpataru; Melvin, Ambrose A.; Joshi, Shailesh; Dash, Sitaram; Tyagi, Ashok Kumar (Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 2016)
High-quality reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanosheets (NSs) were synthesized by the oxidation of graphite followed by hydrazine treatment for the reduction of the oxygen functionalities. gamma-Radiolysis was then used for the functionalization of the rGO-NSs with poly(ethylene glycol) 200 (PEG200). The functionalization resulted in the intercalation of PEG200 molecules in rGO through hydrogen bonding between the hydroxyl groups of rGO and the oxygen atoms of PEG200 molecules. This resulted in an increase in the d spacing of the graphene sheets and a decrease in the defect density of the carbon network in the rGO. The friction coefficient and wear of sliding steel surfaces were reduced by 38% and 55%, respectively, when 0.03 mg mL(-1) PEG200-functionalized rGO dispersed in PEG200 was used. The lubrication properties can be described by bipolar interactions between PEG200 and rGO, leading to effective dispersion. Chemical analysis of wear particles showed decomposition of rGO into nanosized graphite domains, as exhibited by mechanical energy produced in tribo-contact. Moreover, these domains formed effective and stable tribofilms on the steel wear tracks that easily sheared under the action of contact stress. This significantly enhanced the antifriction and antiwear properties, resulting in improved oxidation resistance of PEG200 under the tribo-contact. It was found that, at high rGO concentrations, the lubrication efficiency decreased as a result of graphene-graphene intersheet collisions, producing mechanical energy and chemical defects at contact interfaces.

Effects of the benzoxazole group on green fluorescent protein chromophore crystal structure and solid state photophysics - Ghodbane, Abdelhamid; Fellows, W. Brett; Bright, John R.; Ghosh, Debashree; Saffon, Nathalie; Tolbert, Laren M.; Fery-Forgues, Suzanne; Solntsev, Kyril M. (Journal of Materials Chemistry C, 2016)
Four benzoxazole-substituted GFP chromophores that differ by the length of their alkyl chain (from C1 to C12) were synthesized. In solution, the four compounds showed identical spectroscopic behavior, emitting blue light with moderate quantum yield. In the solid state, the butyl, pentyl and dodecyl derivatives strongly emitted orange light, while the methyl derivative was only weakly emissive. Based on the X-ray data and DFT calculations, emission in the solid state was explained by the formation of excimers. A very unusual ``hot-dog''-type excimer was found for the dodecyl derivative, in which two overlapping chromophores are separated by an alkyl chain.

Employing carboxylic acids in aryne multicomponent coupling triggered by aziridines/azetidines - Roy, Tony; Bhojgude, Sachin Suresh; Kaicharla, Trinadh; Thangaraj, Manikandan; Garai, Bikash; Biju, Akkattu T. (Organic Chemistry Frontiers, 2016)
The transition-metal-free aryne multicomponent coupling (MCC) involving carboxylic acids initiated by aziridines/azetidines has been reported. The use of aziridines as nucleophiles afforded N-aryl beta-amino alcohol derivatives and the application of azetidines as nucleophilic triggers furnished N-aryl gamma-amino alcohol derivatives in moderate to good yields. These reactions proceed under mild conditions and result in the formation of a new carbon-nitrogen bond and a new carbon-oxygen bond. The utility of carboxylic acids in aryne MCCs has been demonstrated, and the synthetic potential of phenols as acid surrogates in the present aryne MCCs has been realized.

Encapsulation of yeast (Saccharomyces cereviciae) by spray drying for extension of shelf life - Chandralekha, A.; Tavanandi, A. Hrishikesh; Amrutha, N.; Hebbar, H. Umesh; Raghavarao, K. S. M. S.; Gadre, Ramchandra V. (Drying Technology, 2016)
The objective of the present work was to encapsulate yeast using different carrier materials and examine their efficacy in retaining viability of cells after spray drying. Slurry containing yeast cells along with known amount of carrier material (maltodextrin, corn starch, gum arabic, acacia gum, polyethylene glycol 8000, -cyclodextrin, and skimmed milk powder, one at a time) was added and served as feed. Among these carrier materials attempted, corn starch and maltodextrin showed the best results with respect to powder yield (59%, w/w) and cell survival (80.5%), respectively. However, considering both survival and powder yield (67 and 59% w/w, respectively), corn starch was observed to be the most suitable carrier material.
Keywords: Cell viability; Encapsulation; freeze-drying; spray drying; Yeast

Engineering crystals that facilitate the acyl-transfer reaction: insight from a comparison of the crystal structures of myo-inositol-1,3,5-orthoformate-derived benzoates and carbonates - Tamboli, Majid I.; Krishanaswamy, Shobhana; Gonnade, Rajesh G.; Shashidhar, Mysore S. (ACTA Crystallographica Section C-Structural Chemistry, 2016)
Minor variations in the molecular structure of constituent molecules of reactive crystals often yield crystals with significantly different properties due to altered modes of molecular association in the solid state. Hence, these studies could provide a better understanding of the complex chemical processes occurring in the crystalline state. However, reactions that proceed efficiently in molecular crystals are only a small fraction of the reactions that are known to proceed (with comparable efficiency) in the solution state. Hence, for consistent progress in this area of research, investigation of newer reactive molecular crystals which support different kinds of reactions and their related systems is essential. The crystal structures and acyl-transfer reactivity of a myo-inositol-1,3,5-orthoformate-derived dibenzoate and its carbonate (4-O-benzoyl-2-O-phenoxycarbonyl-myo-inositol 1,3,5-orthoformate, C21H18O9) and thiocarbonate (4-O-benzoyl-2-O-phenoxythiocarbonyl-myo-inositol 1,3,5-orthoformate, C21H18O8S) analogs are compared with the aim of understanding the relationship between crystal structure and acyl-transfer reactivity. Insertion of an O atom in the acyl (or thioacyl) group of an ester gives the corresponding carbonate (or thiocarbonate). This seemingly minor change in molecular structure results in a considerable change in the packing of the molecules in the crystals of myoinositol-1,3,5-orthoformate-derived benzoates and the corresponding carbonates. These differences result in a lack of intermolecular acyl-transfer reactivity in crystals of myo-inositol-1,3,5-orthoformate-derived carbonates. Hence, this study illustrates the sensitivity of the relative orientation of molecules, their packing and ensuing changes in the reactivity of resulting crystals to minor changes in molecular structure.

Enhanced drug release by selective cleavage of cross-links in a double-cross-linked hydrogel - Tiwari, Neha; Badiger, Manohar V. (RSC Advances, 2016)
In the present paper, we report on the synthesis and characterization of redox sensitive double-cross-linked poly(acrylic acid) hydrogels using two different cross-linking agents, Jeffamine (R) and cystamine. The amount of two cross-linking agents was varied in order to synthesize hydrogels with different mechanical strengths. Jeffamine provides mechanical stability to the hydrogels while cystamine incorporates redox sensitivity. The stress values at the break point of the mono-and double-crosslinked hydrogels were determined from stress-strain plots. The disulphide bonds (S-S) in the cystamine were cleaved selectively in the presence of dithiothreitol, which increased the degree of hydrogel swelling. This phenomenon of in situ breaking of one cross-linking and increasing the swelling ratio could be used in swelling-controlled drug delivery systems. The implication of selective breaking of cross-links on the swelling-controlled release of the anticancer drug doxorubicin was demonstrated. We also successfully prepared Ag nanoparticles in the dual cross-linked hydrogels in order to incorporate antibacterial properties and studied their release by selective cleavage of cystamine bonds. These double-cross-linked hydrogels show great promise in drug delivery and tissue engineering applications.

Enhanced electrochemical performance of polypyrrole coated MoS2 nanocomposites as electrode material for supercapacitor application - Thakur, Anukul K.; Choudhary, Ram Bilash; Majumder, Mandira; Gupta, Govind; Shelke, Manjusha V. (Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry, 2016)
Binary nanocomposites of polypyrrole (PPY) and Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), with varying weight% of MoS2 viz. MP1, MP2, and MP3 corresponding to 12.5, 25, and 50% of MoS2 respectively, were prepared via. in-situ polymerization method. X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning microscopy (FESEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were employed to study the structure and morphology of the prepared nanocomposites. The electrochemical properties were studied by cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) techniques. The nanocomposite electrode material MP2 reached a specific capacitance of 400 F/g at the current density 1 A/g which was higher than that of pure PPY and the other two nanocomposites viz. MP1 and MP3 having different compositions of MoS2 and PPY than that of MP2. It was noteworthy that the maximum capacitance value was obtained only for an optimum dose of MoS2 (MP2 in this case with 25% of MoS2) and any deviation from which ultimately degraded the capacitive performance of the nanocomposite electrode material. This could be attributed to the occurrence of maximum interaction between MoS2 and PPY in the nanocomposite only at a particular concentration of its host materials. The results showed that the specific capacitance of MP2 nanocomposite declined by 7.2% after 5000 cycles. Further, MP2 nanocomposite electrode showed much higher energy density (8.88 Wh/kg) as well as power density (2286 W/kg) which were higher than that shown by PPY electrode. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of uttroside B, a saponin from Solanum nigrum Linn, as a promising chemotherapeutic agent against hepatocellular carcinoma - Nath, Lekshmi R.; Gorantla, Jaggaiah N.; Thulasidasan, Arun Kumar T.; Vijayakurup, Vinod; Shah, Shabna; Anwer, Shabna; Joseph, Sophia M.; Antony, Jayesh; Veena, Kollery Suresh; Sundaram, Sankar; Marelli, Udaya K.; Lankalapalli, Ravi S.; et al. (Scientific Reports, 2016)
We report, for the first time, the remarkable efficacy of uttroside B, a potent saponin from Solanum nigrum Linn, against liver cancer. The compound has been isolated and characterized from the leaves of Solanum nigrum Linn, a plant widely used in traditional medicine and is a rich resource of several anticancer molecules. Uttroside B, that comprises of beta-D-glucopyranosyl unit at C-26 of the furostanol and beta-lycotetraosyl unit at C-3, is ten times more cytotoxic to the liver cancer cell line, HepG2 (IC50: 0.5 mu M) than sorafenib (IC50: 5.8 mu M), the only FDA-approved drug for liver cancer. Moreover, it induces cytotoxicity in all liver cancer cell lines, irrespective of their HBV status, while being non-toxic to normal immortalized hepatocytes. It induces apoptosis in HepG2 cells by down-regulating mainly the activation of MAPK and mTOR pathways. The drastic reduction in HepG2-xenograft tumor size achieved by uttroside B in NOD-SCID mice and substantiation of its biological safety through both acute and chronic toxicity studies in Swiss albino mice warrants clinical validation of the molecule against hepatic cancer, for which, the chemotherapeutic armamentarium currently has limited weapons.

Facile O-glycosylation of glycals using Glu-Fe3O4-SO3H, a magnetic solid acid catalyst - Thombal, R. S.; Jadhav, V. H. (RSC Advances, 2016)
A new glucose derived magnetic solid acid catalyst (Glu-Fe3O4-SO3H) was synthesized in a convenient and ecofriendly manner and well characterized using FTIR, PXRD, EDAX, SEM, and XPS which showed the presence of Fe3O4 embedded on the surface of the catalyst along with -SO3H, -OH and -COOH functional groups. This new heterogeneous catalyst was studied for synthesis of 2-deoxy galactosides/glucosides with good yields and selectivity. Moreover, the catalyst can be easily separated from the reaction with an external magnetic force and reused for a minimum of four times without any significant decrease in the yields of the products after every recycle

From insertion to multicomponent coupling: temperature dependent reactions of arynes with aliphatic alcohols - Thangaraj, Manikandan; Bhojgude, Sachin Suresh; Mane, Manoj V.; Biju, Akkattu T. (Chemical Communications, 2016)
The temperature dependent selectivity switch in the reaction of arynes with aliphatic alcohols in THF has been reported. At -20 degrees C, arynes smoothly insert into the O-H bond of alcohols to form alkyl aryl ethers. Interestingly, at 60 degrees C, a highly selective multicomponent coupling occurs with the solvent THF acting as the nucleophilic trigger affording (4-(alkoxy)butoxy)arenes.

Functional characterization and transient expression manipulation of a new sesquiterpene synthase involved in beta-caryophyllene accumulation in Ocimum - Jayaramaiah, Ramesha H.; Anand, Atul; Beedkar, Supriya D.; Dholakia, Shushan B.; Punekar, Sachin A.; Kalunke, Raviraj M.; Gade, Wasudeo N.; Thulasiram, Hirekodathakallu V.; Giri, Ashok P. (Biochemical And Biophysical Research Communications, 2016)
The genus Ocimum has a unique blend of diverse secondary metabolites, with major proportion of terpenoids including mono- and sesquiterpenes. Although, beta-Caryophyllene, bicyclic sesquiterpene, is one of the major terpene found in Ocimum species and known to possess several biological activities, not much is known about its biosynthesis in Ocimum. Here, we describe isolation and characterization of beta-caryophyllene synthase gene from Ocimum kilimandscharicum Gurke (OkBCS- GenBank accession no. KP226502). The open reading frame of 1629 bp encoded a protein of 542 amino acids with molecular mass of 63.6 kDa and pl value of 5.66. The deduced amino acid sequence revealed 50-70% similarity with known sesquiterpene synthases from angiosperms. Recombinant OkBCS converted farnesyl diphosphate to beta-caryophyllene as a major product (94%) and 6% alpha-humulene. Expression variation of OkBCS well corroborated with beta-caryophyllene levels in different tissues from five Ocimum species. OkBCS transcript revealed higher expression in leaves and flowers. Further, agro-infiltration based transient expression manipulation with OkBCS over-expression and silencing confirmed its role in beta-caryophyllene biosynthesis. These findings may potentially be further utilized to improve plant defense against insect pests. (C) 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Keywords: beta-Caryophyllene; Natural product biosynthesis; Ocimum; Terpene synthase; Transient expression

Fungal cell membrane-promising drug target for antifungal therapy - Sant, D. G.; Tupe, Santosh Genba; Ramana, Chepuri V.; Deshpande, Mukund V. (Journal of Applied Microbiology, 2016)
Increase in invasive fungal infections over the past few years especially in immunocompromised patients prompted the search for new antifungal agents with improved efficacy. Current antifungal armoury includes very few effective drugs like Amphotericin B; new generation azoles, including voriconazole and posaconazole; echinocandins like caspofungin and micafungin to name a few. Azole class of antifungals which target the fungal cell membrane are the first choice of treatment for many years because of their effectiveness. As the fungal cell membrane is predominantly made up of sterols, glycerophospholipids and sphingolipids, the role of lipids in pathogenesis and target identification for improved therapeutics were largely pursued by researchers during the last few years. Present review focuses on cell membrane as an antifungal target with emphasis on membrane biogenesis, structure and function of cell membrane, cell membrane inhibitors, screening assays, recent advances and future prospects.

Fungal mediated kinetic resolution of racemic acetates to (R)-alcohols using fusarium proliferatum - Jadhav, Dipesh D.; Patil, Harshal S.; Chaya, Patil S.; Thulasiram, Hirekodathakallu V. (Tetrahedron Letters, 2016)
Fungal mediated kinetic resolution of seven acyclic/aromatic acetates was achieved using Fusarium proliferatum to furnish (R)-alcohols in high enantiomeric excess (>95%). The kinetic resolution was established as one-pot two-step de-esterification/oxidation biocatalytic process. Further, the preparative scale synthesis of (R)-(+)-1-phenylethanol was accomplished through de-esterification/oxidation of (+/-)-1-phenylethyl acetate using the whole cell of F. proliferatum NCIM 1105. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fusarium oxysporum mediates systems metabolic reprogramming of chickpea roots as revealed by a combination of proteomics and metabolomics - Kumar, Yashwant; Zhang, Limin; Panigrahi, Priyabrata; Dholakia, Bhushan B.; Dewangan, Veena; Chavan, Sachin G.; Kunjir, Shrikant M.; Wu, Xiangyu; Li, Ning; Rajmohanan, Pattuparambil R.; Kadoo, Narendra Y.; Giri, Ashok P.; et al. (Plant Biotechnology Journal, 2016)
Molecular changes elicited by plants in response to fungal attack and how this affects plant-pathogen interaction, including susceptibility or resistance, remain elusive. We studied the dynamics in root metabolism during compatible and incompatible interactions between chickpea and Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ciceri (Foc), using quantitative label-free proteomics and NMR-based metabolomics. Results demonstrated differential expression of proteins and metabolites upon Foc inoculations in the resistant plants compared with the susceptible ones. Additionally, expression analysis of candidate genes supported the proteomic and metabolic variations in the chickpea roots upon Foc inoculation. In particular, we found that the resistant plants revealed significant increase in the carbon and nitrogen metabolism; generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), lignification and phytoalexins. The levels of some of the pathogenesis-related proteins were significantly higher upon Foc inoculation in the resistant plant. Interestingly, results also exhibited the crucial role of altered Yang cycle, which contributed in different methylation reactions and unfolded protein response in the chickpea roots against Foc. Overall, the observed modulations in the metabolic flux as outcome of several orchestrated molecular events are determinant of plant's role in chickpea-Foc interactions.
Keywords: Chickpea; fusarium oxysporum; Metabolomics; NMR; plant-pathogen interaction; proteomics

GAME9 regulates the biosynthesis of steroidal alkaloids and upstream isoprenoids in the plant mevalonate pathway - Cardenas, Pablo D.; Sonawane, Prashant D.; Pollier, Jacob; Vanden Bossche, Robin; Dewangan, Veena; Weithorn, Efrat; Tal, Lior; Meir, Sagit; Rogachev, Ilana; Malitsky, Sergey; Giri, Ashok P.; Goossens, Alain; et al. (Nature Communications, 2016)
Steroidal glycoalkaloids (SGAs) are cholesterol-derived molecules produced by solanaceous species. They contribute to pathogen defence but are toxic to humans and considered as anti-nutritional compounds. Here we show that GLYCOALKALOID METABOLISM 9 (GAME9), an APETALA2/Ethylene Response Factor, related to regulators of alkaloid production in tobacco and Catharanthus roseus, controls SGA biosynthesis. GAME9 knockdown and overexpression in tomato and potato alters expression of SGAs and upstream mevalonate pathway genes including the cholesterol biosynthesis gene STEROL SIDE CHAIN REDUCTASE 2 (SSR2). Levels of SGAs, C24-alkylsterols and the upstream mevalonate and cholesterol pathways intermediates are modified in these plants. Delta(7)-STEROL-C5(6)-DESATURASE (C5-SD) in the hitherto unresolved cholesterol pathway is a direct target of GAME9. Transactivation and promoter-binding assays show that GAME9 exerts its activity either directly or cooperatively with the SlMYC2 transcription factor as in the case of the C5-SD gene promoter. Our findings provide insight into the regulation of SGA biosynthesis and means for manipulating these metabolites in crops.

Graphene based nanocomposites for alloy (SnO2), and conversion (Fe3O4) type efficient anodes for Li-ion battery applications - Mhamane, Dattakumar; Aravindan, Vanchiappan; Taneja, Divya; Suryawanshi, Anil; Game, Onkar; Srinivasan, Madhavi; Ogale, Satishchandra B. (Composites Science and Technology, 2016)
Two types of trigol reduced one pot synthesized graphene (TRG) based nanocomposites (SnO2-TRG, and Fe3O4-TRG) are examined as potential anodes for Lithium ion battery (LIB) applications. The two specific systems represent different electrode reaction mechanisms, namely alloying, and conversion respectively. The high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) analysis confirms the uniform distribution of SnO2 (similar to 2 nm), and Fe3O4 (similar to 8 nm) particulates on ultrathin TRG nanosheets and highlights the importance of surfactant free synthesis. The SnO2-TRG, and Fe3O4-TRG exhibited the maximum reversible capacity of similar to 947, and similar to 1024 mA h g(-1), respectively. The results show that such graphene based composite materials can be effectively used as prospective anodes for LIB applications. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Graphene oxide sheathed ZIF-8 microcrystals: engineered precursors of nitrogen-doped porous carbon for efficient oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) electrocatalysis - Thomas, Minju; Illathvalappi, Rajith; Kurungot, Sreekumar; Nair, Balagopal N.; Mohamed, Abdul Azeez Peer; Anilkumar, Gopinathan M.; Yamaguchi, Takeo; Hareesh, U. S. (ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 2016)
Nitrogen containing mesoporous carbon obtained by the pyrolysis of graphene oxide (GO) wrapped ZIF-8 (Zeolitic Imidazolate Frameworks-8) micro crystals is demonstrated to be an efficient catalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). ZIF-8 synthesis in the presence of GO sheets helped to realize layers of graphene oxide over ZIF-8 microcrystals and the sphere-like structures thus obtained, on heat treatment, transformed to highly porous carbon with a nitrogen content of about 6.12% and surface area of 502 m(2)/g. These catalysts with a typical micromeso porous architecture exhibited an onset potential of 0.88Vvs RHE in a four electron pathway and also demonstrated superior durability in alkaline medium compared to that of the commercial Pt/C catalyst. The N-doped porous carbon derived from GO sheathed ZIF-8 core shell structures could therefore be employed as an efficient electrocatalyst for fuel cell applications.
Keywords: alkaline fuel cell; graphene oxide; N-doped carbon; oxygen reduction reaction; porous carbon; ZIF-8

GSH Induced controlled release of levofloxacin from a purpose-built prodrug: luminescence response for probing the drug release in escherichia coli and staphylococcus aureus - Pal, Suman; Ramu, Vadde; Taye, Nandaraj; Mogare, Devraj G.; Yeware, Amar M.; Sarkar, Dhiman; Reddy, D. Srinivasa; Chattopadhyay, Samit; Das, Amitava (Bioconjugate Chemistry, 2016)
Fluoroquinolones are third-generation broad spectrum bactericidal antibiotics and work against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Levofloxacin (L), a fluoroquinolone, is widely used in anti-infective chemotherapy and treatment of urinary tract infection and pneumonia. The main pathogen for urinary tract infections is Escherichia colt, and Streptococcus pneumoniae is responsible for pneumonia, predominantly a lower respiratory tract infection. Poor permeability of L leads to the use of higher dose of this drug and excess drug in the outer cellular fluid leads to central nervous system (CNS) abnormality. One way to counter this is to improve the lipophilicity of the drug molecule, and accordingly, we have synthesized two new Levofloxacin derivatives, which participated in the spatiotemporal release of drug via disulfide bond cleavage induced by glutathione (GSH). Recent studies with Streptococcus mutants suggest that it is localized in epithelial lining fluid (ELF) of the normal lower respiratory tract and the effective [GSH] in ELF is similar to 430 mu M. E. coli typically cause urinary tract infections and the concentration of GSH in porcine bladder epithelium is reported as 0.6 mM for a healthy human. Thus, for the present study we have chosen two important bacteria (Gram + ve and Gram - ve), which are operational in regions having high extracellular GSH concentration. Interestingly, this supports our design of new lipophilic Levofloxacin based prodrugs, which released effective drug on reaction with GSH. Higher lipophilicity favored improved uptake of the prodrugs. Site specific release of the drug (L) could be achieved following a glutathione mediated biochemical transformation process through cleavage of a disulfide bond of these purpose-built prodrugs. Further, appropriate design helped us to demonstrate that it is possible also to control the kinetics of the drug release from respective prodrugs. Associated luminescence enhancement helps in probing the release of the drug from the prodrug in bacteria and helps in elucidating the mechanistic pathway of the transformation. Such an example is scarce in the contemporary literature.

Hierarchical K/LTL zeolites: synthesis by alkali treatment, characterization and catalytic performance in knoevenagel condensation reaction - Tangale, Nilesh P.; Sonar, Shilpa K.; Niphadkar, Prashant S.; Joshi, Praphulla N. (Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry, 2016)
The hierarchical K/LTL zeolites prepared by post-synthesis modification with aqueous 1.5 M KOH solution by varying alkali volume to K/LTL zeolite (10-70 ml/g) ratios, were examined in Knoevenagel condensation. The physico-chemical properties of the catalysts were thoroughly evaluated by PXRD, ICP, CO2-TPD, XPS, N-2 adsorption/desorption and Si-29 and Al-22 MAS-NMR. Among all the samples, hierarchical K/LTL prepared by treating K/LTL with 50 ml aqueous 1.5 M KOH solution per gram of K/LTL displayed about 1.5 fold higher catalytic activity as compared to parent K/LTL, presumably because of combined effect of enhanced basicity and molecular diffusion through pore channels. (C)2016 The Korean Society of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Basicity; Hierarchical zeolite; K/LTL; Knoevenagel condensation; Micro-mesoporous composite

High ash char gasification in thermo-gravimetric analyzer and prediction of gasification performance parameters using computational intelligence formalisms - Patil-Shinde, Veena; Saha, Sujan; Sharma, Bijay K.; Tambe, Sanjeev S.; Kulkarni, Bhaskar D. (Chemical Engineering Communications, 2016)
The coal gasification is a cleaner and more efficient process than the coal combustion. Although high ash coals are commonly utilized in the energy generation, systematic gasification kinetic studies using chars derived from these coals are scarce. Accordingly, this paper reports the development of the data-driven models for the gasification of chars derived from the high ash coals. Specifically, the models predict two important gasification performance parameters, viz. gasification rate constant and reactivity index. These models have been constructed using three computational intelligence (CI) methods, namely genetic programming (GP), multilayer perceptron (MLP) neural network (NN), and support vector regression (SVR). The inputs to the CI-based models consist of seven parameters representing the gasification reaction conditions and properties of high ash coals and chars. The data used in the modeling were collected by performing extensive gasification experiments in the CO2 atmosphere in a thermo-gravimetric analyzer (TGA) using char samples derived from the Indian coals containing high ash content. Values of the two gasification performance parameters were obtained by fitting the experimental data to the shrinking unreacted core (SUC) model. It has been observed that all the CI-based models possess an excellent prediction accuracy and generalization capability. Accordingly, these models can be gainfully employed in the design and operation of the fixed and fluidized bed gasifiers using high ash coals.
Keywords: Char gasification kinetic modeling; Data-driven modeling; genetic programming; Multilayer perceptron neural network; support vector regression; Thermo-gravimetric analyzer

High-index faceted Au nanocrystals with highly controllable optical properties and electro-catalytic activity - Rajendra, Ranguwar; Gangadharan, Pranav K.; Tripathi, Shalini; Kurungot, Sreekumar; Ballav, Nirmalya (Nanoscale, 2016)
We introduce a new and naturally abundant mild reducing agent, tannic acid, to improve the seed-mediated growth method for the synthesis of elongated tetrahexahedral Au nanocrystals enclosed with high-index (730) planes, at room-temperature. The control of the dimensions, plasmonics and electro-catalysis of such high-index faceted nanocrystals is remarkable.

High-Performance flexible solid-state supercapacitor with an extended nanoregime interface through in situ polymer electrolyte generation - Anothumakkool, Bihag; Torris, Arun A. T.; Veeliyath, Sajna; Vijayakumar, Vidyanand; Badiger, Manohar V.; Kurungot, Sreekumar (ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 2016)
{Here, we report an efficient strategy by which a significantly enhanced electrodeelectrolyte interface in an electrode for supercapacitor application could be accomplished by allowing in situ polymer gel electrolyte generation inside the nanopores of the electrodes. This unique and highly efficient strategy could be conceived by judiciously maintaining ultraviolet-triggered polymerization of a monomer mixture in the presence of a high-surface-area porous carbon. The method is very simple and scalable, and a prototype, flexible solid-state supercapacitor could even be demonstrated in an encapsulation-free condition by using the commercial-grade electrodes (thickness = 150 mu m
Keywords: cyclic voltametry; impedance analysis; in situ polymer generation; interface; polymer electrolyte; supercapacitor

Impact of modular substitution on crystal packing: the tale of two ureas - Koshti, Vijay S.; Thorat, Shridhar H.; Gote, Ravindra P.; Chikkali, Samir H.; Gonnade, Rajesh G. (CrystEngComm, 2016)

Lewis acid catalyzed selective reactions of donor-acceptor cyclopropanes with 2-naphthols - Kaicharla, Trinadh; Roy, Tony; Thangaraj, Manikandan; Gonnade, Rajesh G.; Biju, Akkattu T. (Angewandte Chemie-International Edition, 2016)
Lewis acid-catalyzed reactions of 2-substituted cyclopropane 1,1-dicarboxylates with 2-naphthols is reported. The reaction exhibits tunable selectivity depending on the nature of Lewis acid employed and proceed as a dearomatization/rearomatization sequence. With Bi(OTf)(3) as the Lewis acid, a highly selective dehydrative [3+2] cyclopentannulation takes place leading to the formation of naphthalene-fused cyclopentanes. Interestingly, engaging Sc(OTf)(3) as the Lewis acid, a Friedel-Crafts-type addition of 2-naphthols to cyclo-propanes takes place, thus affording functionalized 2-naphthols. Both reactions furnished the target products in high regioselectivity and moderate to high yields.
Keywords: annulations; arenes; Lewis acids; reaction mechanisms; small ring systems

Mechanically tunable curcumin incorporated polyurethane hydrogels as potential biomaterials - Divakaran, Anumon V.; Azad, Lal Busher; Surwase, Sachin S.; Torris, Arun A. T.; Badiger, Manohar V. (Chemistry of Materials, 2016)
We report here on the one-pot synthesis and characterization of curcumin incorporated polyethylene glycol polyurethane (PU-CUR) hydrogels using PEG-4000, 4, 4'-methylenebis (cyclohexyl isocyanate), curcumin in the presence of a cross-linker, 1,2,6 hexanetriol (HT). Besides the physical entrapment, curcumin also provides a partial cross linking in the 3-D structure of the hydrogel. The degree of swelling in hydrogels could be controlled by varying the amount of HT as well as curcumin. The structural characterization of hydrogels was performed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, high-resolution mass spectrometry, UV and fluorescence spectroscopy. The wide-angle X-ray scattering studies revealed the existence of crystalline domains of PEG, and the small-angle X-ray scattering studies showed the presence of lamellar microstructures. Porous structure in the hydrogel was created by cryogenic treatment and lyophilization. Scanning electron microscopy and microcomputed tomography imaging of hydrogels showed the presence of interconnected pores. The mechanical strength of the hydrogels was measured using a universal testing machine. The observed tensile and breaking compression strengths for the equilibrium swollen gels were found to be in the range of 0.22-0.73 MPa and 1.65-4.6 MPa, respectively. Detailed in vitro biological experiments showed the biocompatibility of gels, cytostatic dosage of curcumin, selective toxicity toward cancer cell lines, and antibacterial property. These gels show promising applications as scaffolds and implants in tissue engineering.

Modified photo-electrochemical and photo-voltaic properties of solvothermally crystallised TiO2 nanotube arrays - Banki, Manmadha Rao; Tathavadekar, Mukta; Chunchu, Venkatrao; Roy, Somnath C. (Journal of Materials Science-Materials in Electronics, 2016)
TiO2 nanotube arrays formed by electrochemical anodization of Ti metal foil are crystallized through a solvothermal technique at 200 A degrees C (as compared to conventional annealing at 550 A degrees C), which results in anatase phase with granular morphology. The photo-current measurements reveal a higher current-density under the visible light for solvothermally crystallized samples. The photo-current behavior has been analysed and correlated with defect state characterization using X-ray photo-electron spectroscopy, Photo-luminescence, Electron paramagnetic resonance and Mott-Schottky measurements. These studies indicate an oxygen vacancy related defect state at 1.14 eV below the conduction band. Also, the density of defect states in solvothermally crystallised samples is an order of magnite, the photo-voltaic properties are studied through dye-sensitised solar cells. I-Vude higher than that in conventionally annealed samples. Furthermor characteristics of DSSC fabricated with solvothermally crystallised samples show comparable efficiency but higher dye-adsorption with respect to the conventionally annealed samples. Such a comparable efficiency at a lower thermal budget leads to reduced 'energy pay-back time' in solar cells fabricated with solvothermally crystallised TiO2 nanotube arrays. Finally, we demonstrate a proof-of-concept design of flexible solar cell based on TiO2 nanotubes grown on Kapton substrate and crystallised through the solvothermal technique.

Modulation of charge carrier mobility by side-chain engineering of bi(thienylenevinylene)thiophene containing PPE-PPVs - Jadhav, Rupali R.; Camaioni, Nadia; Oppelt, Kerstin; Tinti, Francesca; Gazzano, Massimo; Fattori, Valeria; Wadgaonkar, Prakash P.; Rathgeber, Silke; Hoppe, Harald; Egbe, Daniel A. M. (RSC Advances, 2016)
Four 2-dimensional conjugated poly(p-phenylene-ethynylene)-alt-poly(p-phenylene-vinylene) polymers containing a lateral bi(thienylenevinylene)thiophene unit (BTE-PVs) were synthesised and characterised. The investigated polymers share the same conjugated structure, but differ in the anchoring positions of solubilising linear octyloxy/branched 2-ethylhexyloxy side-chains. UV-vis spectra of the polymers in dilute chloroform solutions and as thin films were studied. X-Ray diffraction patterns as well as the bulk charge transport of polymer films cast from chlorobenzene solutions were also investigated. A dramatic effect of the solubilising side-chains on the charge carrier mobility of BTE-PV films was observed, with bulk hole mobility values ranging between 1.3 x 10(-5) cm(2) V-1 s(-1) and 2.2 x 10(-2) cm(2) V-1 s(-1), which is not ascribable to evident structural variations of the polymer films. It is shown that the combination of linear octyloxy and branched 2-ethylhexyloxy side-chains is favorable for the charge transport properties of BTE-PVs, compared to the incorporation of only linear or only branched side-chains.

Molecular cloning and in silico studies of physiologically significant trehalase from drosophila melanogaster - Shukla, Ekta; Thorat, Leena; Bhavnani, Varsha; Bendre, Ameya D.; Pal, J. K.; Nath, B. B.; Gaikwad, Sushama M. (International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 2016)
Trehalase, a physiologically important glycosidase is known for its crucial role in insect glycometabolism and stress recovery. The present study describes the molecular cloning of a gene fragment, encoding the catalytically active trehalase from Drosophila melanogaster (DmTre) and its heterologous expression in Escherichia coli. The 1275 bp gene was overexpressed in two different vectors viz., pET28a and pCOLD TF and investigated for variable soluble expression, purification and activity of the recombinant enzyme with optimum pH and temperature of enzyme as 6 and 55 degrees C, respectively. The sequence was characterized in silico by subjecting it to homology search, multiple sequence alignment and phylogenetic tree construction revealing its identity to other trehalases which belong to glycoside hydrolase family 37. The deduced amino acid sequence and modeled 3D structure of DmTre possessed all features of trehalase superfamily, including signature motifs and catalytic domain. The active site pocket of recombinant DmTre was compared with the crystal structure of E. coli trehalase identifying Glu424 and Asp226 as the putative catalytic residues. Additionally, enzyme-substrate docking suggests possible involvement of other residues in the catalysis along with Asp226. The present study holds significance in understanding the structural aspects of Drosophila trehalase in spite of unavailabilty of eukaryotic trehalase crystal structure. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mustard plant ash: a source of micronutrient and an adsorbent for removal of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid - Trivedi, Nikhilesh S.; Mandavgane, Sachin A.; Kulkarni, Bhaskar D. (Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 2016)
The work highlights the utilization of an agricultural waste mustard plant ash (MPA) as a soil additive and an adsorbent. MPA was characterized by X-ray fluorescence (XRF), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), proximate analysis, CHNS analysis, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area analysis, zeta potential measurements, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). XRF analysis confirmed the presence of CaO (31.35 %), K2O (18.55 %), and P2O5 (6.99 %), all of which act as micronutrients to plants. EDX also confirms high amount of elemental O, Ca, K, and P. The adsorptive ability of MPA was investigated using a commonly used herbicide, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), as a representative chemical. Batch adsorption experiments were conducted to study the effect of different operational parameters such as adsorbent dose, initial 2,4-D concentration, contact time, and temperature on the adsorption process. Data from experiments were fitted to various kinetic and isothermal models. The pseudo-second-order kinetic model was found to show the best fit (R (2) > 0.99), with the highest k (2) value of the order 10(5). Based on the study results, dosage of MPA/hectare for different crops has been recommended for effective removal of 2,4-D. To our knowledge, this is the first study in which MPA has been characterized in detail and investigated for dual applications (as an adsorbent and as a soil additive).

Necking in extrusion film casting: numerical predictions of the maxwell model and comparison with experiments - Pol, Harshawardhan V.; Thete, Sumeet S. (Journal of Macromolecular Science Part B-Physics, 2016)
The role of viscoelasticity in determining the extent of necking of a web of molten polymer extruded in an isothermal steady state extrusion film casting (EFC) process is considered. Following a brief review of experimental and theoretical efforts on this problem, analytical and numerical solutions to a well-established model for extrusion film casting using the Maxwell constitutive equation is presented. The extent of film necking was found to either increase or decrease with draw ratio (DR) depending on the Deborah number (De). The locus of points on the draw ratio-Deborah number diagram at which the draw ratio dependence of the necking width inverts was calculated and compared with the locus that separates the unattainable regime from the experimentally accessible regime. Predicted trends were found to be in qualitative agreement with experimental data for various polyethylene grades.

Next-generation ammonia pretreatment enhances cellulosic biofuel production - Sousa, Leonardo da Costa; Jin, Mingjie; Chundawat, Shishir P. S.; Bokade, Vijay V.; Tang, Xiaoyu; Azarpira, Ali; Lu, Fachuang; Avci, Utku; Humpula, James; Uppugundla, Nirmal; Gunawan, Christa; Pattathil, Sivakumar; et al. (Energy & Environmental Science, 2016)
A new liquid ammonia pretreatment methodology called Extractive Ammonia (EA) was developed to simultaneously convert native crystalline cellulose I-beta (CI) to a highly digestible cellulose IIII (CIII) allomorph and selectively extract up to B45% of the lignin from lignocellulosic biomass with near-quantitative retention of all polysaccharides. EA pretreated corn stover yielded a higher fermentable sugar yield compared to the older Ammonia Fiber Expansion (AFEX) process while using 60% lower enzyme loading. The EA process preserves extracted lignin functionalities, offering the potential to co-produce lignin-derived fuels and chemicals in the biorefinery. The single-stage EA fractionation process achieves high biofuel yields (18.2 kg ethanol per 100 kg untreated corn stover, dry weight basis), comparable to those achieved using ionic liquid pretreatments. The EA process achieves these ethanol yields at industrially-relevant conditions using low enzyme loading (7.5 mg protein per g glucan) and high solids loading (8% glucan, w/v).

Notch1-MAPK signaling axis regulates CD133+ cancer stem cell-mediated melanoma growth and angiogenesis - Kumar, Dhiraj; Kumar, Santosh; Gorain, Mahadeo; Tomar, Deepti; Patil, Harshal S.; Radharani, Nalukurthi N. V.; Kumar, Totakura V. S.; Patil, Tushar V.; Thulasiram, Hirekodathakallu V.; Kundu, Gopal C. (Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2016)
Functional characterization and understanding of the intricate signaling mechanisms in stem-like cells is crucial for the development of effective therapies in melanoma. We have studied whether melanoma cells are phenotypically distinct and hierarchically organized according to their tumorigenic nature. We report that melanoma-specific CD133(+) cancer stem cells exhibit increased tumor-initiating potential, tumor-endothelial cell interaction, and lung metastasis. These cells are able to transdifferentiate into an endothelial-like phenotype when cultured under endothelial differentiation-promoting conditions. Mechanistically, Notch1 upregulates mitogen-activated protein kinase activation through CD133, which ultimately controls vascular endothelial growth factor and matrix metalloproteinase expression in CD133(+) stem cells leading to melanoma growth, angiogenesis, and lung metastasis. Blockade or genetic ablation of Notch1 and mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways abolishes melanoma cell migration and angiogenesis. Chromatin immunoprecipitation and reporter assays revealed that Notch1 intracellular domain regulates CD133 expression at the transcriptional level. Andrographolide inhibits Notch1 intracellular domain expression, Notch1 intracellular domaindependent CD133-mediated mitogen-activated protein kinase and activator protein-1 activation, and epithelial to mesenchymal-specific gene expression, ultimately attenuating melanoma growth and lung metastasis. Human malignant melanoma specimen analyses revealed a strong correlation between Notch1 intracellular domain, CD133, and p-p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase expression and malignant melanoma progression. Thus, targeting Notch1 and its regulated signaling network may have potential therapeutic implications for the management of cancer stem cell-mediated melanoma progression.

Palladium supported on fluorite structured redox CeZrO4-δ for heterogeneous suzuki coupling in water: a green protocol - Burange, Anand S.; Shukla, Rakesh; Tyagi, Avesh Kumar; Gopinath, Chinnakonda S. (Chemistry Select, 2016)
Pd on redox CeZrO4-δ catalysts was prepared, characterized and their activity was evaluated for Suzuki coupling reaction in water under reflux condition. Fresh and reduced form of 5 % Pd (R−Pd5) on CeZrO4-δ catalyst exhibited 100 % conversion in 2.5 and 1 h, respectively. R−Pd5 shows significant activity for wide range of substrate compatibility and for less reactive aryl bromides too. The mechanistic investigations proved the important role of redox CeZrO4-δ support on the catalytic activity. It was observed that the presence of oxygen vacancy along with Ce3+ enhances the activity. 1 wt % Pd photodeposited on pre-reduced CeZrO4-δ support requires a mere 20 min. for 100 % conversion of Suzuki coupling. Effect of metal dispersion and particle size on catalytic activity is also discussed. High Pd dispersion with small particle size (4±1 nm), particle size preservation after reaction, strong metal-support interaction and no leaching fully suggest the heterogeneous mechanism is operative for Suzuki coupling on 1 wt % Pd photodeposited on reduced CeZrO4-δ support. Present work hints the possibility of achieving high conversion for Suzuki reaction with very small amount of Pd through better dispersion by taking advantage of redox support and in water.

Photocatalytic degradation of ciprofloxacin center dot HCl using Aeroxide (R) P-25 TiO2 photocatalyst: comparative evaluation of solar and artificial radiation - Shetty, Rohit; Kothari, Gaurav; Tambe, Amruta S.; Kulkarni, Bhaskar D.; Kamble, Sanjay P. (Indian Journal of Chemistry Section A-Inorganic Bio-Inorganic Physical Theoretical & Analytical Chemistry, 2016)
The photocatalytic degradation of ciprofioxacin (CFX) has been investigated using Aeroxide (R) P-25 TiO2 photocatalyst in the presence of solar as well as artificial radiation. The effects of different operating parameters like initial concentration of CFX, catalyst loading, pH of solution and effect of co-existing ions on photocatalytic degradation of CFX have been investigated with a view to establish the optimum operating conditions. It is observed that as the initial concentration of CFX increases, the rate of photocatalytic degradation decreases. Optimum catalyst loading is observed at 1 g L-1 for CFX concentration of 100 mg L-1. Over the pH range 3-11, maximum degradation rate occurs at pH 9. The mechanism and intermediates formed during the photocatalytic degradation of CFX are discussed based on UPLC-MS/MS analysis. From kinetic studies, it is found that the photocatalytic degradation obeys pseudo-first order kinetics. The degradation rate constant using solar radiation is about 1.7 times higher than that under artificial radiation.
Keywords: Advanced oxidation process; Aeroxide (R) P-25 TiO2; Artificial radiation; Ciprofloxacin center dot HCl; Degradation; Pharmaceutical micropollutants; Photocatalysis; Solar radiation

Photocatalytic H-2 evolution from water-methanol mixtures on InGaO3(ZnO)(m) with an anisotropic layered structure modified with CuO and NiO cocatalysts - Narendranath, Soumya B.; Thekkeparambil, Saranya V.; George, Leena; Thundiyil, Shibin; Devi, R. Nandini (Journal of Molecular Catalysis A-Chemical, 2016)
InGaO3(ZnO)(m) series of oxides is found to be active for photocatalytic H-2 evolution from water-methanol mixtures. The structure of this series is highly anisotropic with InO6 octahedral layers sandwiching Ga/ZnOn polyhedra. The structural anisotropy in which the conducting layer is spatially separated from the charge generation sites may help in suppressing charge recombination and consequently enhance catalytic activity. The band gaps of the series obtained from absorption spectra are above 3.6 eV and hence they are not active under visible light irradiation. H-2 evolution is considerably enhanced under UV light on employing NiO as cocatalyst due to facile electron transfer from InGaO3(ZnO)(m). to NiO. However, when CuO is used as cocatalyst, visible light activity could be brought out. Due to the very low band gap of CuO, it can act as a sensitizer absorbing in visible light. The band positions become conducive for H-2 evolution due to band alignments consequent to electron accumulation in CuO conduction band. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Keywords: InGaO3(ZnO)(m); photocatalytic water splitting; visible light; XPS; XRD

Potential dual role of eugenol in inhibiting advanced glycation end products in diabetes: proteomic and mechanistic insights - Singh, Priyanka; Jayaramaiah, Ramesha H.; Agawane, Sachin B.; Vannuruswamy, Garikapati; Korwar, Arvind M.; Anand, Atul; Dhaygude, Vitthal S.; Shaikh, Mahemud L.; Joshi, Rakesh S.; Boppana, Ramanamurthy; Kulkarni, Mahesh J.; Thulasiram, Hirekodathakallu V.; et al. (Scientific Reports, 2016)
Medicinally important genus Ocimum harbors a vast pool of chemically diverse metabolites. Current study aims at identifying anti-diabetic candidate compounds from Ocimum species. Major metabolites in O. kilimandscharicum, O. tenuiflorum, O. gratissimum were purified, characterized and evaluated for anti-glycation activity. In vitro inhibition of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) by eugenol was found to be highest. Preliminary biophysical analysis and blind docking studies to understand eugenol-albumin interaction indicated eugenol to possess strong binding affinity for surface exposed lysines. However, binding of eugenol to bovine serum albumin (BSA) did not result in significant change in secondary structure of protein. In vivo diabetic mice model studies with eugenol showed reduction in blood glucose levels by 38% likely due to inhibition of alpha-glucosidase while insulin and glycated hemoglobin levels remain unchanged. Western blotting using anti-AGE antibody and mass spectrometry detected notably fewer AGE modified peptides upon eugenol treatment both in vivo and in vitro. Histopathological examination revealed comparatively lesser lesions in eugenol-treated mice. Thus, we propose eugenol has dual mode of action in combating diabetes; it lowers blood glucose by inhibiting a-glucosidase and prevents AGE formation by binding to epsilon-amine group on lysine, protecting it from glycation, offering potential use in diabetic management.

Prediction of reactivity ratios in free radical copolymerization from monomer resonance-polarity (Q-e) parameters: genetic programming-based models - Shrinivas, K.; Kulkarni, Rahul P.; Shaikh, Saif; Ghorpade, Ravindra V.; Vyas, Renu; Tambe, Sanjeev S.; Ponrathnam, S.; Kulkarni, Bhaskar D. (International Journal of Chemical Reactor Engineering, 2016)
The principal deficiency of the widely utilized Alfrey-Price (AP) scheme for computing reactivity ratios in the widely used free radical copolymerization is that it ignores important factors, such as the steric effects. This often leads to inaccurate reactivity ratio predictions by AP model. Accordingly, in this study, exclusively data-driven, Q-e parameter-based new models have been developed for the reactivity ratio prediction in free radical copolymerization. In the model development, a novel artificial intelligence formalism known as ``genetic programming (GP)'' that performs symbolic regression has been employed. The GP-based models possess a different functional form than AP model. Further, parameters of GP-based models were fine-tuned using Levenberg-Marquardt (LM) nonlinear regression method. A comparison of AP, GP and GP-LM as well as artificial neural network (ANN)-based models indicates that GP and GP-LM models exhibit superior reactivity ratio prediction accuracy and generalization performance (with correlation coefficient magnitudes close to or greater than 0.9) when compared with AP and ANN models. The GPbased reactivity ratio prediction models developed here due to their higher accuracy and generalization capability have the potential of replacing the widely used AP models.
Keywords: Alfrey-Price scheme; free radical copolymerization; genetic programming; reactivity ratio; symbolic regression

Pretreatment and enzymatic process modification strategies to improve efficiency of sugar production from sugarcane bagasse - Pal, Siddhartha; Joy, Shereena; Trimukhe, Kalpana D.; Kumbhar, Pramod S.; Varma, Anjani J.; Padmanabhan, Sasisanker (3 Biotech, 2016)
Pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis play a critical role in the economic production of sugars and fuels from lignocellulosic biomass. In this study, we evaluated diverse pilot-scale pretreatments and different post-pretreatment strategies for the production of fermentable sugars from sugarcane bagasse. For the pretreatment of bagasse at pilot-scale level, steam explosion without catalyst and combination of sulfuric and oxalic acids at low and high loadings were used. Subsequently, to enhance the efficiency of enzymatic hydrolysis of the pretreated bagasse, three different post-pretreatment process schemes were investigated. In the first scheme (Scheme 1), enzymatic hydrolysis was conducted on the whole pretreated slurry, without treatments such as washing or solid-liquid separation. In the second scheme (Scheme 2), the pretreated slurry was first pressure filtered to yield a solid and liquid phase. Following filtration, the separated liquid phase was remixed with the solid wet cake to generate slurry, which was then subsequently used for enzymatic hydrolysis. In the third scheme (Scheme 3), the pretreated slurry was washed with more water and filtered to obtain a solid and liquid phase, in which only the former was subjected to enzymatic hydrolysis. A 10 % higher enzymatic conversion was obtained in Scheme 2 than Scheme 1, while Scheme 3 resulted in only a 5-7 % increase due to additional washing unit operation and solid-liquid separation. Dynamic light scattering experiments conducted on post-pretreated bagasse indicate decrease of particle size due to solid-liquid separation involving pressure filtration provided increased the yield of C6 sugars. It is anticipated that different process modification methods used in this study before the enzymatic hydrolysis step can make the overall cellulosic ethanol process effective and possibly cost effective.
Keywords: Dilute acid treatment; High-solid enzymatic hydrolysis; Pilot-scale pretreatment; Pressure filtration; Solid-liquid separation

Promising field electron emission performance of vertically aligned one dimensional (1D) brookite (beta) TiO2 nanorods - Devan, Rupesh S.; Ma, Yuan-Ron; More, Mahendra A.; Khare, Ruchita T.; Antad, Vivek V.; Patil, Ranjit A.; Thakare, Vishal P.; Dhayal, Rajendra S.; Schmidt-Mende, Lukas (RSC Advances, 2016)
We evidence field-electron emission (FE) studies on the large-area array of one-dimensional (1D) brookite (beta) TiO2 nanorods. The pure 1D beta-TiO2 nanorods of 10 nm width and 760 nm long were synthesized on Si substrate utilizing hot-filament metal vapor deposition technique. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis evidenced the beta-TiO2 nanorods to be composed of orthorhombic crystals in brookite (beta) phase. X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) revealed the formation of pure stoichiometric (i.e. 1 : 1.98) 1D TiO2 nanorods. The values of turn-on field, required to draw current density of 10 mA cm(-2), was observed 3.9 V mu m(-1) for pristine 1D beta-TiO2 nanorods emitters, which were found significantly lower than doped/undoped 1D TiO2 nanostructures (i.e. nanotubes, nanowires, nanorods) based field emitters. The enhanced FE behavior of the TiO2/Si emitter can be attributed to modulation of electronic properties due to the high aspect ratio of vertically aligned TiO2 nanorods. Furthermore, the orthodox emission situation of pristine TiO2/Si emitters exhibit good emission stability and reveal their potentials as promising FE material.

Pyramiding PvPGIP2 and TAXI-III but not PvPGIP2 and PMEI enhances resistance against fusarium graminearum - Tundo, Silvio; Kalunke, Raviraj; Janni, Michela; Volpi, Chiara; Lionetti, Vincenzo; Bellincampi, Daniela; Favaron, Francesco; D'Ovidio, Renato (Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions, 2016)
Plant protein inhibitors counteract the activity of cell wall degrading enzymes (CWDEs) secreted by pathogens to breach the plant cell-wall barrier. Transgenic plants expressing a single protein inhibitor restrict pathogen infections. However, since pathogens secrete a number of CWDEs at the onset of infection, we combined more inhibitors in a single wheat genotype to reinforce further the cell-wall barrier. We combined polygalacturonase (PG) inhibiting protein (PGIP) and pectin methyl esterase inhibitor (PMEI), both controlling the activity of PG, one of the first CWDEs secreted during infection. We also pyramided PGIP and TAXI-M, a xylanase inhibitor that controls the activity of xylanases, key factors for the degradation of xylan, a main component of cereal cell wall. We demonstrated that the pyramiding of PGIP and PMEI did not contribute to any further improvement of disease resistance. However, the presence of both pectinase inhibitors ensured a broader spectrum of disease resistance. Conversely, the PGIP and TAXI-HI combination contributed to further improvement of Fusarium head blight (FHB) resistance, probably because these inhibitors target the activity of different types of CWDEs, i.e., PGs and xylanases. Worth mentioning, the reduction of FHB symptoms is accompanied by a reduction of deoxynivalenol accumulation with a foreseen great benefit to human and animal health.

Radical beckmann rearrangement and its application in the formal total synthesis of antimalarial natural product isocryptolepine via C-H activation - Mahajan, Pankaj S.; Humne, Vivek T.; Tanpure, Subhash D.; Mhaske, Santosh B. (Organic Letters, 2016)
The Beckmann rearrangement of ketoximes, mediated by ammonium persulfate-dimethyl sulfoxide as a reagent, has been achieved under neutral conditions. Based on the radical trapping and O-18-labeling experiments, the transformation follows a mechanism involving a radical pathway. The scope and generality of the developed protocol has been demonstrated by 19 examples. The developed protocol and Pd-catalyzed intramolecular double C-H activation were used as key steps in the formal total synthesis of antimalarial natural product isocryptolepine.

Re-engineering of PIP3-antagonist triazole PITENIN's chemical scaffold: development of novel antifungal leads - Pulya, Sravani; Kommagalla, Yadagiri; Sant, Duhita G.; Jorwekar, Shweta U.; Tupe, Santosh G.; Deshpande, Mukund V.; Ramana, Chepuri V. (RSC Advances, 2016)
A novel 4-(1-phenyl-1-hydroxyethyl)-1-(o-hydroxyphenyl)-1H-1,2,3-triazole was designed by integrating the structural features of triazole PITENIN anticancer agents and the azole class of antifungal drugs. A two-step protocol comprising the Barbier propargylation and Cu-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition was established to synthesise a diverse set of compounds of this class. Their screening against a wide range of human fungal pathogens led to identification of several potential antifungal hits and some of them displayed better antifungal activity than fluconazole against Candida glabrata, Cryptococcus neoformans, Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus niger. Mode of action studies revealed that their antifungal activity was resulting either from the inhibition of lanosterol 14 alpha-demethylase enzyme (leading to ergosterol depletion) or by the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS).

Removal of arsenite [As(III)] and arsenate [As(V)] ions from wastewater using TFA and TAFA resins: computational intelligence based reaction modeling and optimization - Patil-Shinde, V.; Mulani, K. B.; Donde, K.; Chavan, N. N.; Ponrathnam, S.; Tambe, S. S. (Journal of environmental chemical engineering, 2016)
Being significantly toxic, removal of arsenic forms an important part of the drinking- and waste-water treatment. Tannin is a polyphenol-rich substrate that efficiently and adsorptively binds to the multivalent metal ions. In this study, tannin-formaldehyde (TFA) and tannin-aniline-formaldehyde (TAFA) resins were synthesized and employed successfully for an adsorptive removal of arsenite [As(III)] and arsenate [As(V)] ions from the contaminated water. Next, a computational intelligence (CI) based hybrid strategy was used to model and optimize the resin-based adsorption of As(III) and As(V) ions for securing optimal reaction conditions. This strategy first uses an exclusively reaction data driven modeling strategy, namely, genetic programming (GP) to predict the extent (%) of As(III)/As(V) adsorbed on TFA and TAFA resins. Next, the input space of the GP-based models consisting of the reaction condition variables/parameters was optimized using genetic algorithm (GA) method; the objective of this optimization was to maximize the adsorption of As(III) and As(V) ions on the two resins. Finally, the sets of optimal reaction conditions provided by GP-GA hybrid method were verified experimentally the results of which indicate that the optimized conditions have lead to 0.3% and 1.3% increase in the adsorption of As(III) and As(V) ions on TFA resin. More significantly, the optimized conditions have increased the adsorption of As(III) and As(V) on TAFA resin by 3.02% and 12.77%, respectively. The GP-GA based strategy introduced here can be gainfully utilized for modeling and optimization of similar type of contaminant-removal processes.

RNAi of selected candidate genes interrupts growth and development of Helicoverpa armigera - Chikate, Yojana R.; Dawkar, Vishal V.; Barbole, Ranjit S.; Tilak, Priyadarshini V.; Gupta, Vidya S.; Giri, Ashok P. (Pesticide Biochemistry and Physiology, 2016)
Helicoverpa armigera is one of the major crop pests and is less amenable to current pest control approaches. RNA interference (RNAi) is emerging as a potent arsenal for the insect pest control over current methods. Here, we examined the effect on growth and development in H. armigera by targeting various enzymes/proteins such as proteases like trypsins (HaTry2, 3, 4 and 6), chymotrypsin (HaChy4) and cysteine protease like cathepsin (HaCATHL); glutathione S-transferases (HaGST1a, 6 and 8); esterases (HaAce4, HaJHE); catalase (HaCAT); super-oxide-dismutase (HaCu/ZnSOD); fatty acid binding protein (HaFabp) and chitin deacetylase (HaCda5b) through dsRNA approach. Significant downregulation of cognate mRNA expression and reduced activity of trypsin and GST-like enzyme were evident upon feeding candidate dsRNAs to the larvae. Among these, the highest mortality was observed in HaAce4 dsRNA fed larvae followed by HaJHE; HaCAT; HaCuZnSOD; HaFabp and HaTry3 whereas remaining ones showed relatively lower mortality. Furthermore, the dsRNA fed larvae showed significant reduction in the larval mass and abnormalities at the different stages of H. armigera development compared to their control diets. For example, malformed larvae, pupae and moth at a dose of 60 pg/day were evident in high number of individual insects fed on dsRNA containing diets. Moreover, the growth and development of insects and moths were retarded in dsRNA fed larvae. These findings might provide potential new candidates for designing effective dsRNA as pesticide in crop protection. (C) 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Role of helical spring locked washer in bolted join tanalysis: A review - Wagh, H. K.; Desale, G. R.; Tripathi, K. (International Journal of Structural Integrity, 2016)
Purpose-The purpose of this paper is to give a brief introduction of helical spring locked washer along with extensive literatures survey on role of helical spring locked washer in bolted joint analysis. It is very small component of bolted joint assembly, but it play vital role in holding the assembly components together. Helical shape of it produces spring effect in the assembly which is used for keeping the assembly in tension and that is lock the assembly under dynamic loading due to vibrations to avoid the accident. Design/methodology/approach-The critical literatures survey identifies role of helical spring locked washer in different areas such as design optimization, mechanism of loosening-resistant components, bolted joint analysis, finite element-based modeling, analysis and simulation. The related literatures show contribution of helical spring washers in evaluation of anti-loosening performance of assemblies as compare to other types of washers. Findings-It proposed that design optimization of helical spring locked washer is needed as it improves the performance in the form of load-deflection characteristics, load bearing capacity and provides the best locking force for optimize functionality. Originality/value-The originality or value of this paper is to finding research gaps in literatures by dividing literatures into seven different research areas and concentrating the only on role of helical spring locked washer in bolted joint analysis.

Role of surface synergistic effect on the performance of Ni-based hydrotalcite catalyst for highly efficient hydrogenation of furfural - Manikandan, Marimuthu; Venugopal, Ashok Kumar; Prabu, Kandasamy; Jha, Ratnesh Kumar; Thirumalaiswamy, Raja (Journal of Molecular Catalysis A-Chemical, 2016)
The selective vapor phase hydrogenation of furfural at ambient pressure has been investigated using a facile and robust hydrotalcite derived Ni containing mixed oxide catalyst. The systematic characterization results conferred that the difficulty in the reduction of Ni species due to the strong interaction between Ni and support, which facilitated from the homogeneous distribution of hydrotalcite structure. It was also found that the structure and catalytic performance of the catalysts were greatly influenced by Ni loading. Through fine-tuned surface elemental sites and reaction conditions, furfural conversion of 98% with 95% of furfuryl alcohol selectivity was achieved over a MAN-2 catalyst containing two molar ratio of Ni. The results have demonstrated that the incorporation of Mg significantly enhances the Ni-support interaction, Ni dispersion and catalytic performance. The high efficiency of the Ni-based hydrotalcite derived catalyst was mainly attributed to the surface synergistic interaction between the catalytically active metallic Ni sites and the strong basic sites, which furnished an eco-benign and sustainable catalyst for the selective hydrogenation of furfural. Furthermore, the spent catalyst analysis substantiated that no significant difference in the catalyst phase was observed even after 48 h of reaction stream. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Keywords: alcohol-hydrotalcites-selective; Biomass-frurfural-furfuryl; Hydrogenation

Salvia miltiorrhiza: A medicinal herb from metabolites to pathway engineering - Gupta, S. K.; Sharma, P.; Agrawal, D. C.; Tsay, H.-S. (Medicinal plants - recent advances in research and development, 2016)
The dried, red-colored roots of Salvia miltiorrhiza (Lamiaceae) also called “danshen” in colloquial language in China have been used in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years to treat hypertension and other cardiovascular ailments. The main constituents of danshen are hydrophilic phenolic acids and lipophilic tanshinones. The various uses of danshen in traditional as well as modern medicines have motivated an intensive research on compounds in S. miltiorrhiza. In recent years, more than 110 compounds have been isolated from S. miltiorrhiza and their structure was identified. Tanshinones and their derivatives have been demonstrated to possess properties of slowing down or curing various ailments related to cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, respiratory, liver, nervous system, cancer, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s diseases. With the increasing demand of this herb, an unrestricted collection to supply raw materials and the extraction of its constituents have severely threatened the natural habitats of S miltiorrhiza. This has prompted the researchers to develop alternative strategies for metabolite production. Several in vitro methodologies have been established to generate callus, cell suspension culture, hairy roots, and plant regeneration. Different regulators and elicitors for plant growth have been employed to enhance levels of different constituents. The advent of sequencing technologies, whole genome, and expression data has helped to provide insights and identification of pathway genes involved in the biosynthesis. This book chapter gives a brief description of in vitro methodologies, use of different elicitors, gene functions, genetic modifications, expression profiling for a better understanding, and enhancement of the constituents in S. miltiorrhiza.

Selective synthesis of N-unsubstituted and N-arylindoles by the reaction of arynes with azirines - Thangaraj, Manikandan; Bhojgude, Sachin Suresh; "Jain, Shailja"; Gonnade, Rajesh G.; Biju, Akkattu T. (Journal of Organic Chemistry, 2016)
The transition-metal-free and temperature-dependent highly selective reaction of arynes with 2H-azirines allowing the synthesis of either N-unsubstituted or N-arylindoles has been developed. At 60 degrees C, arynes generated from 2-(trimethylsilyl)aryl triflates smoothly insert into 2H-azirines to form 2,3-diarylindoles with high selectivity. Interestingly, when the reaction was performed at -10 degrees C, the selectivity was switched to the formation of 1,2,3-triarylindoles in good yields.

Solution chemistry-based nano-structuring of copper dendrites for efficient use in catalysis and superhydrophobic surfaces - Bakthavatsalam, Rangarajan; Ghosh, Subrata; Biswas, Ratul Kumar; Saxena, Aayushi; Raja, Alagar; Thotiyl, Musthafa Ottakam; Wadhai, Sandip; Banpurkar, Arun G.; Kundu, Janardan (RSC Advances, 2016)
Despite their performance and economic advantages over Ag and Au, there have been no focused research efforts on the nano-structuring of Cu dendrites with respect to fine-tuning their structure/morphology towards the efficiency enhancement of suitable applications. Reported here is a simple, versatile, environmentally-friendly and galvanic replacement reaction-based solution chemistry methodology to synthesize highly nano-structured copper dendrites targeted towards the efficiency enhancement of desired applications. Herein, copper is deposited galvanically on an Al foil in the presence of NaCl/HCl, wherein the chloride anions augment an uninterrupted replacement reaction. The growth process of Cu dendrites has been probed in detail. The presence of acid, the type of Cu2+ precursor salt, the Cu2+ ion concentration, the surfactant concentration and the reaction temperature are all demonstrated to provide useful means of modulating the surface structure/morphology of the dendrites. Notably, dendrites formed in the presence of acid are found to be highly nano-structured. Moreover, it is also found that the morphology/structure of the obtained Cu deposit depends considerably upon the choice of the Cu2+ precursor salt, a parameter that has been completely overlooked in the past. The acid-induced nano-structuring of the dendrites is exploited for enhancing their efficiency in the catalytic reduction of para-nitrophenol and for fabricating self-cleaning superhydrophobic surfaces. These nano-structured dendrites are demonstrated to have the highest ever normalized rate constant for the catalytic reduction reaction. Superhydrophobic surfaces fabricated using these dendrites demonstrate excellent self-cleaning abilities, showing a high contact angle (159 degrees) with low contact angle hysteresis (2 degrees). This facile synthetic strategy for the fabrication of highly nano-structured Cu dendrites is expected to open up avenues for the production of Cu-based low-cost functional nano/micro-materials.

Specific receptor for hydrazine: mapping the in situ release of hydrazine in live cells and in an in vitro enzymatic assay - Ali, Firoj; Anila, H. A.; Taye, Nandaraj; Mogare, Devraj G.; Chattopadhyay, Samit; Das, Amitava (Chemical Communications, 2016)
We report a new chemodosimetric reagent capable of detecting hydrazine in the presence of several other competing amine derivatives and ionic analytes of biological relevance. This reagent has been utilized for real time monitoring of in situ N2H4 release during the metabolism of a crucial tuberculosis drug, isoniazid, in live HepG2 cells. The fluorescence response of the reagent based on its specific reaction with N2H4 is used for developing an in vitro assay for aminoacylase-1.

Stereoselective quenching of cedryl carbocation in epicedrol biosynthesis - Shinde, Sandip S.; Navale, Govinda R.; Said, Madhukar S.; Thulasiram, Hirekodathakallu V. (Tetrahedron Letters, 2016)
Epicedrol synthase catalyzes the cyclization of achiral diphosphate substrate, (E,E)-farnesyldiphosphate (FPP) into epicedrol. GC-MS analysis of assay extracts obtained by incubating FPP with epicedrol synthase in 21.6 at % H2(18)O buffer showed the molecular ion of 224 for epicedrol. The labeled oxygen study presented here unambiguously demonstrates that the hydroxyl group of the epicedrol synthase enzymatic product, epicedrol, is derived from a water molecule, not from the phosphate moiety of the FPP. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Structural insights and functional implications of inter-individual variability in beta(2)-adrenergic receptor - Tandale, Aditi; Joshi, Manali; Sengupta, Durba (Scientific Reports, 2016)
The human beta(2)-adrenergic receptor (beta(2)AR) belongs to the G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) family and due to its central role in bronchodilation, is an important drug target. The inter-individual variability in beta(2)AR has been implicated in disease susceptibility and differential drug response. In this work, we identified nine potentially deleterious non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms (nsSNPs) using a consensus approach. The deleterious nsSNPs were found to cluster near the ligand binding site and towards the G-protein binding site. To assess their molecular level effects, we built structural models of these receptors and performed atomistic molecular dynamics simulations. Most notably, in the Phe290Ser variant we observed the rotameric flip of Trp286(6.48), a putative activation switch that has not been reported in beta(2)AR thus far. In contrast, the variant Met82Lys was found to be the most detrimental to epinephrine binding. Additionally, a few of the nsSNPs were seen to cause perturbations to the lipid bilayer, while a few lead to differences at the G-protein coupling site. We are thus able to classify the variants as ranging from activating to damaging, prioritising them for experimental studies.

Sulfonated graphene oxide as highly efficient catalyst for glycosylation - Thombal, Raju S.; Jadhav, Vrushali H. (Journal of Carbohydrate Chemistry, 2016)
Heterogeneous sulfonated graphene oxide for the first time has been used as a green and efficient catalyst for atom-economic glycosylation of unprotected, unactivated glycosyl donors or 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetylglycosyltrichloroacetimidate with various acceptors basically in the absence of solvent. The unprotected, unactivated glycosyl donors afforded mixtures of alpha- and beta-glycosides, while the 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetylglycosyltrichloroacetimidate afforded beta-glycosylated products with high yields and selectivity. The main advantages of this methodology are easy catalyst preparation, no need for dry reagents and reaction conditions, easy catalyst separation and recycling, and high product yields.
Keywords: glycol donor; glycosyl acceptor; glycosylation; reusability; Sulfonated graphene oxide

Switch-on NIR probe for specific detection of Hg2+ ion in aqueous medium and in mitochondria - Agarwalla, Hrideshg; Mahajan, Pankaj S.; Sahu, Debashis; Taye, Nandaraj; Ganguly, Bishwajit; Mhaske, Santosh B.; Chattopadhyay, Samit; Das, Amitava (Inorganic Chemistry, 2016)
A new 4,4-difluoro-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene (BODIPY)-based probe molecule (L) is synthesized for specific binding to Hg2+ ion in physiological condition with an associated luminescence ON response in the near-IR region of the spectrum. Appropriate functionalization in the 5-position of each of two pyrrole moieties with styryl functionality in a BODIPY core helped us in achieving the extended conjugation and a facile intramolecular charge transfer transition with a narrow energy gap for frontier orbitals. This accounted for a poor emission quantum yield for the probe molecule L. Binding to. Hg2+ helped in interrupting the facile intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) process that was initially operational for L. This resulted in a hypsochromic shift of absorption band and a turn-on luminescence response with lambda(Em)(max) of 650 nm on specific binding to Hg2+. Observed spectral changes are rationalized based on quantum chemical calculations. Interestingly, this reagent is found to be localized preferentially in the mitochondria of the live human colon cancer (Hct116) cells. Mitochondria is one of the major targets for localization of He2+, which actually decreases the mitochondrial membrane potential and modifies various proteins having sulfudryl functionality(ies) to cause cell apoptosis. Considering these, ability of the present reagent to specifically recognize Hg2+] in the mitochondrial region of the live Hct116 cells has significance.

Synthesis and characterization of superhydrophobic-superoleophilic surface - Mahadik, Satish A.; Pedraza, Fernado D.; Relekar, Brahmanand P.; Parale, Vinayak. G.; Lohar, Gaurav M.; Thorat, Sagar S. (Journal of Sol-Gel Science and Technology, 2016)
The binary superhydrophobic-superhydrophilic surface has been successfully achieved by a combination of nanoscale texture roughness on micro-textured cotton thread network by layer-by-layer deposition method through the single-step sol-gel route. Furthermore, microstructures with improved wettability were produced, in which silica nanotextures were grown without modifying the chemical method to form superoleophilic and superhydrophobic networks. A superoleophilic surface (oil contact angle 0A degrees) and a superhydrophobic coated cotton fabric with surface free energy of gamma (total) = 13. 23 +/- A 0.37 mJ m(-2) (water contact angle of 167 +/- A 1A degrees and a small sliding angle of 4 +/- A 1A degrees) were successfully obtained. The results were exemplified here by the creation of immiscible oils separation membranes, and the innumerable applications of this technology also include self-cleaning fabrics, antistaining fabrics, water purification, and antiwetting fabrics for military applications.
Keywords: contact angle; Layer-by-layer deposition method; sol-gel processing; Superhydrophobic-superoleophilic surface

Synthesis and characterization of thermally stable polyimides with a pendent phenothiazine unit based on new diamine 10-(3,5-diaminobenzoyl)phenothiazine - Ghorpade, Ravindra V.; Thorave, Asmita K.; Rajan, C. R.; Chavan, Nayaku; Ponrathnam, S. (High Performance Polymers, 2016)
A novel diamine 10-(3,5-diaminobenzoyl)phenothiazine (DBPT) with a side chain containing phenothiazine unit was synthesized. A new family of polyimides (PIs) containing phenothiazine unit in the side chains has been successfully synthesized by direct polycondensation of DBPT with pyromellitic dianhydride, 3,3',4,4'-benzophenone tertacarboxylic dianhydride, and 4,4'-oxydiphthalic anhydride (ODA) via a conventional two-step chemical imidization process. The yield of polymers was good enough, which were soluble in most organic solvents. The molecular orbital energy gaps, thermal stability, and crystallinity of PIs were investigated by molecular modeling, thermogravimetric analysis, and wide-angle X-ray scattering, respectively. Thermal properties of polymers were good enough to permit the use of these PIs in various applications; only 49% weight loss is detected at 900 degrees C in nitrogen atmosphere. X-Ray diffraction clearly reveals the amorphous nature of PIs. A quantum modeling study (density functional theory) has shown the influence of dianhydride structure on the energy difference of highest occupied molecular orbital and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital energy levels.
Keywords: phenothiazine-containing diamine; Polyimide; thermally stable polymer

Synthesis and properties of poly(arylene ether)s based on 3-pentadecyl 4,4'-biphenol - Tawade, Bhausaheb V.; Shaligram, Sayali V.; Valsange, Nitin G.; Kharul, Ulhas K.; Wadgaonkar, Prakash P. (Polymer International, 2016)
A new biphenol, 3-pentadecyl 4,4-biphenol, was synthesized starting from 3-pentadecylphenol and was polycondensed with 4,4-difluorobenzophenone, 1,3-bis(4-fluorobenzoyl)benzene and bis(4-fluorophenyl)sulfone to obtain poly(arylene ether)s with biphenylene linkages in the backbone and pendent pentadecyl chains. Inherent viscosities and number-average molecular weights (M-n) of the poly(arylene ether)s were in the range 0.50 - 0.81 dL g(-1) and 2.2 x 10(4) - 8.3 x 10(4), respectively. Detailed NMR spectroscopic studies of the poly(arylene ether)s indicated the presence of constitutional isomerism which existed because of the non-symmetrical structure of 3-pentadecyl 4,4-biphenol. The poly(arylene ether)s readily dissolved in common organic solvents such as dichloromethane, chloroform and tetrahydrofuran and could be cast into tough, transparent and flexible films from their chloroform solutions. The poly(arylene ether)s exhibited T-g values in the range 35-60 degrees C which are lower than that of reference poly(arylene ether)s without pentadecyl chains. The 10% decomposition temperatures (T-10) of the poly(arylene ether)s were in the range 410-455 degrees C indicating their good thermal stability. A gas permeation study of poly(ether sulfone) containing pendent pentadecyl chains revealed a moderate increase in permeability for helium, hydrogen and oxygen. However, there was a large increase in permeability for carbon dioxide which could be attributed to the internal plasticization effect of pendent pentadecyl chains. (c) 2016 Society of Chemical Industry
Keywords: cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL); gas permeation study; pentadecyl; poly(arylene ether)s; thermal stability

Synthesis, biological evaluation and molecular docking study of some novel indole and pyridine based 1,3,4-oxadiazole derivatives as potential antitubercular agents - Desai, N. C.; Somani, Hardik; Trivedi, Amit; Bhatt, Kandarp; Nawale, Laxman; Khedkar, Vijay M.; Jha, Prakash C.; Sarkar, Dhiman (Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters, 2016)
A series of indole and pyridine based 1,3,4-oxadiazole derivatives 5a-t were synthesized and evaluated for their in vitro antitubercular activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra (MTB) and Mycobacterium bovis BCG both in active and dormant state. Compounds 5b, 5e, 5g and 5q exhibited very good antitubercular activity. All the newly synthesized compounds 5a-t were further evaluated for antiproliferative activity against HeLa, A549 and PANC-1 cell lines using modified MTT assay and found to be noncytotoxic. On the basis of cytotoxicity and MIC values against Mycobacterium bovis BCG, selectivity index (SI) of most active compounds 5b, 5e, 5g and 5q was calculated (SI = GI(50)/MIC) in active and dormant state. Compounds 5b, 5e and 5g demonstrated SI values >= 10 against all three cell lines and were found to safe for advance screening. Compounds 5a-t were further screened for their antibacterial activity against four bacteria strains to assess their selectivity towards MTB. In addition, the molecular docking studies revealed the binding modes of these compounds in active site of enoyl reductase (InhA), which in turn helped to establish a structural basis of inhibition of mycobacteria. The potency, low cytotoxicity and selectivity of these compounds make them valid lead compounds for further optimization. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords: 1; 3; 4-Oxadiazole; Antitubercular activity; Cytotoxicity; Indole; Molecular docking; Pyridine

Synthesis, biological valuation, and QSAR studies of novel pyrazole bearing pyridyl oxadiazole analogues as potential antimicrobial agents - Desai, N. C.; Kotadiya, G. M.; Trivedi, A. R.; Khedkar, Vijay M.; Jha, Prakash C. (Medicinal Chemistry Research, 2016)
A new series of 1-(2-(3-(4-nitrophenyl)-1-phenyl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)-5-(pyridin-4-yl)-1,3,4 -oxadiazol-3(2H)-yl)-3-(aryl)prop-2-en-1-ones (5a-l) were synthesized by a simple and efficient synthetic protocol. The newly synthesized compounds were characterized by IR, H-1 NMR, C-13 NMR and Mass spectroscopy. The resulting structural diversity was screened for its antimicrobial activity the following bacterial and fungal strains: two Gram-positive bacteria [Staphylococcus aureus (MTCC-96), Streptococcus pyogenes (MTCC-442)], two Gram-negative bacteria [Escherichia coli (MTCC-443), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MTCC-1688)] and three fungal species (C. albicans, A. niger and A. clavatus). Following this, in vitro cytotoxicity activity against HeLa cell lines was measured by MTT [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazoliumbromide] assay. The observations derived from the diverse assays were utilized for building classification models based on a binary QSAR approach termed recursive partitioning (RP) analysis to probe the physic-chemical properties influencing the SAR for molecules. The decision tree derived from RP analysis could highlight structural characteristics that discriminate the actives from inactives which can serve as guide to design molecules with improved potency. In silico ADME predictions were performed to gauge their pharmacokinetic, safety and drug likeness profile.
Keywords: 1; 3; 4-Oxadiazole; Antimicrobial activity; Cytotoxicity; Pyrazole; Pyridine; QSAR

Synthesis of functionalized amino epoxides by a three-component coupling involving aziridines, arynes and aldehydes - Roy, Tony; Thangaraj, Manikandan; Gonnade, Rajesh G.; Biju, Akkattu T. (Chemical Communications, 2016)
A transition-metal-free three-component coupling involving N-substituted aziridines, arynes and aldehydes resulting in the formation of trisubstituted N-aryl alpha-amino epoxides has been demonstrated. The reaction likely proceeds via the highly strained cyclic nitrogen ylide intermediates generated from aziridines and arynes.

Synthesis of Sn-containing anatase (TiO2) by sol-gel method and their performance in catalytic water splitting under visible light as a function of tin content - Tangale, N. P.; Niphadkar, P. S.; Samuel, V.; Deshpande, Suvarna S.; Joshi, P. N.; Awate, S. V. (Materials Letters, 2016)
Sol-gel route was employed to prepare a series of Sn-containing anatase with different molar (Ti/Sn) ratios ranging from 49 to 1. Samples were characterized by powder XRD, UV-vis, XPS, SEM, EDAX, low temperature N-2 sorption technique and Raman Spectroscopy. Except anatase phase, no other crystalline phase was observed when Ti/Sn molar ratio was varied from 49 to 9 and for Sn free sample. However, further decrease in the ratio lead to the appearance of additional SnO2 phase whose peak intensities were increased with the increase in the tin content. Irrespective of tin content, all samples showed red-shift in UV-vis spectra. Moreover, samples showed Raman shift to higher vibration side from 143 cm(-1) to 147 cm(-1) indicating the doping of Sn2+ into TiO2. By virtue of low band gap, anatase crystallite size and an absence of XRD visible SnO2, ST (19) has shown maximum photocatalytic activity upon 1 wt% Pt loading. It has exhibited the highest rate (0.1264 mmole/g/h) for visible light induced hydrogen evolution by water splitting. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Semiconductors; Sn2+ doped titania; SnO2/TiO2; Sol-gel preparation; visible light; water splitting

Syringic acid: structural elucidation and co-crystallization - Thipparaboina, Rajesh; Mittapalli, Sudhir; Thatikonda, Sowjanya; Nangia, Ashwini; Naidu, V. G. M.; Shastri, Nalini R. (Crystal Growth & Design, 2016)
Syringic acid (SYRA) is a potential antioxidant used in traditional Chinese medicine and is an emerging nutraceutical. Current reports claim its potential anti-angiogenic, anti-glycating, anti-hyperglycaemic, neuroprotective, and memory-enhancing properties in various animal models. To date, SYRA crystal structure has not been elucidated, and no crystal engineering studies have been reported. This study reports the crystal structure of SYRA for the first time along with its nicotinamide (SNCT-E) and urea (SU-EA-M) co-crystals. All forms were successfully characterized using single crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD), powder XRD, and differential scanning calorimetry. Single crystal analysis revealed that SYRA crystallized in the C2/c space group, whereas SNCT-E (2:1) and SU-EA-M (1:2) crystallized in the P21/n and Cmca space group, respectively. Novel co-crystals have shown improved solubility, modified dissolution profiles, and improved flow and compressibility. Cytotoxic effects were explored in DU145 prostate cancer cell lines for the first time, and significant enhancement in cytotoxicity by the co-crystals was observed compared to plain components. A two-fold increase in % cytotoxicity of SNCT-E was observed when compared to the corresponding physical mixture. These studies shed light on potential utility of SYRA as a coformer for various pharmaceutical applications to design synergistic and organ-protective co-crystals.

Targeted quantification of N-1-(carboxymethyl) valine and N-1-(carboxyethyl) valine peptides of beta-hemoglobin for better diagnostics in diabetes - Jagadeeshaprasad, Mashanipalya G.; Batkulwar, Kedar B.; Meshram, Nishita N.; Tiwari, Shalbha; Korwar, Arvind M.; Unnikrishnan, Ambika G.; Kulkarni, Mahesh J. (Clinical Proteomics, 2016)
Background: N-1-(Deoxyfructosyl) valine (DFV) beta-hemoglobin (beta-Hb), commonly referred as HbA1c, is widely used diagnostic marker in diabetes, believed to provide glycemic status of preceding 90-120 days. However, the turnover of hemoglobin is about 120 days, the DFV-beta-Hb, an early and reversible glycation product eventually may undergo irreversible advanced glycation modifications such as carboxymethylation or carboxyethylation. Hence quantification of N-1-(carboxymethyl) valine (CMV) and N-1-(carboxyethyl) valine (CEV) peptides of beta-Hb would be useful in assessing actual glycemic status. Results: Fragment ion library for synthetically glycated peptides of hemoglobin was generated by using high resolution-accurate mass spectrometry (HR/AM). Using parallel reaction monitoring, deoxyfructosylated, carboxymethylated and carboxyethylated peptides of hemoglobin were quantified in clinical samples from healthy control, pre-diabetes, diabetes and poorly controlled diabetes. For the first time, we report N-1-beta-valine undergoes carboxyethylation and mass spectrometric quantification of CMV and CEV peptides of beta-hemoglobin. Carboxymethylation was found to be the most abundant modification of N-1-beta-valine. Both CMV-beta-Hb and CEV-beta-Hb peptides showed better correlation with severity of diabetes in terms of fasting glucose, postprandial glucose and microalbuminuria. Conclusions: This study reports carboxymethylation as a predominant modification of N-1-beta-valine of Hb, and quantification of CMV-beta-Hb and CEV-beta-Hb could be useful parameter for assessing the severity of diabetes.
Keywords: Diabetes; Diagnosis; Glycation; Glycemic control; HbA1c; Mass spectrometry

TiO2 modification by gold (Au) for photocatalytic hydrogen (H-2) production - Gupta, Bhavana; Melvin, Ambrose A.; Matthews, Tom; Dash, Sitaram; Tyagi, A. K. (Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2016)
TiO2 is indeed one of the widely used semiconductors employed for photocatalytic hydrogen production. Most of its photocatalytic activity-is achieved in its crystalline form. However, its photocatalytic activity is limited to ultraviolet region. For making TiO2 visible light active; Au deposition is strongly recommended due to its surface plasmon feature. Au deposition enhances the photocatalytic activity of both crystalline and nanocrystalline TiO2. Efficiency of photocatalytic activity is controlled by shape and size of Au nanoparticle subsequently the synthetic methodology plays an important role. Herein, we furnish a brief description of TiO2-Au nanocomposite synthesis by different methods viz. sol-gel, photodeposition, deposition-precipitation simple reducing method and dispersion method. A discussion on physical properties of the resultant material is also provided. Three different types of mechanism has been described depending on the type of irradiation and form of TiO2 (crystalline and nanocrytalline). A comparative hydrogen production yield is also tabulated to get an idea about the best synthesis methodology and form of TiO2 for efficient photocatalysis. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Gold nanoparticle; Hydrogen generation; Nanocomposite; Photocatalysis; TiO2

Ultrahydrophobic fluorous metal-organic framework derived recyclable composite as apromising platform to tackle marine oil spills - Mukherjee, Soumya; Kansara, Ankit M.; Saha, Debasis; Gonnade, Rajesh; Mullangi, Dinesh; Manna, Biplab; Desai, Aamod V.; Thorat, Shridhar H.; Singh, Puyam S.; Mukherjee, Arnab; Ghosh, Sujit K. (Chemistry-A European Journal, 2016)
Derived from a strategically chosen hexafluorinated dicarboxylate linker aimed at the designed synthesis of a superhydrophobic metal-organic framework (MOF), the fluorine-rich nanospace of a water-stable MOF (UHMOF-100) exhibits excellent water-repellent features. It registered the highest water contact angle (approximate to 176 degrees) in the MOF domain, marking the first example of an ultrahydrophobic MOF. Various experimental and theoretical studies reinforce its distinc-tive water-repellent characteristics, and the conjugation of superoleophilicity and unparalleled hydrophobicity of a MOF material has been coherently exploited to achieve real-time oil/water separation in recyclable membrane form, with significant absorption capacity performance. This is also the first report of an oil/water separating fluorinated ultrahydrophobic MOF-based membrane material, with potential promise for tackling marine oil spillages.

Ultrasound- and molecular sieves-assisted synthesis, molecular docking and antifungal evaluation of 5-(4-(benzyloxy)-substituted phenyl)-3-((phenylamino)methyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole-2(3H)-thiones - Nimbalkar, Urja D.; Tupe, Santosh G.; Seijas Vazquez, Julio A.; Khan, Firoz A. Kalam; Sangshetti, Jaiprakash N.; Nikalje, Anna Pratima G. (Molecules, 2016)
A novel series of 5-(4-(benzyloxy) substituted phenyl)-3-((phenyl amino) methyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole-2(3H)-thione Mannich bases 6a-o were synthesized in good yield from the key compound 5-(4-(benzyloxy) phenyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole-2(3H)-thione by aminomethylation with paraformaldehyde and substituted amines using molecular sieves and sonication as green chemistry tools. The antifungal activity of the new products was evaluated against seven human pathogenic fungal strains, namely, Candida albicans ATCC 24433, Candida albicans ATCC 10231, Candida glabrata NCYC 388, Cryptococcus neoformans ATCC 34664, Cryptococcus neoformans PRL 518, Aspergillus fumigatus NCIM 902 and Aspergillus niger ATCC 10578. The synthesized compounds 6d, 6f, 6g, 6h and 6j exhibited promising antifungal activity against the tested fungal pathogens. In molecular docking studies, derivatives 6c, 6f and 6i showed good binding at the active site of C. albicans cytochrome P450 enzyme lanosterol 14 alpha-demethylase. The in vitro antifungal activity results and docking studies indicated that the synthesized compounds have potential antifungal activity and can be further optimized as privileged scaffolds to design and develop potent antifungal drugs.
Keywords: 1; 3; 4-oxadiazoles; Antifungal activity; Mannich reaction; Molecular docking; Molecular sieves; Ultrasound

Unraveling origins of the heterogeneous curvature dependence of polypeptide interactions with carbon nanostructures - Jana, Asis K.; Tiwari, Mrityunjay K.; Vanka, Kumar; Sengupta, Neelanjana (Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 2016)
Emerging nanotechnology has rapidly broadened interfacial prospects of biological molecules with carbon nanomaterials (CNs). A prerequisite for effectively harnessing such hybrid materials is a multifaceted understanding of their complex interfacial interactions as functions of the physico-chemical characteristics and the surface topography of the individual components. In this article, we address the origins of the curvature dependence of polypeptide adsorption on CN surfaces (CNSs), a phenomenon bearing an acute influence upon the behavior and activity of CN-protein conjugates. Our benchmark molecular dynamics (MD) simulations with the amphiphilic full-length amyloid beta (A beta) peptide demonstrate that protein adsorption is strongest on the concave (inner) CN-surface, weakest on the convex (outer) surface, and intermediary on the planar surface, in agreement with recent experimental reports. The curvature effects, however, are found to manifest non-uniformly between the amino acid subtypes. To understand the underlying interplay of the chemical nature of the amino acids and surface topography of the CNs, we performed high-level quantum chemical (QM) calculations with amino acid analogs (MA) representing their five prominent classes, and convex, concave and planar CN fragments. Molecular electrostatic potential maps reveal pronounced curvature dependence in the mixing of electron densities, and a resulting variance in the stabilization of the non-covalentty bound molecular complexes. Interestingly, our study revealed that the interaction trends of the high-level QM calculations were captured well by the empirical force field. The findings in this study have important bearing upon the design of carbon based bio-nanomaterials, and additionally, provide valuable insights into the accuracy of various computational techniques for probing non-bonded interfacial interactions.

Urinary proteome alterations in HER2 enriched breast cancer revealed by multipronged quantitative proteomics - Gajbhiye, Akshada; Dabhi, Raju; Taunk, Khushman; Vannuruswamy, Garikapati; RoyChoudhury, Sourav; Adhav, Ragini; Seal, Shubhendu; Mane, Anupama; Bayatigeri, Santhakumari; Santra, Manas K.; Chaudhury, Koel; Rapole, Srikanth (Proteomics, 2016)
Globally, breast cancer is the second most common cancer among women. Although biomarker discoveries through various proteomic approaches of tissue and serum samples have been studied in breast cancer, urinary proteome alterations in breast cancer are least studied. Urine being a noninvasive biofluid and a significant source of proteins, it has the potential in early diagnosis of breast cancer. This study used complementary quantitative gel-based and gel-free proteomic approaches to find a panel of urinary protein markers that could discriminate HER2 enriched (HE) subtype breast cancer from the healthy controls. A total of 183 differentially expressed proteins were identified using three complementary approaches, namely 2D-DIGE, iTRAQ, and sequential window acquisition of all theoretical mass spectra. The differentially expressed proteins were subjected to various bioinformatics analyses for deciphering the biological context of these proteins using protein analysis through evolutionary relationships, database for annotation, visualization and integrated discovery, and STRING. Multivariate statistical analysis was undertaken to identify the set of most significant proteins, which could discriminate HE breast cancer from healthy controls. Immunoblotting and MRM-based validation in a separate cohort testified a panel of 21 proteins such as zinc-alpha2-glycoprotein, A2GL, retinol-binding protein 4, annexin A1, SAP3, SRC8, gelsolin, kininogen 1, CO9, clusterin, ceruloplasmin, and alpha 1-antitrypsin could be a panel of candidate markers that could discriminate HE breast cancer from healthy controls.
Keywords: 2D-DIGE; Biomedicine; Breast cancer; HER2 enriched; SWATH; Urinary biomarkers

Use genetic programming for selecting predictor variables and modeling in process identification - Verma, Devendra; Goel, Purva; Patil-Shinde, Veena; Tambe, Sanjeev S. (2016 Indian Control Conference (ICC), 2016)
Availability of an accurate and robust dynamic model is essential for implementing the model dependent process control. When first principles based modeling becomes difficult, tedious and/or costly, a dynamic model in the black-box form is obtained (process identification) by using the measured input-output process data. Such a dynamic model frequently contains a number of time delayed inputs and outputs as predictor variables. The determination of the specific predictor variables is usually done via a trial and error approach that requires an extensive computational effort. The computational intelligence (CI) based data-driven modeling technique, namely, genetic programming (GP) can search and optimize both the structure and parameters of a linear/nonlinear dynamic process model. It is also capable of choosing those predictor variables that significantly influence the model output. Thus usage of GP for process identification helps in avoiding the extensive time and efforts involved in the selection of the time delayed input-output variables. This advantageous GP feature has been illustrated in this study by conducting process identification of two chemical engineering systems. The results of the GP-based identification when compared with those obtained using the transfer function based identification clearly indicates the outperformance by the former method.
2nd Indian Control Conference (ICC), Indian Inst Technol, Hyderabad, INDIA, JAN 04-06, 2016
Keywords: dynamic model; genetic programming; predictor variable; process identification; Sensitivity analysis

Acetone and methanol fruit extracts of terminalia paniculata inhibit HIV-1 infection in vitro - Durge, Ankita; Jadaun, Pratiksha; Wadhwani, Ashish; Chinchansure, Ashish A.; Said, Madhukar; Thulasiram, H. V.; Joshi, Swati P.; Kulkarni, Smita S. (Natural Product Research, 2017)
In this study, we report the in vitro anti-HIV1 activity of acetone and methanol extracts of fruit of Terminalia paniculata. Cytotoxicity tests were conducted on TZM-bl cells and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), the CC50 values of both the extracts were 260g/mL. Using TZM-bl cells, the extracts were tested for their ability to inhibit replication of two primary isolates HIV-1 (X4, Subtype D) and HIV-1 (R5, Subtype C). The activity against HIV-1 primary isolate (R5, Subtype C) was confirmed using activated PBMC and by quantification of HIV-1 p24 antigen. Both the extracts showed anti-HIV1 activity in a dose-dependent manner. The EC50 values of the acetone and methanol extracts of T. paniculata were 10.3g/mL. The enzymatic assays were performed to determine the mechanism of action which indicated that the anti-HIV1 activity might be due to inhibition of reverse transcriptase (77.7% inhibition) and protease (69.9% inhibition) enzymes.

Acyclic αγα-tripeptides with fluorinated- and nonfluorinated-furanoid sugar framework: importance of fluoro substituent in reverse-turn induced self-assembly and transmembrane ion-transport activity - Burade, S. S.; Shinde, S. V.; Bhuma, N.; Kumbhar, N.; Kotmale, A.; Rajamohanan, P. R.; Gonnade, R. G.; Talukdar, P.; Dhavale, D. D. (Journal Of Organic Chemistry, 2017)
Acyclic αγα-tripeptides derived from fluorinated-furanoid sugar amino acid frameworks act as reverse-turn inducers with a U-shaped conformation, whereas the corresponding nonfluorinated αγα-tripeptides show random peptide conformations. The NMR studies showed the presence of bifurcated weak intramolecular hydrogen bonding (F···HN) and N+···Fδ- charge-dipole attraction compel the amide carbonyl groups to orient antiperiplanar to the C-F bond, thus, demonstrating the role of the fluorine substituent in stabilizing the U-shaped conformation. The NOESY data indicate that the U-shaped tripeptides self-assembly formation is stabilized by the intermolecular hydrogen bonding between C=O···HN with antiparallel orientation. This fact is supported by ESI-MS data, which showed mass peaks up to the pentameric self-assembly, even in the gas phase. The morphological analysis by FE-SEM, on solid samples, showed arrangement of fibers into nanorods. The antiparallel self-assembled pore of the fluorinated tripeptides illustrates the selective ion-transport activity. The experimental findings were supported by DFT studies.

All-solid-state-supercapacitor possessing a non-aqueous gel polymer electrolyte prepared using a UV-assisted in situ polymerization strategy - Vijayakumar, V.; Anothumakkool, B.; Torris, A. T. A.; Nair, S. B.; Badiger, M. V.; Kurungot, S. (Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 2017)
In this work, we report the synthesis of a high ionic conducting and mechanically stable non-aqueous gel polymer electrolyte (GPE) in which a liquid electrolyte (LiClO4/propylene carbonate) is entrapped in a poly(2-hydroxy-3-phenoxy propyl acrylate) matrix by a UV assisted in situ polymerisation strategy. Unlike conventional dry and quasi-solid non-aqueous GPEs, our system (H-P-L-3M-80%) shows an excellent ionic conductivity of 4.7 x 10(-3) S cm(-1), a value which is comparable to those of non-aqueous liquid electrolytes. The high mechanical stability of GPE arises due to the covalent cross-links present in the polymer matrix as well as the reversible non-covalent cross-links between the solvent and the polymer matrix through the Li+ cations. Subsequently, the GPE has been prepared in situ on the inner and the outer surface of the electrode material to fabricate a 2.0 V supercapacitor device with a high mass loading (3.8 mg cm(-2)) of the active material (YP-80F, a high surface area porous carbon). The device shows an equivalent series resistance (ESR) as low as 2.2 Omega, which is close to that of the device fabricated from the corresponding liquid electrolyte and is far better than those of the devices evolved from conventional GPEs and dry polymer electrolytes. The mass specific capacitance of 113 F g(-1) obtained at a current density of 2 mA cm(-2) shows 81% retention even at a high current density of 20 mA cm(-2). The scalability of the strategy is demonstrated by fabricating a large area (area = 16 cm(2), loading = 4.0 mg cm(-2)) all-solid-state flexible-supercapacitor (H-P-L-3M-S-4.0) device which can be operated at a potential window of 2.5 V. The device was found to show a mass specific capacitance of 111 F g(-1) at a current density of 1 mA cm(-2) (0.25 A g(-1)), all the while, retaining a very low ESR of 2.2 Omega. The potential of the strategy to mimic the liquid-like electrode-electrolyte interface, augmented with the ability to tune further, opens up new horizons for energy storage devices.

Anti-microbial activity of chrysomycin a produced by streptomyces sp. against mycobacterium tuberculosis - Balaji, Muralikrishnan; Dan, Vipin Mohan; Joseph, Vinodh; Jamsheena, Vellekkatt; Ramachandran, Ranjit; Thomas, Sabu; Dastager, Syed Gulam; Kumar, K. Santhosh; Lankalapalli, Ravi Shankar; Kumar, R. Ajay (RSC Advances, 2017)
Limited efficacy of the BCG (Bacillus Calmette–Guérin) vaccine against adult tuberculosis and the emergence of resistance to existing anti-tuberculosis drugs compel discovery of novel antibiotics against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Actinomycetes are still an attractive platform for the discovery of new antimicrobials, especially from untapped natural hotspots, despite the belief that they are an exhausted resource after repeated re-discoveries. Herein we report the isolation and identification of chrysomycin A from an actinomycete isolated from a coastal area in Kerala. We show for the first time that it has antimycobacterial activity. It was found to be bactericidal to planktonic and intracellular M. tuberculosis with an MIC of 3.125 μg mL⁻¹; it is non-hemolytic and has negligible cytotoxicity. The actinomycete that produces chrysomycin A was found to be a Streptomyces sp. through 16S rRNA gene sequencing.

Aromatic polyesters containing pendent 4-(phenylsulfonyl)phenyl groups: synthesis and characterization - Bapat, Snehalata P.; Jadhav, Sushilkumar A.; Valsange, Nitin G.; Tawade, Bhausaheb V.; Honkhambe, Pandurang N.; Chavan, Nayaku N.; Wadgaonkar, Prakash P. (Journal of Polymer Research, 2017)
A new bisphenol, 1,1-bis-[(4-hydroxyphenyl)-1-(4-phenylsulfonyl) phenyl)] ethane (DPSBP) was synthesized starting from diphenylsulfide and was characterized by spectroscopic methods. DPSBP was polycondensed with isophthalic acid chloride (IPC), terephthalic acid chloride (TPC) and a mixture of IPC and TPC (50: 50 mol%) by phase-transfer catalysed interfacial polymerization method to obtain aromatic polyesters containing pendent 4-(phenylsulfonyl)phenyl groups. A series of copolyesters was also obtained by polycondensation of varying molar proportions of DPSBP and bisphenol-A (BPA) with TPC. (Co) polyesters exhibited inherent viscosities in the range 0.56-1.57 dLg(-1) and number average molecular weights (Mn) were in the range 28,650-80,230 g/mol. Polyesters dissolved readily in common organic solvents such as dichloromethane, chloroform, tetrahydrofuran and aprotic polar solvents such as N-methylpyrrolidone, and N, N-dimethylacetamide. Tough, transparent and flexible films of polyesters could be cast from their chloroform solutions. X-Ray diffraction studies indicated amorphous nature of aromatic polyesters. Polyesters showed T-g values in the range 223-257 degrees C while T-10 values were in the range of 469-484 degrees C indicating their excellent thermal stability.
Keywords: Aromatic polyesters; Bulky pendent group; solubility; thermal stability

Assessing therapeutic potential of molecules: molecular property diagnostic suite for tuberculosis - Gaur, A. S.; Bhardwaj, A.; Sharma, A.; John, L.; Vivek, M. R.; Tripathi, N.; Bharatam, P. V.; Kumar, R.; Janardhan, S.; Mori, A.; Banerji, A.; Lynn, A. M.; et al. (Journal of Chemical Sciences, 2017)
Abstract: Molecular Property Diagnostic Suite (MPDS TB) is a web tool (http://mpds.osdd.net) designed to assist the in silico drug discovery attempts towards Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). MPDS TB tool has nine modules which are classified into data library (1–3), data processing (4–5) and data analysis (6–9). Module 1 is a repository of literature and related information available on the Mtb. Module 2 deals with the protein target analysis of the chosen disease area. Module 3 is the compound library consisting of 110.31 million unique molecules generated from public domain databases and custom designed search tools. Module 4 contains tools for chemical file format conversions and 2D to 3D coordinate conversions. Module 5 helps in calculating the molecular descriptors. Module 6 specifically handles QSAR model development tools using descriptors generated in the Module 5. Module 7 integrates the AutoDock Vina algorithm for docking, while module 8 provides screening filters. Module 9 provides the necessary visualization tools for both small and large molecules. The workflow-based open source web portal, MPDS TB 1.0.1 can be a potential enabler for scientists engaged in drug discovery in general and in anti-TB research in particular. Graphical Abstract: SYNOPSIS: A web-based MPDS TB Galaxy tool is developed for assessing therapeutic potential of molecules. MPDS TB is categorized into Data Library, Data Processing and Data Analysis. It can be a potential enabler for scientists engaged in drug discovery in general and in anti-TB research in particular. [Figure not available: see fulltext.] © 2017, Indian Academy of Sciences.
Keywords: chemical analysis; Chemoinformatics; computational chemistry; Diagnosis; Drug discovery portal; Information analysis; Libraries; Molecular graphics; Molecules; Neglected diseases; Open science; Portals; tuberculosis; Web-based technology; Websites

Biocompatible superhydrophobic coating material for biomedical applications - Mahadik, Satish A.; Pedraza, F.; Mahadik, Sarika S.; Relekar, Brahmanand P.; Thorat, Sagar S. (Journal of Sol-Gel Science and Technology, 2017)
Biomaterials and wettability have played a crucial role in the biocompatibility with a host matrix of body fluid and cells. We discuss designing superhydrophobic biomaterials for novel applications such as temporally implant, contact lenses, controlled drug release coatings, coating on medical instruments, etc. Such Superhydrophobic coating surfaces were created with the simple dip coating method by single step base catalyst sol-gel method. Methyltriethoxysilane/trimethoxymethylsilane-based deposition at different dip periods introduces interesting properties in the region, including superhydrophobicity, biocompatibility and transparency. This works reveal the impact of interaction bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells and surface free energy on the biocompatibility of superhydrophobic biomaterial.

Bronsted acid catalyzed enantioselective pericyclic reactions - Sleet, Christopher E.; Tambar, Uttam K.; Maity, Pradip (Tetrahedron, 2017)
Pericyclic reactions can be challenging processes to render asymmetric, due to the concerted and non polar nature of the transition states. Several examples have been reported in which a suitable catalyst binds to a heteroatom-containing substituent in the substrate and accelerates the reaction rate. The requirement of coordinating functionalized substrates has limited the generality of such asymmetric transformations. Multifunctional Bronsted acids are promising catalysts that represent a new paradigm in asymmetric pericyclic reactions. These chiral catalysts rely on multiple non-covalent interactions in the transition state for asymmetric induction, which has been utilized to activate more general substrate classes. In this review, we will cover recent advances in Bronsted acid catalyzed pericyclic reactions and discuss the impact of catalyst design on the expansion of substrate scope for highly enantioselective processes. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Camptothecin-producing endophytic bacteria from pyrenacantha volubilis hook. (Icacinaceae): a possible role of a plasmid in the production of camptothecin - Soujanya, K. N.; Siva, R.; Kumara, P. Mohana; Srimany, Amitava; Ravikanth, G.; Mulani, F. A.; Aarthy, T.; Thulasiram, H. V.; Santhoshkumar, T. R.; Nataraja, Karaba N.; Shaanker, R. Uma (Phytomedicine, 2017)
Background: Camptothecin (CPT), a quinoline alkaloid, is a potent inhibitor of eukaryotic topoisomerase I. Because of this property, several derivatives of CPT are used as chemotherapeutic agents. CPT is produced by several plant species belonging to the Asterid clade as well as by a number of endophytic fungal associates of these plants. In this study, we report the production of CPT by four bacterial endophytes and show the possible role of a plasmid in the biosynthesis of CPT. Methods: Endophytic bacteria were isolated from leaves, stems and fruits of Pyrenacantha volubilis Hook. (Icacinanceae). The bacterial isolates were purified and analyzed for production of CPT by ESI-MS/MS and NMR analysis. Bacterial identity was established based on the morphology and 16s rRNA sequence analysis. Crude extracts of the bacterial endophytes were evaluated for their cytotoxicity using colon cancer cell lines. The role of plasmid in the production of CPT was studied by purging the plasmid, using acriflavine, as well as reconstituting the bacteria with the plasmid. Results: Four bacterial isolates, Bacillus sp. (KP125955 and KP125956), Bacillus subtilis (KY741853) and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (KY741854) were found to produce CPT in culture. Both based on ESI-MS/MS and NMR analysis, the identity of CPT was found to be similar to that produced by the host plant. The CPT was biologically active as evident by its cytotoxicity against colon cancer cell line. The production of CPT by the endophyte (Bacillus subtilis, KY741853) attenuated with sub-culture. A likely role of a plasmid in the production of CPT was established. A 5 kbp plasmid was recovered from the bacteria. Bacterial isolate cured of plasmid failed to produce CPT. Conclusion: Our study implies a possible role of a plasmid in the production of CPT by the endophytic bacteria and opens up further work to unravel the exact mechanisms that might be involved.

Carboxymethyl cellulose-grafted mesoporous silica hybrid nanogels for enhanced cellular uptake and release of curcumin - Tiwari, Neha; Nawale, Laxman U.; Sarkar, Dhiman; Badiger, Manohar V. (Gels, 2017)
Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) with ordered pore structure have beensynthesized and used as carriers for the anticancer drug curcumin. MSNs were functionalizedwith amine groups and further attached with carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) using 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-carbodiimide (EDC) coupling chemistry, which increased the hydrophilicityand biocompatibility of MSNs. The functionalized MSNs (MSN-NH2and MSN-CMC) werecharacterized using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM),Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), N2adsorption, X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Thermo GravimetricAnalysis (TGA) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR). Thein vitrorelease of curcuminfrom the –NH2and CMC functionalized MSNs (MSN-cur-NH2and MSN-cur-CMC) was performedin 0.5% aqueous solution of sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS). The effect of CMC functionalization ofMSNs towards cellular uptake was studied in the human breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 andwas compared with that of MSN-NH2and free curcumin (cur). Both MSN-NH2and MSN-CMCshowed good biocompatibility with the breast cancer cell line. The MTT assay study revealedthat curcumin-loaded MSN-cur-CMC showed better uptake as compared to curcumin-loadedMSN-cur-NH2. Free curcumin was used as a control and was shown to have much less internalizationas compared to the curcumin-loaded functionalized MSNs due to poor bioavailability. Fluorescencemicroscopy was used to localize the ﬂuorescent drug curcumin inside the cells. The workdemonstrates that CMC-functionalized MSNs can be used as potential carriers for loading and releaseof hydrophobic drugs that otherwise cannot be used effectively in their free form for cancer therapy.

Catalytic conversion of biomass - Dhepe, Paresh; Tomishige, Keiichi; Wu, Kevin C. -W. (Chemcatchem, 2017)

CH3NH3PbI3 based solar cell: modified by antisolvent treatment - Nandi, P.; Giri, C.; Bansode, U.; Topwal, D. (AIP Conference Proceedings, 2017)
Solar cells based on new class of organic inorganic hybrid perovskite CH3NH3PbI3 were prepared by Ethyl acetate (EA); antisolvent treatment for the first time. This treatment results in new morphology for CH3NH3PbI3 thin film. FESEM image shows microrod type structures of CH3NH3PbI3 after EA antisolvent treatment. Energy band diagram was constructed using photoluminescence and photoemission studies. A better power conversion efficiency was achieved in EA treated film compare to without EA treated film.
Keywords: CH3NH3PbI3; Perovskite solar cell

Clues from crystal structures pave the way to access chiral myo-inositol derived versatile synthons: resolution of racemic 4-o-allyl-myo-inositol-1,3,5-orthoesters via corresponding dicamphanates by crystallization - Patil, Nivedita T.; Shashidhar, Mysore S.; Tamboli, Majid I.; Gonnade, Rajesh G. (Crystal Growth & Design, 2017)
Racemic 4-O-allyl-myo-inositol-1,3,5-orthoesters were resolved as the corresponding diastereomeric dicamphanates by crystallization from alcoholic solvents. Crystals of the two diastereomers of myo-inositol orthoacetate and one diastereomer each of myo-inositol orthoformate and myo-inositol orthobenzoate were obtained in >99% purity, on gram scale. The configuration of all these diastereomers was established by conversion to known chiral myo-inositol derivatives as well as by single crystal structure analysis. It is interesting to note that the procedures for the separation of diastereomeric myo-inositol orthoesters could be evolved due to the knowledge of crystal growth and crystal structures of inositol derivatives of comparable molecular structures. Due to the synthetic versatility of myo-inositol orthoesters, the methods described provide rapid and convenient access to a variety of chiral inositol derivatives with high synthetic potential.

Computational intelligence based models for prediction of elemental composition of solid biomass fuels from proximate analysis - Ghugare, S.B.; Tiwary, S.; Tambe, S.S. (International Journal of Systems Assurance Engineering and Management, 2017)
Biomass is a renewable and sustainable source of “green” energy. The elemental composition comprising carbon (C), hydrogen (H) and oxygen (O) as major components, is an important measure of the biomass fuel’s energy content. Its knowledge is also valuable in: (a) computing material balance in a biomass-based process, (b) designing and operating biomass utilizing efficient and clean combustors, gasifiers and boilers, (c) fixing the quantity of oxidants required for biomass combustion/gasification, and (d) determining the volume and composition of the combustion/gasification gases. Obtaining the elemental composition of a biomass fuel via ultimateanalysis is an expensive and time-consuming task. In comparison, proximate analysis that determines fixed carbon, ash, volatile matter and moisture content is a cruder characterization of the fuel and easier to perform. Thus, there exists a need for models possessing high accuracies for predicting the elemental composition of a solid biomass fuel from its proximate analysis constituents. Accordingly, this study utilizes three computational intelligence (CI) formalisms, namely, genetic programming, artificial neural networks and support vector regression, for developing nonlinear models for the prediction of C, H and O fractions of solid biomass fuels. A large database of 830 biomasses has been used in the stated model development. A comparison of the prediction accuracy and generalization performance of the nine CI-based models (three each for C, H and O) with that of the currently available linear models indicates that the CI-based models have consistently and significantly outperformed their linear counterparts. The models developed in this study have proved to be the best models for the prediction of elemental composition of solid biomass fuels from their proximate analyses.

Copper oxide supported on three-dimensional ammonia-doped porous reduced graphene oxide prepared through electrophoretic deposition for non-enzymatic glucose sensing - Maaoui, H.; Singh, S. K.; Teodorescu, F.; Coffinier, Y.; Barras, A.; Chtourou, R.; Kurungot, S.; Szunerits, S.; Boukherroub, R. (Electrochimica Acta, 2017)
The paper reports on the preparation of N-doped porous reduced graphene oxide/copper oxide (ammonia-doped-prGO/CuO) nanocomposite on gold electrodes using electrophoretic deposition (EPD) from an ethanolic suspension of ammonia-doped-prGO and Cu(ClO4)(2) by applying a DC voltage. The ammonia-doped-prGO/CuO nanocomposite film thickness is controlled by varying the deposition time. Morphological analysis using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed the formation of a 3 dimensional structure with CuO nanoparticles being homogeneously embedded in the graphene layer. Xray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Raman analysis revealed that the deposited copper was in its oxidized form, mainly CuO. The Au/ammonia-doped-prGO/CuO electrode was successfully applied for non-enzymatic amperometric detection of glucose. Under optimized conditions, the electrode exhibited a sensitivity of 1210 mu mM(-1) cm(-2) with a detection limit of 0.25 p,M (S/N =3) over a wide concentration range (0.25 mu M to 6 mM) at an applied potential of +0.50 V vs. Ag/AgCl. The electrode material displayed good stability, excellent selectivity, and accurate measurement in healthy and diabetic human serum samples.

Crystallisation-enhanced bulk hole mobility in phenothiazine-based organic semiconductors - Shinde, D. B.; Salunke, Jagadish K.; Candeias, Nuno R.; Tinti, Francesca; Gazzano, Massimo; Wadgaonkar, P. P.; Priimagi, Arri; Camaioni, Nadia; Vivo, Paola (Scientific Reports, 2017)
A series of three novel donor-acceptor systems based on C(3)-malononitrile-substituted phenothiazines was synthesised in good overall yields and their thermal, spectroscopic, and electrochemical properties were characterised. The compounds were prepared through a sequence of Ullmann-coupling, Vilsmeier-Haack formylation and Knoevenagel-condensation, followed by Suzuki-coupling reactions for introduction of aryl substitutents at C(7) position of the phenothiazine. The introduction of a donor unit at the C(7) position exhibited a weak impact on the optical and electrochemical characteristics of the compounds and led to amorphous films with bulk hole mobilities in the typical range reported for phenothiazines, despite the higher charge delocalisation as attested by computational studies. In contrast, highly ordered films were formed when using the C(7)-unsubstituted 3-malononitrile phenothiazine, exhibiting an outstanding mobility of 1 x 10(-3) cm(2) V-1 s(-1), the highest reported for this class of compounds. Computational conformational analysis of the new phenothizanes suggested that free rotation of the substitutents at the C(7) position suppresses the ordering of the system, thereby hampering suitable packing of the new materials needed for high charge carrier mobility.

CuCo2O4 nanowall morphology as Li-ion battery anode: Enhancing electrochemical performance through stoichiometry control - Bhardwaj, M.; Suryawanshi, A.; Fernandes, R.; Tonda, S.; Banerjee, A.; Kothari, D.; Ogale, S. (Materials Research Bulletin, 2017)
We have employed template-free synthesis of CuCo2O4 (CCO) system to achieve unique ultrathin porous nanowall type morphology, and evaluated for Li-Ion battery anode application. We observe that under the hydrothermal growth a starting stoichiometric mixture of cationic precursor's leads to a bi-phasic constitution comprising of defect-spinel CCO and a small quantity of CuO. Use of the excess but optimum cobalt in the precursor mix leads to single phase defect-spinel. We have carefully examined the implications of off-stoichiometry for different cases of interest (including the case of Cu-excess) for morphology, microstructure, the physical/electrochemical properties, and the evolution of the Li-ion battery anode under cycling for different active materials loading. In case of optimum Cu excess based CCO renders an impressive performance as Li-ion battery anode with high rate performance, 836 mAh g−1 and 757 mAh g−1 at 1.25C and 2.5C, respectively, and good cycling stability. © 2016 Elsevier Ltd

Cyclization mechanism of phomopsene synthase: mass spectrometry based analysis of various site-specifically labeled terpenes - Shinde, Sandip S.; Minami, Atsushi; Chen, Zhi; Tokiwano, Tetsuo; Toyomasu, Tomonobu; Kato, Nobuo; Sassa, Takeshi; Oikawa, Hideaki (Journal of Antibiotics, 2017)
Elucidation of the cyclization mechanism catalyzed by terpene synthases is important for the rational engineering of terpene cyclases. We developed a chemoenzymatic method for the synthesis of systematically deuterium-labeled geranylgeranyl diphosphate ( GGPP), starting from site-specifically deuterium-labeled isopentenyl diphosphates (IPPs) using IPP isomerase and three prenyltransferases. We examined the cyclization mechanism of tetracyclic diterpene phomopsene with phomopsene synthase. A detailed EI-MS analysis of phomopsene labeled at various positions allowed us to propose the structures corresponding to the most intense peaks, and thus elucidate a cyclization mechanism involving double 1,2-alkyl shifts and a 1,2-hydride shift via a dolabelladien-15-yl cation. Our study demonstrated that this newly developed method is highly sensitive and provides sufficient information for a reliable assignment of the structures of fragmented ions.

Data on the effect of oral feeding of Arachidonic acid or Docosahexanoic acid on haematopoiesis in mice - Limbkar, K. (Data in Brief, 2017)
Stem cells have peculiar property to self-renew and differentiate. It is important to control their fate in safe and effective ways for their therapeutic use. The mediators of essential polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) namely Arachidonic acid (AA) and Docosahexanoic acid (DHA) are known to play a role in haematopoiesis via various metabolic pathways [1]. However the direct effect of purified AA or DHA on haematopoiesis has not been well investigated yet. We have reported that oral administration of PUFAs enhanced haematopoiesis in mice [2]. Signaling Leukocyte Antigen Molecule (SLAM) (CD48−CD150+) phenotype consists of pure population of haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). Herein we observed higher percentage of SLAM (CD48−CD150+) phenotype in the bone marrow (BM) cells of mice fed with AA or DHA compared to PBS fed control mice. Data from engraftment study depicts that BM from AA/DHA-fed mice showed higher absolute number of donor cells in recipient mice compared to control. The enhanced hematopoiesis observed in AA/DHA-fed mice was returned to normal when the mice were kept on normal diet for six weeks (after ten days of oral feeding). We confirmed GCMS (Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopy) retention times of AA and DHA by co-injecting fatty acid extract from AA or DHA fed mice with purified AA or DHA standards respectively. Representative flow cytometry profile of Lin−Sca-1+c-kit+(LSK) cells showed higher expression of CXCR4 protein and ligands of Wnt, Notch1 signaling in BM of AA/DHA-fed mice

Defluoridation of drinking water using fe-al mixed metal hydroxides - Telang, T.; Deosarkar, M.P.; Shetty, R.; Kamble, S.P. (Novel Water Treatment and Separation Methods: Simulation of Chemical Processes, 2017)
In this chapter, we report findings from study carried out on removal of fluoride from drinking or potable water using Fe-Al mixed metal hydroxides. For experimental analysis, the product mixed Fe-Al hydroxides was prepared by applying a co-precipitation method. The resulting metal hydroxide was thoroughly characterized using analytical tests of X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area analysis. In order to characterize the equilibrium behavior of adsorbent, we study experimentally the effects of different operating parameters. The selected parameters for analysis are adsorbent loading, initial fluoride concentration, pH of the solution, and interfering ions (usually present in groundwater). The equilibrium adsorption data was later fitted for Langmuir adsorption isotherm, and experimental observations show a maximum fluoride adsorption capacity of 2.05 mg.g-1. The experimental results reveal that the adsorption dynamics follows a pseudo-second-order kinetic model.

Design and development of trivalent aluminum ions induced self healing polyacrylic acid novel hydrogels - Anjum, Sadiya; Gurave, Pramod; Badiger, Manohar V.; Tiwari, Neha; Gupta, Bhuvanesh (POLYMER, 2017)
Development of ionically crosslinked superabsorbent polyacrylic acid (PAA) self-healing hydrogels using trivalent aluminum ions was investigated. The PAA hydrogels exhibited excellent self-healing behavior depending on the amount of the aluminum within the matrix. The migration of these ions within the polymer matrix was responsible for the physical crosslinking of the hydrogel and the origin of self healing ability. The PAA-Al hydrogels were insoluble in water and exhibited significantly high degree of swelling (similar to 4000%). Hydrogel also exhibited good mechanical properties with high level of elongation. Excellent self-healing efficiency was observed under dynamic as well as oscillatory Theological measurements. The presence of Al ions within PAA hydrogel facilitated the self-healing ability because of the ionic interaction in these gels which plays the key role of dynamic reversible sacrificial bonds which reforms upon reversal of the deformative force. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Aluminum chloride; Behavior; Complex; Composite; crosslinking; Delivery; High-Mechanical Strength; hydrogels; Network; Polyacrylic acid; Polymeric Materials; Self-healing; swelling; Tough; pH

Development of metarhizium anisopliae as a mycoinsecticide: from isolation to field performance - Tupe, Santosh G.; Pathan, Ejaj K.; Deshpande, Mukund V. (Jove-Journal of Visualized Experiments, 2017)
A major concern when developing commercial mycoinsecticides is the kill speed compared to that of chemical insecticides. Therefore, isolation and screening for the selection of a fast-acting, highly virulent entomopathogenic fungus are important steps. Entomopathogenic fungi, such as Metarhizium, Beauveria, and Nomurea, which act by contact, are better suited than Bacillus thuringiensis or nucleopolyhedrosis virus (NPV), which must be ingested by the insect pest. In the present work, we isolated 68 Metarhizium strains from infected insects using a soil dilution and bait method. The isolates were identified by the amplification and sequencing of the ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 and 26S rDNA region. The most virulent strain of Metarhizium anisopliae was selected based on the median lethal concentration (LC50) and time (LT50) obtained in insect bioassays against III-instar larvae of Helicoverpa armigera. The mass production of spores by the selected strain was carried out with solid-state fermentation (SSF) using rice as a substrate for 14 days. Spores were extracted from the sporulated biomass using 0.1% tween-80, and different formulations of the spores were prepared. Field trials of the formulations for the control of an H. armigera infestation in pigeon peas were carried out by randomized block design. The infestation control levels obtained with oil and aqueous formulations (78.0% and 70.9%, respectively) were better than the 63.4% obtained with chemical pesticide.

Diversity of natural yeast flora of grapes and its significance in wine making - Deshpande, M.V.; Mane, S.S.; Ghormade, V.; Tupe, S.G. (Yeast Diversity in Human Welfare, 2017)
The biodiversity of yeasts associated with grapes has been studied in different regions of wine producing countries throughout the world. Most of the species associated with the wine environment are similar, while some species are specifically associated with specific regions. Though Saccharomyces cerevisiae is primarily used for fermentation of grape juice, its occurrence is low on grape berries. Non-Saccharomyces yeasts belonging to the genera Torulaspora, Hanseniaspora, Pichia, Candida, Issatchenkia, Metschnikowia etc. are in abundance in grape musts and may dominate the early stages of fermentation. Subsequently, S. cerevisiae proliferates, becomes dominant and completes the wine fermentation. Therefore, yeasts diversity associated with the grapes and must significantly contribute to the quality and varietal character of wine. In present review, the diversity of yeasts associated with vineyard, winery, succession of yeasts during fermentation and their role in wine quality is discussed. The knowledge will be useful to monitor and control the fermentation with respect to quality and spoilage.

Effect of phytase and FYM on soil enzyme activities, microbial population and nutrient availability of non-calcareous soil - Jadhav, A.B.; Suradkar, R.; Taggu, B.; Tamboli, B.D.; Priyanka, B. (Journal of the Indian Society of Soil Science, 2017)
A pot culture experiment was conducted to assess the effect of phytase and FYM levels on soil enzyme activities and nutrient availability of non-calcareous soil under soybean cultivation. The treatment consisted of four levels of phytase (0, 1200, 2400 and 3600 IU) and FYM (0, 2.5, 5.0 and 7.5 t ha-1). Enzyme activities and nutrient availability in soil was assessed at 50% flowering and harvest of soybean. It was observed that application of phytase @ 3600 IU recorded significantly higher acid and alkaline phosphatase and dehydrogenase activity at both the growth stages of soybean. Results revealed that significant interaction effect with combine application of phytase @ 3600IU and FYM @ 7.5 t ha-1 recorded higher bacterial, fungal and actinomycetes population. Combined application of phytase @ 3600 IU and FYM @ 7.5 t ha-1 recorded significantly higher available nitrogen (289.3 and 213.6 kg ha-1) and potassium (295.0 and 270.6 kg ha-1) at 50% flowering and at harvest of soybean, respectively. However, in case of phosphorus (P), at 50% flowering significantly higher available P was recorded with phytase @ 3600 IU + 7.5 t ha-1 (23.9 kg ha-1). Reduction trend obtained for calcium carbonate content from 4.24 to 3.68% at 50% flowering and from 4.20 to 3.60% at harvest stage was obtained with the application of phytase @ 3600 IU. This study suggest that application of phytase in combination with manure substantially improves soil biological activities as well as better nutrient supply to crop.

Electron–nucleus scalar–pseudoscalar interaction in PbF: Z-vector study in the relativistic coupled-cluster framework - Sasmal, S.; Talukdar, K.; Nayak, M.K.; Vaval, N.; Pal, S. (Molecular Physics, 2017)
The scalar–pseudoscalar interaction constant of PbF in its ground state electronic configuration is calculated using the Z-vector method in the relativistic coupled-cluster framework. The precise calculated value is very important to set upper bound limit on (Formula presented.)-odd scalar–pseudoscalar interaction constant, ks, from the experimentally observed (Formula presented.)-odd frequency shift. Further, the ratio of the effective electric field to the scalar–pseudoscalar interaction constant is also calculated which is required to get an independent upper bound limit of electric dipole moment of electron, de, and ks and how these (de and ks) are interrelated is also presented here. © 2017 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group

Engineering cell surface glycans with carbohydrate enantiomers to alter bacterial binding and adhesion - Gade, Madhuri; Chaudhary, Preeti Madhukar; Thulasiram, Hirekodathakallu V.; Kikkeri, Raghavendra (Chemistryselect, 2017)
Chirality of carbohydrate has critical functions in many biological processes. Changes in the configuration of even one sugar molecules may cause abnormal behavior or even inhibit specific processes. Herein, we have shown bioorthogonal conjugation of mannose enantiomers on HeLa cell surfaces induced a different rate of bacterial binding and cell adhesion.
Keywords: Bioorthogonal reaction; Carbohydrate; E. coli; Enantiomer; Surfaces functionalization

Engineering molecular topology: A pseudopeptidic macrocyclic figure-eight motif - Sharma, Sakshi; Thorat, Shridhar H.; Gonnade, Rajesh G.; Jasinski, Jerry P.; Butcher, Ray; Haridas, V. (European Journal of Organic Chemistry, 2017)
We herein present a rational-design strategy for the synthesis of molecules with figure-eight topology. The design concept is based on the incorporation of turn units in the back-bone of the macrocycle. The molecular structures and the folding are studied by X-ray crystallography and NMR, FT-IR, and CD spectroscopy.
Keywords: Macrocycles; noncovalent interactions; Pi interactions; topology; X-ray diffraction

Exploiting directional long range secondary forces for regulating electrostatics dominated noncovalent interactions - Tiwari, Mrityunjay; Vanka, Kumar (Chemical Science, 2017)
It has been well established that long range secondary electrostatic interactions (SEIs) have a significant effect on the stability of supramolecular complexes. However, general rules for exploiting SEIs in the rational design of diverse supramolecular complexes have been difficult to obtain. In this work, we outline a quantum chemical approach for understanding the strength of electrostatic interactions. This approach is seen to provide excellent correlation between the electrostatic force and the binding energy between two partners in hydrogen-bonded complexes, as well as that between two ions in ion-pair complexes. Furthermore, we illustrate how the understanding of the binding allows for the rational design of new complexes where the association constant between the two partners can be increased or decreased, as desired, by several orders of magnitude. Hence, the current work showcases a general, simple and powerful method of understanding and exploiting long range secondary electrostatic interactions.

Exploring the influence of shapes and heterogeneity of glyco-gold nanoparticles on bacterial binding for preventing infections - Toraskar, Suraj; Gade, Madhuri; Sangabathuni, Sivakoti; Thulasiram, Hirekodathakallu V.; Kikkeri, Raghavendra (Chemmedchem, 2017)
To investigate the effects of the heterogeneity and shape of glyco-nanoprobes on carbohydrate-protein interactions (CPIs), alpha-d-mannose-and beta-d-galactose-linked homo-and heterogeneous glycodendrons were synthesized and immobilized on spherical and rod-shaped gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). Lectin and bacterial binding studies of these glyco-AuNPs clearly illustrate that multivalency and shape of AuNPs contribute significantly to CPIs than the heterogeneity of glycodendrons. Finally, bacterial infection of HeLa cells was effectively inhibited by the homogeneous glycodendron-conjugated rod-shaped AuNPs relative to their heterogeneous counterparts. Overall, these results provide insight into the role of AuNP shape and multivalency as potential factors to regulate CPIs.

Fabrication, characterization and comparison of DSSC using anatase TiO 2 synthesized by various methods - Umale, Sanjivani V.; Tambat, Sneha N.; Vediappan, Sudhakar; Sontakke, Sharad M.; Krishnamoorthy, Kothandam (Advanced Powder Technology, 2017)
In this study, anatase TiO2 nanoparticles were synthesized by three techniques, namely, sol-gel, acid-base co-catalyst and room temperature colloidal methods. The synthesized materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, pore diameter, pore volume and surface area. The dye-sensitized solar cells were fabricated using the synthesized materials and characterized for incident photon to current conversion efficiency, photocurrent density to photo voltage measurement and electrochemical impedance analysis. Among the studied materials, TiO2 synthesized by sol-gel method displayed highest photon to current conversion of 76.8% and a maximum solar cell efficiency of 7.85% with Jsc of 14.75mA/cm², Voc of 0.76V and FF of 0.7. This is the first study to report a high power conversion efficiency of DSSC using a sol-gel synthesized titania and its comparison with other two synthesized materials. The high power conversion efficiency of the solar cell using TiO2 synthesized by sol-gel method is attributed to its characteristic properties such high surface area, larger pore diameter and larger pore volume and highest dye loading capacity.

Facile one-pot multi-component synthesis of spirooxindoles and 3, 3 `-disubstituted oxindoles via sp(3) C-H activation/functionalization of azaarenes - Pathan, Mohsinkhan Y.; Chavan, Santosh S.; Shaikh, Taufeekaslam M. Y.; Thorat, Shridhar H.; Gonnade, Rajesh G.; Mulla, Shafeek A. R. (Chemistryselect, 2017)
A novel one-pot multicomponent reaction (MCR) protocol has been demonstrated for the first time for sustainable and facile synthesis of spirooxindoles and 3, 3 `-disubstituted oxindoles in an excellent yield via sp(3) C-H activation/functionalization of 2-methyl azaarenes and (2-azaaryl)methanes with isatin, active methylene compounds using eco-friendly heterogeneous, reusable silica-supported dodecatungstophosphoric acid (DTP/SiO2) catalyst.
Keywords: 3; 3'-disubstituted oxindoles; azaarenes; silica-supported dodecatungstophosphoric acid (DTP/SiO2) catalyst; sp(3) C-H activation/functionalization; spirooxindoles

Facile synthesis and electrochemical evaluation of PANI/CNT/MoS2 ternary composite as an electrode material for high performance supercapacitor - Thakur, A.K.; Deshmukh, A. B.; Choudhary, R. B.; Karbhal, I.; Majumder, M.; Shelke, M.V. (Materials Science and Engineering B: Solid-State Materials for Advanced Technology, 2017)
Synthesis of a novel ternary composite consisting of polyaniline (PANI), functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), via an in-situ polymerization method is reported. Detailed structural and electrochemical characterization shows that incorporation of a small amount of MoS2 in PANI/CNT composite tends to eliminate agglomeration problem of CNT. The PANI/CNT/MoS2 ternary composite reaches a specific capacitance of 350 F/g at the current density 1 A/g corresponding to a 5% MoS2 content. This ternary composite shows good cycling stability even at a higher energy density of 10 A/g. Further, PANI/CNT/MoS2 composite electrode shows higher energy density (7.77 Wh/kg) and power density (2140 W/kg) as compared to PANI/CNT composite without MoS2.
Keywords: MoS2; polyaniline; supercapacitor; Ternary Composite

Fungal differentiation: a model phenomenon to screen antifungal drugs - Pathan, E.K.; Tupe, S.G.; Deshpande, M.V. (Developments in Fungal Biology and Applied Mycology, 2017)
Pathogenic fungi change the morphology to a suitable vegetative form such as unicellular yeast or filamentous mycelium for the survival and proliferation in the host as well as to defeat cellular and physiological defences of the host. The microenvironment of the pathogen triggers different biochemical processes finally leading to differentiation. These biochemical processes, which correlate with morphological change from saprophytic/less virulent to pathogenic form, can be targeted for the development of novel antifungal agents. The present chapter deals with the role of differentiation in fungal pathogenesis and discusses different biochemical events as target for the antifungal strategies.

G - C3N4 (2D)/CdS (1D)/rGO (2D) dual-interface nano-composite for excellent and stable visible light photocatalytic hydrogen generation - Tonda, Surendar (International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 2017)
A 2D/1D/2D dual-interface nano-composite configuration in the form of CdS nanorods sandwiched between g-C3N4 and rGO sheets with intimate interfacial contact is synthesized by a facile wet-chemical method and is shown to exhibit excellent photocatalytic H2 generation under visible-light irradiation. In particular, the optimal g-C3N4/CdS/rGO dual-interface nano-composite shows H2 production rate of ∼4800 μmol h-1 g-1, which is almost 44, 11 and 2.5 times higher than that shown by pure g-C3N4 nanosheets, and the g-C3N4/rGO and g-C3N4/CdS single interface heterostructures, respectively. It is shown that the synergic effects involving the band structure match and close interfacial contact, which can accelerate the separation and transfer of photoinduced charge carriers, and the enhanced visible-light absorption together contribute to the impressive photocatalytic performance and photostability of the g-C3N4/CdS/rGO ternary nano-composite system. Specific advantages of a dual-interface triple-composite system over a single interface case(s) are also brought out.
Keywords: charge transfer; Dual Interface; G - CN; H Generation; Hetero Structure; Nano - Composite

Genetic programming based drag model with improved prediction accuracy for fluidization systems - Sonolikar, R. R.; Patil, M. P.; Mankar, R. B.; Tambe, S. S.; Kulkarni, B. D. (International journal of Chemical Reactor Engineering, 2017)

Genetic programming based high performing correlations for prediction of higher heating value of coals of different ranks and from diverse geographies - Ghugare, Suhas B.; Tambe, Sanjeev S. (Journal of the Energy Institute, 2017)
The higher heating value (HHV) is the most important indicator of a coal's potential energy yield. It is commonly used in the efficiency and optimal design calculations pertaining to the coal combustion and gasification processes. Since the experimental determination of coal's HHV is tedious and time-consuming, a number of proximate and/or ultimate analyses based correlations which are mostly linear have been proposed for its estimation. Owing to the fact that relationships between some of the constituents of the proximate/ultimate analyses and the HHV are nonlinear, the linear models make suboptimal predictions. Also, a majority of the currently available HHV models are restricted to the coals of specific ranks or particular geographical regions. Accordingly, in this study three proximate and ultimate analysis based nonlinear correlations have been developed for the prediction of HHV of coals by utilizing the computational intelligence (CI) based genetic programming (GP) formalism. Each of these correlations possesses following noteworthy characteristics: (i) the highest HHV prediction accuracy and generalization capability as compared to the existing models, (ii) wider applicability for coals of different ranks and from diverse geographies, and (iii) structurally lower complex than the other CI-based existing HHV models. It may also be noted that in this study, the GP technique has been used for the first time for developing coal specific HHV models. Owing to the stated attractive features, the GP-based models proposed here possess a significant potential to replace the existing models for predicting the HHV of coals. (C) 2016 Energy Institute. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Healable network polymers bearing flexible poly(Lauryl Methacrylate) chains via thermo-reversible furan-maleimide diels-alder reaction - Patil, Sachin S.; Torris, Arun; Wadgaonkar, Prakash P. (Journal of Polymer Science Part A-Polymer Chemistry, 2017)
A new ATRP initiator containing two furyl rings, namely, bis(furan-2-ylmethyl) 2-bromopentanedioate was synthesized starting from commercially available L-glutamic acid as a precursor. Well-defined bisfuryl-terminated poly(lauryl methacrylate) macromonomers with molecular weight and dispersity in the range 5000-12,000 g mol(-1) and 1.30-1.37, respectively, were synthesized employing the initiator by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). Independently, 1,1',1"(nitrilotris(ethane-2,1-diyl)) tris(1H-pyrrole-2,5-dione) was synthesized as a tris-maleimide counterpart for furan-maleimide click reaction. Thermo-reversible network polymer bearing flexible poly(lauryl methacrylate; (PLMA) chains was obtained by furan-maleimide Diels-Alder click reaction of bisfurylterminated PLMA with 1,1',1"-(nitrilotris(ethane-2,1-diyl)) tris(1Hpyrrole-2,5-dione). The prepared network polymer showed retro-Diels-Alder reaction in the temperature range 110-170 degrees C as determined from DSC analysis. The presence of low Tg (-40 degrees C) PLMA chains induced chain mobility to the network structure which led to the complete scratch healing of the coating at 60 degrees C in five days due to furan-maleimide adduct formation. The storage modulus of the network polymer was found to be 3.7 x 10(4) Pa at the constant angular frequency of 5 rad/ sec and strain of 0.5%. The regular reversal of storage (G0) and loss modulus (G") was observed with repeated heating (40 to 110 degrees C) and cooling cycles (110 to 40 degrees C) at constant angular frequency and strain. (C) 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Keywords: ethane; Monomers; polymerization

High-throughput mass spectrometry analysis revealed a role for glucosamine in potentiating recovery following desiccation stress in chironomus - Thorat, Leena; Oulkar, Dasharath; Banerjee, Kaushik; Gaikwad, Sushama M.; Nath, Bimalendu B. (Scientific Reports, 2017)
Desiccation tolerance is an essential survival trait, especially in tropical aquatic organisms that are vulnerable to severe challenges posed by hydroperiodicity patterns in their habitats, characterized by dehydration-rehydration cycles. Here, we report a novel role for glucosamine as a desiccation stress-responsive metabolite in the underexplored tropical aquatic midge, Chironomus ramosus. Using high-throughput liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-QToF-MS) analysis, biochemical assays and gene expression studies, we confirmed that glucosamine was essential during the recovery phase in C. ramosus larvae. Additionally, we demonstrated that trehalose, a known stress-protectant was crucial during desiccation but did not offer any advantage to the larvae during recovery. Based on our findings, we emphasise on the collaborative interplay of glucosamine and trehalose in conferring overall resilience to desiccation stress and propose the involvement of the trehalose-chitin metabolic interface in insects as one of the stress-management strategies to potentiate recovery post desiccation through recruitment of glucosamine.

Hydrogen bonding in molecular crystals - Thakuria, R.; Sarma, B.; Nangia, A. (Comprehensive Supramolecular Chemistry II, 2017)
The hydrogen bond is an important intermolecular interaction in chemical, biological, and materials systems. A proper understanding of noncovalent interactions, notably hydrogen bonds between molecules in supramolecular aggregates, is essential for the design of crystalline materials and new supramolecular systems with desired physical and chemical properties. The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry provided a broadly acceptable and yet fairly precise definition of the hydrogen bond in 2011. Knowledge of weak intermolecular interactions and hydrogen bonding has immediate applications in the discovery of new medicines and in the development of novel and biocompatible pharmaceutical products and implants for the next wave of innovations. In this article, we summarize a tutorial background of the hydrogen-bond interaction and then present examples of molecular crystals sustained by this interaction and the role of hydrogen bonding in directing the structural organization. The examples are meant to illustrate the different facets of hydrogen bonding in crystal structures, their design, and properties. We close with some of the new techniques for structure determination for very small or weakly diffracting crystals, as is often the case for supramolecular materials and pharmaceutical products.

Identification and functionality prediction of pathogenesis-related protein 1 from legume family - Tellis, Meenakshi; Mathur, Monika; Gurjar, Gayatri; Kadoo, Narendra; Gupta, Vidya (Proteins-Structure Function and Bioinformatics, 2017)
The production and accumulation of pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins in plants is one of the important responses to biotic and abiotic stress. Large number of identified PR proteins has been categorized into 17 functional families based on their structure, phylogenetics, and biological activities. However, they are not widely studied in legume crops. Using 29 PR1 proteins from Arabidopsis thaliana, as query, here we have predicted 92 candidate PR1 proteins through the PSI-BLAST and HMMER programs. These candidate proteins were comprehensively analyzed with, multiple sequence alignment, domain architecture studies, signal peptide, and motif extraction followed by phylogenetic analysis. Further, response of two candidate PR1 proteins from chickpea against Fusarium oxysporum f.sp.ciceri attack was validated using qRT-PCR followed by their 3D structure prediction. To decipher mode of action for PR1s, docking of pathogen extracellular matrix components along with fungal elicitors was performed with two chickpea PR1 proteins. Based on these findings, we propose carbohydrate to be the unique pathogen-recognition feature for PR1 proteins and beta-glucanase activity via beta-glucan binding or modification.

Impact of rare-earth metal oxide (Eu 2 O 3 ) on the electrochemical properties of a polypyrrole/CuO polymeric composite for supercapacitor applications - Majumder, Mandira; Choudhary, Ram Bilash; Thakur, Anukul. K.; Karbhal, Indrapal (RSC Advances, 2017)
A ternary composite of polypyrrole/copper oxide/europium oxide (PPY/CuO/Eu2O3), synthesized via a facile in situ chemical oxidative polymerization method, exhibits the maximum specific capacitance of 320 F g⁻¹ at the current density of 1 A g⁻¹. Incorporation of the rare-earth metal oxide Eu2O3 in the PPY/CuO matrix can promote charge transportation in the resulting ternary nanocomposite by enhancing the porosity. The interconnected mesoporous networks reduce the internal resistance and the charge transfer resistance (Rct) of the composite electrode material. Moreover, the incorporation of Eu2O3 in the PPY/CuO provides support to the fragile polymer backbone resulting in an excellent cycle stability and a markedly enhanced thermal stability. These together with the exhibition of an excellent coulombic efficiency demonstrates that incorporation of rare earth metal oxide can play a significant role in improving the performance of a polymeric composite opted as an electrode material for high-performance supercapacitor.

Improved tolerance against helicoverpa armigera in transgenic tomato over-expressing multi-domain proteinase inhibitor gene from capsicum annuum - Tanpure, Rahul S.; Barbole, Ranjit S.; Dawkar, Vishal V.; Waichal, Yashashree A.; Joshi, Rakesh S.; Giri, Ashok P.; Gupta, Vidya S. (Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants, 2017)
Plant proteinase inhibitors (PIs) are plant defense proteins and considered as potential candidates for engineering plant resistances against herbivores. Capsicum annuum proteinase inhibitor (CanPI7) is a multi-domain potato type II inhibitor (Pin-II) containing four inhibitory repeat domains (IRD), which target major classes of digestive enzymes in the gut of Helicoverpa armigera larvae. Stable integration and expression of the transgene in T1 transgenic generation, were confirmed by established molecular techniques. Protein extract of transgenic tomato lines showed increased inhibitory activity against H. armigera gut proteinases, supporting those domains of CanPI7 protein to be effective and active. When T1 generation plants were analyzed, they exhibited antibiosis effect against first instar larvae of H. armigera. Further, larvae fed on transgenic tomato leaves showed delayed growth relative to larvae fed on control plants, but did not change mortality rates significantly. Thus, better crop protection can be achieved in transgenic tomato by overexpression of multi-domain proteinase inhibitor CanPI7 gene against H. armigera larvae.

Kinetic profile and catalytic activity of transition metal-based ionic liquids for reduction of nitroarenes via in situ formation of nanoparticles - Thawarkar, Sachin R.; Khupse, Nageshwar D.; Kumar, Anil (Chemistryselect, 2017)
The experimentally determined apparent rate constant (k(app)) shows that the [BmIm](2)[PdCl4] and [BmIm](2)[NiCl4] act as effective catalysts for the reduction of nitroarenes to aminoarenes in the presence of NaBH4. The TEM, XPS, XRD and dynamic light scattering studies show that there is in situ formation of Pd and Ni metal Nanoparticles (NPs) from the reduction of [BmIm](2)[PdCl4] and [BmIm](2)[NiCl4], respectively which are responsible for the enhancement in the catalytic activity. Thus, in the presence of the ionic liquid stabilized metal NPs show higher catalytic activity in comparison to the NPs stabilized with other capping agents as reported. The order of k(app) as 1) PNP > 2-BrPNP > 2-APNP and 2) PNP > ONP > 2-NR for reduction of nitroarenes using [BmIm](2)[PdCl4] and [BmIm](2)[NiCl4] and its correlation explained on the basis of electronic structure and hydrogen bonding ability of nitroarenes. The thermodynamic parameters such as E-a, Delta H-#, Delta S-# and Delta G(#) are in agreement with the surface catalyzed reduction reaction of PNP in the presence of NPs as catalyst. The kapp values illustrated the reduction reaction follow the LangmuirHinshelwood (L-H) mechanism.