| 1. |
- Thomas, HS, et al.
(author)
-
- 2019
-
swepub:Mat__t
|
|
| 2. |
|
|
| 3. |
|
|
| 4. |
- Ali, Muhammad Amjad, et al.
(author)
-
Transcription factors WRKY11 and WRKY17 are involved in abiotic stress responses in Arabidopsis
- 2018
-
In: Journal of plant physiology (Print). - : Elsevier. - 0176-1617 .- 1618-1328. ; 226, s. 12-21
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Plant WRKY transcription factors play a vital role in abiotic stress tolerance and regulation of plant defense responses. This study examined AtWRKY11 and AtWRKY17 expression under ABA, salt, and osmotic stress at different developmental stages in Arabidopsis. We used reverse transcriptase PCR, quantitative real-time PCR, and promoter:GUS lines to analyze expression. Both genes were upregulated in response to abiotic stress. Next, we applied the same stressors to seedlings of T-DNA insertion wrky11 and 17 knock-out mutants (single and double). Under stress, the mutants exhibited slower germination and compromised root growth compared with the wild type. In most cases, double-mutant seedlings were more affected than single mutants. These results suggest that wrky11 and wrky17 are not strictly limited to plant defense responses but are also involved in conferring stress tolerance.
|
|
| 5. |
- Abdulhameed, Ali A., et al.
(author)
-
Experimental and environmental investigations of the impacts of wood sawdust on the performance of reinforced concrete composite beams
- 2023
-
In: Case Studies in Construction Materials. - : Elsevier Ltd. - 2214-5095. ; 19
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- It has been established that using recycled materials to replace some of the fine aggregates is a viable solution. Most researchers focused on the durability aspect of wood sawdust concrete, while less information is available on its structural performance. Therefore, this article aimed to investigate the performance of reinforced concrete beams fabricated from concrete with a partially replaced fine aggregate (FA) by wood sawdust (WS) in the range of 5–45 % (by weight). Six beams underwent 4-point bending tests till collapse. The beams' slump, density, compressive strength, cracking and failure mode, energy absorption, and economic and environmental aspects were studied. The findings showed that the failure region of sawdust concrete was more significant than the reference samples. Despite the compressive strength of the concrete containing different ratios of sawdust being reduced by about 7–30 %, the target compressive strength still has a limit of low to normal concrete grade. The results show that the increase in sawdust percentages decreased the acquired absorbed energy of the subjected load to reach failure. A cost reduction of 9 % and a cost index of 61 % is achieved using wooden sawdust-based concrete. By substituting sawdust for fine aggregate, the sustainability of sawdust concrete in terms of cost and environmental advantages may be improved. In addition, it is well-known that harnessing the transformative potential of industrial waste in concrete production not only minimizes landfill usage, but also promotes resource efficiency, reduces carbon emissions, and advances the circular economy, propelling designers, engineering and builders towards a greener and more sustainable future in the construction industry. According to the test findings, wood sawdust may be utilized to produce normal and low-strength structural concrete.
|
|
| 6. |
- Farhan, Muhammad, et al.
(author)
-
The Exploration of Cerium Metal Ions Effect on LaSrTiO3-d Ceramic Anode for Fuel Cell
- 2023
-
In: Russian Journal of Physical Chemistry. - : MAIK NAUKA/INTERPERIODICA/SPRINGER. - 0036-0244 .- 1531-863X. ; 97:11, s. 2592-2602
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Perovskite based materials have become an attractive anode for fuel cell due to the significant conductivity, carbon resistivity and sulphur tolerance. Doping of Ce on B-site of the La0.4Sr0.6CexTi1-xO3-delta (x = 0.02, 0.04, 0.06, 0.08) with different dopant concentrations is prepared using sol-gel technique. The synthesized material is analyzed by numerous techniques. X-ray diffraction confirmed the cubic perovskite structure (JCPDS 01-079-0183) with average crystallite size of 35 nm. UV-Vis spectroscopy revealed the red shift in band gap (2.76 eV) compared to LaSrTiO3-delta. Scanning electron microscopy shows the homogeneity 3-delta and porosity in the prepared material. The observed particle size is in the range of 50-60 nm. The presence of the lanthanum, strontium, cerium, titanium and oxygen ions is confirmed by EDX. The Raman spectra and XRD, confirmed that cerium ions have been diffused in the lattice structure of LSTO . The 3-delta La0.4Sr0.6Ce0.08Ti0.92O3-delta anode showed the highest conductivity of 2.67 S cm(-1) with lower activation energy 3-delta of 0.20 eV as compared to other three samples. The power density of 58 mW cm-2 at 600 degrees C with 0.9 V OCV is achieved for the composition La0.4Sr0.6Ce0.08Ti0.92O3-delta using sub-bituminous fuel. The observed results show that prepared material is potential ceramic anode for direct carbon fuel cell.
|
|
| 7. |
- Irshad, Muneeb, et al.
(author)
-
A Brief Description of High Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cell's Operation, Materials, Design, Fabrication Technologies and Performance
- 2016
-
In: Applied Sciences. - : MDPI AG. - 2076-3417. ; 6:3
-
Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Today's world needs highly efficient systems that can fulfill the growing demand for energy. One of the promising solutions is the fuel cell. Solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) is considered by many developed countries as an alternative solution of energy in near future. A lot of efforts have been made during last decade to make it commercial by reducing its cost and increasing its durability. Different materials, designs and fabrication technologies have been developed and tested to make it more cost effective and stable. This article is focused on the advancements made in the field of high temperature SOFC. High temperature SOFC does not need any precious catalyst for its operation, unlike in other types of fuel cell. Different conventional and innovative materials have been discussed along with properties and effects on the performance of SOFC's components (electrolyte anode, cathode, interconnect and sealing materials). Advancements made in the field of cell and stack design are also explored along with hurdles coming in their fabrication and performance. This article also gives an overview of methods required for the fabrication of different components of SOFC. The flexibility of SOFC in terms fuel has also been discussed. Performance of the SOFC with varying combination of electrolyte, anode, cathode and fuel is also described in this article.
|
|
| 8. |
- Alhalaweh, Amjad, et al.
(author)
-
Effects of polymer and surfactant on the dissolution and transformation profiles of cocrystals in aqueous media
- 2014
-
In: Crystal Growth & Design. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1528-7483 .- 1528-7505. ; 14:2, s. 643-648
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Capturing solubility advantages of cocrystals is of great interest, and thus to understand the mechanism by which different excipients could maintain the supersaturation generated by cocrystals at the course of absorption in aqueous media is essential. To achieve this aim, the impact of different excipients on dissolution behavior of indomethacin-saccharin (IND-SAC) were monitored by measuring the concentrations of cocrystal components in the absence and presence of various concentration of excipients by HPLC, and solid phases were analyzed by differential scanning calorimetry after each experiment and the potential of Raman spectroscopy for monitoring phase transformations in situ was tested. No dissolution advantage was offered by cocrystals in the absence of any solution additive. The polymer and surfactant used in the study increased the solubility of IND but not SAC. This differential solubilization effect is believed to have stabilized the cocrystals for a relevant period for the absorption to take place. This could be attributed to either decreased gap between supersaturation and saturation of the drug or drug interaction with the additives. Understanding the effects of excipients type and concentration on the transformation profile is vital for designing enabling formulations for cocrystals. The eutectic constant may be useful in selecting excipients for stabilizing cocrystals.
|
|
| 9. |
- Alhalaweh, Amjad, et al.
(author)
-
Theophylline cocrystals prepared by spray drying : physicochemical properties and aerosolization performance
- 2013
-
In: AAPS PharmSciTech. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1530-9932. ; 14:1, s. 265-276
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The purpose of this work was to characterize theophylline (THF) cocrystals prepared by spray drying in terms of the physicochemical properties and inhalation performance when aerosolized from a dry powder inhaler. Cocrystals of theophylline with urea (THF-URE), saccharin (THF-SAC) and nicotinamide (THF-NIC) were prepared by spray drying. Milled THF and THF-SAC cocrystals were also used for comparison. The physical purity, particle size, particle morphology and surface energy of the materials were determined. The in vitro aerosol performance of the spray-dried cocrystals, drug-alone and a drug-carrier aerosol, was assessed. The spray-dried particles had different size distributions, morphologies and surface energies. The milled samples had higher surface energy than those prepared by spray drying. Good agreement was observed between multi-stage liquid impinger and next-generation impactor in terms of assessing spray-dried THF particles. The fine particle fractions of both formulations were similar for THF, but drug-alone formulations outperformed drug-carrier formulations for the THF cocrystals. The aerosolization performance of different THF cocrystals was within the following rank order as obtained from both drug-alone and drug-carrier formulations: THF-NIC > THF-URE > THF-SAC. It was proposed that micromeritic properties dominate over particle surface energy in terms of determining the aerosol performance of THF cocrystals. Spray drying could be a potential technique for preparing cocrystals with modified physical properties.
|
|
| 10. |
- Ali, Amjad, et al.
(author)
-
A potential electrolyte (Ce1-x CaxO2-delta) for fuel cells:Theoretical andexperimental study
- 2018
-
In: Ceramics International. - : ELSEVIER SCI LTD. - 0272-8842 .- 1873-3956. ; 44:11, s. 12676-12683
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- First-principles calculations are performed using density function theory to explore the effects of dopant Ca in ceria (Ce1-x CaxO2-delta). The impact of oxygen vacancy on band gap and density of states is examined in doped ceria using generalized gradient approximations. Vacancy association and vacancy formation energies of the doped ceria are calculated to reveal the effect of dopant on ion conduction. The experimental study of the sample Ce0.875Ca0.125O2-delta) was performed to compare with the theoretical results. The obtained results from theoretical calculation and experimental techniques show that oxygen vacancy increases the volume, lattice constant (5.47315 angstrom) but decrease the band gap (1.72 eV) and bulk modulus. The dopant radius (1.173 angstrom) and lattice constant (5.4718 angstrom) are also calculated by equations which is close to the DFT lattice parameter. The result shows that oxygen vacancy shifts the density of states to lower energy region. Band gap is decreased due to shifting of valence states to conduction band. Vacancy formation shows a significance increase in density of states near the Fermi level. Density of states at Fermi level is proportional to the conductivity, so an increase in density of states near the Fermi level increases the conductivity. The experimental measured ionic conductivity is found to 0.095 S cm(-1) at 600 degrees C. The microstructural studies is also reported in this work.
|
|
| 11. |
|
|
| 12. |
- Ali, Amjad, et al.
(author)
-
Effect of Manganese Catalysts on the Performance of Anodes in Direct Carbon Fuel Cells
- 2022
-
In: ACS Applied Energy Materials. - : AMER CHEMICAL SOC. - 2574-0962. ; 5:6, s. 6878-6885
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The efficiency of direct carbon fuel cells is higher than that of solid oxide fuel cells. The direct carbon fuel cell transforms chemical energy into electrical energy. In this work, the La0.4Sr0.6MnxTi1-xO3-delta (x = 0.02, 0.04, 0.06, 0.08) anode material has been synthesized by the combustion method to examine the device performance. X-ray analysis confirmed the single-perovskite cubic structure with an average crystalline size of 80 nm. An electrical conductivity of 2.1 S cm-1 and fuel cell performance of 100 mW cm-2 at 600 degrees C are measured with sub-bituminous fuel. Theoretical results describe the minor contribution of manganese (Mn) in the valence band and the major one in the conduction band, and with minimum energy, the Mn electrons may jump in the conduction band. Moreover, density functional theory confirmed that with an increase in the Mn concentration, Mn and Ti energy states appear at the Fermi level, which reveals that the conductivity of the compound has improved, agreeing with the experimental results that the Mn concentration led to the enhancement of the conductivity.
|
|
| 13. |
- Ali, Amjad, et al.
(author)
-
Electrochemical Analysis of a Titanate-Based Anode for Direct Carbon Fuel Cells
- 2020
-
In: ACS Applied Energy Materials. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 2574-0962. ; 3:9, s. 9182-9189
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The grand challenge in the commercialization of direct carbon fuel cell (DCFC) technology is the development of a cost-effective and thermally stable material, which facilitates fast ionic and electronic conduction and exhibits good resistance for carbon deposition at electrodes. Titanate-based materials have high ionic and electronic conductivity at higher temperature. Perovskite anodes based on titanate and transition metals show a good catalytic activity for hydrocarbon fuels. Therefore, perovskite materials, based on lanthanum strontium and copper titanate La0.4Sr0.6CuxTi1-3O3-delta (x = 0.02, 0.04, 0.06, and 0.08), were synthesized using the sol-gel method and examined as anodes for DCFCs. The powders were analyzed using various characterization techniques. X-ray diffraction shows that the material has a cubic perovskite structure. The conductivity of the synthesized powder LS8CT was found to be 4.21 Scm(-1) at 600 degrees C. The button cell developed using LS8CT exhibits a performance of 61mWcm 72. at 600 degrees C. The computational study using the Wien2k code has been performed, which shows that the Fermi level is at nonzero density of states (DOS) and reveals that the compound is metallic in nature. Therefore, no forbidden region occurs between the maxima of the valence band and minima of the conduction band. Results of DOS confirm the metallic nature of the compound. On the basis of theoretical and experimental studies, it can be depicted that substitution of Cu in La0.3Sr0.7TiO3 increases the conductivity. Therefore, a La0.4Sr0.6CuxTi1-xO3-delta perovskite material can be used as an anode for DCFCs.
|
|
| 14. |
- Ali, Amjad, et al.
(author)
-
Electrochemical study of composite materials for coal-based direct carbon fuel cell
- 2018
-
In: International journal of hydrogen energy. - : Elsevier. - 0360-3199 .- 1879-3487. ; 43:28, s. 12900-12908
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The efficient conversion of solid carbon fuels into energy by reducing the emission of harmful gases is important for clean environment. In this regards, direct carbon fuel cell (DCFC) is a system that converts solid carbon directly into electrical energy with high thermodynamic efficiency (100%), system efficiency of 80% and half emission of gases compared to conventional coal power plants. This can generate electricity from any carbonaceous fuel such as charcoal, carbon black, carbon fiber, graphite, lignite, bituminous coal and waste materials. In this paper, ternary carbonate-samarium doped ceria (LNK-SDC) electrolyte has been synthesized via co-precipitation technique, while LiNi-CuZnFeO (LNCZFO) electrode has been prepared using solid state reaction method. Due to significant ionic conductivity of electrolyte LNK-SDC, it is used in DCFC. Three types of solid carbon (lignite, bituminous, sub-bituminous) are used as fuel to generate power. The X-ray diffraction confirmed the cubic crystalline structure of samarium doped ceria, whereas XRD pattern of LNCZFO showed its composite structure. The proximate and ultimate coal analysis showed that fuel (carbon) with higher carbon content and lower ash content was promising fuel for DCFC. The measured ionic conductivity of LNK-SDC is 0.0998 Scm(-1) and electronic conductivity of LNCZFO is 10.1 Scm(-1) at 700 degrees C, respectively. A maximum power density of 58 mWcm(-2) is obtained using sub bituminous fuel.
|
|
| 15. |
- Ali, Amjad, et al.
(author)
-
Promising electrochemical study of titanate based anodes in direct carbon fuel cell using walnut and almond shells biochar fuel
- 2019
-
In: Journal of Power Sources. - : ELSEVIER. - 0378-7753 .- 1873-2755. ; 434
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The direct carbon fuel cell (DCFC) is an efficient device that converts the carbon fuel directly into electricity with 100% theoretical efficiency contrary to practical efficiency around 60%. In this paper four perovskite anode materials La0.4Sr0.6M0.09Ti0.91O3-delta (M = Ni, Fe, Co, Zn) have been prepared using sol-gel technique to measure the performance of the device using solid fuel. These materials have shown reasonable stability and conductivity at 700 degrees C. Further structural analysis of as-prepared anode material using XRD technique reveals a single cubic perovskite structure with average crystallite size roughly 47 nm. Walnut and almond shells biochar have also been examined as a fuel in DCFC at the temperature range 400-700 degrees C. In addition, Elemental analysis of walnut and almond shells has shown high carbon content and low nitrogen and sulfur contents in the obtained biochar. Subsequently, the superior stability of as-prepared anode materials is evident by thermogravimetric analysis in pure N-2 gas atmosphere. Conversely, the LSFT anode has shown the highest electronic conductivity of 7.53Scm(-1) at 700 degrees C. The obtained power density for LSFTO3-delta composite anode mixed in sub-bituminous coal, walnut and almond shells biochar is of 68, 55, 48 mWcm(-2) respectively. A significant improvement in performance of DCFC (78 mWcm(-2)) was achieved.
|
|
| 16. |
- Ali, Amjad, et al.
(author)
-
RFID Humidity Sensor Tag for Low-cost Applications
- 2017
-
In: APPLIED COMPUTATIONAL ELECTROMAGNETICS SOCIETY JOURNAL. - : APPLIED COMPUTATIONAL ELECTROMAGNETICS SOC. - 1054-4887. ; 32:12, s. 1083-1088
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This article presents a low-cost, flexible, chipless Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag for humidity monitoring applications. The tag exhibits moisture sensing feature within a compact geometrical dimension of 20mm x 17.6mm. The design is loaded with 12 resonators, where each resonator represents 1 bit in the frequency domain. For the designed 12-bit tag, 11 inverted C-shaped resonators are dedicated for encoding 11-bit information in their spectral signature. An integrated meandered-shaped resonator, covered with moisture sensitive Kapton (R) HN film, functions as a 1-bit moisture sensor. It is deployed for monitoring relative humidity (RH) levels, simultaneously. The passive RFID tag is realized on Taconic TLX-0 and has an operational bandwidth of 2.62 GHz. Furthermore, the design is modeled and analyzed for multiple substrates. The performance of the sensor tag for various humidity levels indicates that it is a potential solution for inexpensive sensing applications.
|
|
| 17. |
- Ali, Hassan Refat H., et al.
(author)
-
Solid-state vibrational spectroscopic investigation of cocrystals and salt of indomethacin
- 2012
-
In: CrystEngComm. - 1466-8033. ; 14:20, s. 6665-6674
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Knowledge and control of the solid forms of active pharmaceutical ingredients are important aspects of drug development in the pharmaceutical industry. In this paper, the process of the molecular self-assembly of saccharin cocrystals and the 2-amino-5-methylpyridine salt of indomethacin, in terms of the hydrogen bonding patterns, has been studied in the solid-state using vibrational spectroscopy (Raman and infrared). Interaction patterns in the respective crystalline states were obtained from the single crystal data. The effects of cocrystal and salt formation on the frequencies of the vibrational modes of motion were explained by vibrational spectroscopy and supported by quantum chemical calculations at the density functional theory level, leading to unambiguous assignment of the vibrational spectra of the starting materials and their respective products. Both Raman and infrared spectroscopies were useful, reliable tools for characterizing and distinguishing the indomethacin cocrystals and salt.
|
|
| 18. |
- Ali, Hassan, et al.
(author)
-
Vibrational spectroscopic investigation of polymorphs and cocrystals of indomethacin
- 2013
-
In: Drug Development and Industrial Pharmacy. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0363-9045 .- 1520-5762. ; 39:5, s. 625-634
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Context:Identification of optimal solid form of an active pharmaceutical ingredient and form control are very important in drug development. Thus, the structural information of these forms and in-depth insight on the modes of molecular interactions are necessary, and vibrational spectroscopic methods are well suited for this purpose.Objective:In-depth structural analysis of different solid forms of indomethacin (IND) using Raman and infrared (IR) spectroscopy is the objective. We have investigated the modes of molecular interactions in polymorphs (α and γ), amorphous and discovered cocrystals of IND with nicotinamide (NIC) and trans-cinnamic acid (CIN) coformers.Materials and methods: The solid forms of IND have been prepared; their purity has been verified by differential scanning calorimetry and powder X-ray diffractometry and then studied in the solid-state by Raman and IR spectroscopy. The modes of the interactions were closely investigated from the vibrational data.Results: The key vibrational features of IND solid forms have been specified. The IR (C=O) band at 1713 cm−1 attributed to cyclic acid dimer of γ IND has disappeared in IND–NIC/CIN whilst retained in IND–SAC cocrystal.Discussion:IND cocrystallizes in different conformations and crystal lattices with different coformers. The cyclic acid dimer of IND has been kept on its cocrystallization with saccharin and it could have been broken with NIC and CIN.Conclusions: The complementary nature of Raman and IR spectroscopy allowed unambiguous investigation of the chemical composition of pharmaceutical materials which is of particular importance in the absence of detailed structural information, as in the case of IND–NIC and IND–CIN.
|
|
| 19. |
|
|
| 20. |
- Arif, Muhammad, et al.
(author)
-
Unraveling the synergy of interface engineering α-MnO2/Bi2WO6 heterostructures and defective active sites for superdurable photocatalysis: Mechanistic insights into charge separation/transfer
- 2023
-
In: Chemical Engineering Journal. - : ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA. - 1385-8947 .- 1873-3212. ; 475
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The construction of visible-light-driven hybrid heterostructure photocatalysts is of great significance for environmental remediation, although the utilization of strong visible-light response photocatalysts with high efficiency and stability remains a major challenge. Defect engineering is an excellent way to introduce metal cation vacancies in materials, thereby ensuing in highly enhanced catalytic performance. Inspired by this, we effectively constructed a built-in interface alpha-MnO2/Bi2WO6 heterostructure with abundant intimate interfaces and defective Mn3+/Mn4+ active sites for photocatalytic tetracycline hydrochloride (TC-HCl), hexavalent chromium Cr6+ reduction, and Escherichia coli (E. coli) inactivation. The experimental results, such as the active species test and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, indicated that the defective sites Mn3+/Mn4+, surface oxygen vacancies, and Bi(3+x)+ boosted the visible light absorption, and highly enhanced the photoinduced charge separation/transfer. Furthermore, experimental and DFT calculations reveal the high charge density at the built-in interface heterostructure and the Z-scheme charge transfer mechanism during the photocatalytic process. The results further reveal that O-2(-) and O-1(2) are the main reactive active species contributing to the photocatalytic reaction. The exceptional TC-HCl decomposition activity of the alpha-MnO2/Bi2WO6 heterostructure (97.56%, 2.31, and 2.04 times higher than bulk), enhanced reaction kinetics (K-app = 0.041 min(-1), 6.4, and 5.2 times higher than bulk), removal rate of 80.3%, Cr6+ reduction to Cr3+ (98.56%, K-app = 0.0599 min(-1)), and almost 100% bacterial inactivation compared to bulk alpha-MnO2 (42.22%) and Bi2WO6 (47.76%), were mainly due to the enhanced charge separation/transfer at the built-in interface and high charge density. This study opens new horizons for constructing Z-scheme MnO-based interface heterostructures with abundant defect sites for exceptional photocatalytic applications.
|
|
| 21. |
- Danyliv, Yan, et al.
(author)
-
Carbazole-s-sulfobenzimide derivative exhibiting mechanochromic thermally activated delayed fluorescence as emitter for flexible OLEDs : Theoretical and experimental insights
- 2022
-
In: Dyes and pigments. - : Elsevier. - 0143-7208 .- 1873-3743. ; 208
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- For the first time exploiting sulfobenzimide moiety as an acceptor unit, the new type of donor-sigma-acceptor emitter exhibiting thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) is demonstrated. In different solutions, the synthesized compound emits light resulting from either locally excited carbazole moiety or trough-space charge transfer (exciplex-like) between carbazole and sulfobenzimide units. In the solid state, this emitter demonstrates aggregation-induced emission enhancement and different emission colours due to its different conformations. The mechanoluminescence of the donor-sigma-acceptor compound was observed and studied in detail by experimental and theoretical approaches including single-crystal and powder X-ray analyses. Electroluminescence of the different colours was observed when the compound was utilized as non-doped TADF emitter in rigid and flexible organic light-emitting diodes fabricated on glass or poly(ethylene terephthalate) substrates. The device fabricated on the rigid substrate exhibited the best performance with maximum current efficiency, power efficiency, and external quantum efficiency of 11.0 cd A(-1), 3.0 lm W-1, and 4.3%, respectively.
|
|
| 22. |
- Ehsan, Muhsan, et al.
(author)
-
An integrated study for seismic structural interpretation and reservoir estimation of Sawan gas field, Lower Indus Basin, Pakistan
- 2023
-
In: Heliyon. - : Elsevier. - 2405-8440. ; 9:5
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The information about the subsurface structure, type of fluids present in the reservoir, and physical properties of the rocks is essential for identifying potential leads. The integrated approach of petrophysical analysis, seismic data interpretation, seismic attributes analysis, lithology, mineralogy identification, and Gassmann fluid substitution were used for this purpose. The structural interpretation with the help of seismic data indicated the extensional regime with horst and graben structures in the study area. The two negative flower structures are cutting the entire Cretaceous deposits. The depth contour map also indicate favorable structures for hydrocarbon accumulation. The four possible reservoir zones in the Sawan-01 well and two zones in the Judge-01 well at B sand and C sand levels are identified based on well data interpretation. The main lithology of the Lower Goru Formation is sandstone with thin beds of shale. The clay types confirm the marine depositional environment for Lower Goru Formation. The water substitution in the reservoir at B sand and C sand levels indicated increased P-wave velocity and density. The water substitution affected the shear wave velocity varies slightly due to density changes. The cross plots of P-impedance versus Vp/Vs ratio differentiate the sandstone with low P-impedance and low Vp/Vs ratio from shaly sandstone with high values in the reservoir area. The P-impedance and S-impedance cross plot indicate increasing gas saturation with a decrease in impedance values. The low values of Lambda-Rho and Mu-Rho indicated the gas sandstone in the cross plot.
|
|
| 23. |
- Fatima, Iza, et al.
(author)
-
Individual and synergistic effects of different fertilizers and gibberellin on growth and morphology of chili seedlings
- 2024
-
In: Acta Ecologica Sinica. - 1872-2032. ; 44:2, s. 275-281
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Gibberellins (GA3), as well as the basic elements phosphorus (P), nitrogen (N), and potassium (K), are crucial to the growth of chili. This study investigates the effect of different fertilizers and plant growth regulator on the growth and morphology of chili seedlings. Soil application of NPK, urea, SOP, and DAP (2.5 g/L) was applied during sowing, and N in two splits at sowing and after twenty days of sowing while foliar application of GA3 (50 mg/L) was applied after fifteen days of germination. The result of five seedlings' traits plant height (PH), plant girth (PG), plant spread (PS), number of leaves (NOF), and root length (RL) demonstrated a significant difference among growth-related traits in chili seedlings owing to the use of fertilizers, GA3, and their combinations. An optimum level of K and P alone or in combination with GA3 had a significant effect on all traits. PH was particularly influenced by the combination of GA3 with K and P whereas other traits like PG, NOF, PS, and RL are greatly influenced by the application of NPK, urea, SOP, DAP, and their combination with GA3. The study results showed an increase in chili seedlings' growth and morphology in response to various fertilizers and GA3.
|
|
| 24. |
- Flodbring Larsson, Per, et al.
(author)
-
FcγRIIIa receptor interacts with androgen receptor and PIP5K1α to promote growth and metastasis of prostate cancer
- 2022
-
In: Molecular Oncology. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 1574-7891 .- 1878-0261.
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Low-affinity immunoglobulin gamma Fc region receptor III-A (FcγRIIIa) is a cell surface protein that belongs to a family of Fc receptors that facilitate the protective function of the immune system against pathogens. However, the role of FcγRIIIa in prostate cancer (PCa) progression remained unknown. In this study, we found that FcγRIIIa expression was present in PCa cells and its level was significantly higher in metastatic lesions than in primary tumors from the PCa cohort (P = 0.006). PCa patients with an elevated level of FcγRIIIa expression had poorer biochemical recurrence (BCR)-free survival compared with those with lower FcγRIIIa expression, suggesting that FcγRIIIa is of clinical importance in PCa. We demonstrated that overexpression of FcγRIIIa increased the proliferative ability of PCa cell line C4-2 cells, which was accompanied by the upregulation of androgen receptor (AR) and phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate 5-kinase alpha (PIP5Kα), which are the key players in controlling PCa progression. Conversely, targeted inhibition of FcγRIIIa via siRNA-mediated knockdown or using its inhibitory antibody suppressed growth of xenograft PC-3 and PC-3M prostate tumors and reduced distant metastasis in xenograft mouse models. We further showed that elevated expression of AR enhanced FcγRIIIa expression, whereas inhibition of AR activity using enzalutamide led to a significant downregulation of FcγRIIIa protein expression. Similarly, inhibition of PIP5K1α decreased FcγRIIIa expression in PCa cells. FcγRIIIa physically interacted with PIP5K1α and AR via formation of protein-protein complexes, suggesting that FcγRIIIa is functionally associated with AR and PIP5K1α in PCa cells. Our study identified FcγRIIIa as an important factor in promoting PCa growth and invasion. Further, the elevated activation of FcγRIII and AR and PIP5K1α pathways may cooperatively promote PCa growth and invasion. Thus, FcγRIIIa may serve as a potential new target for improved treatment of metastatic and castration-resistant PCa.
|
|
| 25. |
- Gao, Lei, et al.
(author)
-
Hydrophilic Cocrystals with Water Switched Luminescence
- 2024
-
In: Angewandte Chemie International Edition. - : WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH. - 1433-7851 .- 1521-3773.
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Utilizing water molecules to regulate the luminescence properties of solid materials is highly challenging. Herein, we develop a strategy to produce water-triggered luminescence-switching cocrystals by coassembling hydrophilic donors with electron-deficient acceptors, where 1,2,4,5-Tetracyanobenzene (TCNB) was used as the electron acceptor and pyridyl benzimidazole derivatives were used as the electron donors enabling multiple hydrogen-bonds. Two cocrystals, namely 2PYTC and 4PYTC were obtained and showed heat-activated emission, and such emission could be quenched or weakened by adding water molecules. The cocrystal structure exhibited the donor molecule that can form multiple hydro bonds with water and acceptor molecules due to the many nitrogen atoms of them. The analyses of the photophysical data, powder X-ray diffraction, and other data confirmed the reversible fluorescence "on-off" effects were caused by eliminating and adding water molecules in the crystal lattice. The density functional theory calculations indicate that the vibration of the O-H bond of water molecules in the cocrystal can absorb the excitation energy and suppress fluorescence. Furthermore, the obtained cocrystals also showed temperature, humidity, and H+/NH4+ responsive emission behavior, which allows their applications as thermal and humidity sensors, and multiple information encryptions. This research paves the way for preparing intelligent hydrophilic organic cocrystal luminescent materials. Hydrophilic donors with electron-deficient acceptors were coassembled to achieve luminescence-switching cocrystals triggered by water molecules. The obtained cocrystals show a strong water absorption ability and excellent fluorescence properties. The emission of cocrystals can be reversibly switched by heating and water. Finally, the obtained cocrystals show potential applications in temperature-humidity and acid-base responses.+image
|
|
| 26. |
- Gao, Lei, et al.
(author)
-
Hydrophilic Cocrystals with Water Switched Luminescence
- 2024
-
In: Angewandte Chemie International Edition. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 1433-7851 .- 1521-3773. ; 63:8
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Utilizing water molecules to regulate the luminescence properties of solid materials is highly challenging. Herein, we develop a strategy to produce water-triggered luminescence-switching cocrystals by coassembling hydrophilic donors with electron-deficient acceptors, where 1,2,4,5-Tetracyanobenzene (TCNB) was used as the electron acceptor and pyridyl benzimidazole derivatives were used as the electron donors enabling multiple hydrogen-bonds. Two cocrystals, namely 2PYTC and 4PYTC were obtained and showed heat-activated emission, and such emission could be quenched or weakened by adding water molecules. The cocrystal structure exhibited the donor molecule that can form multiple hydro bonds with water and acceptor molecules due to the many nitrogen atoms of them. The analyses of the photophysical data, powder X-ray diffraction, and other data confirmed the reversible fluorescence "on-off" effects were caused by eliminating and adding water molecules in the crystal lattice. The density functional theory calculations indicate that the vibration of the O-H bond of water molecules in the cocrystal can absorb the excitation energy and suppress fluorescence. Furthermore, the obtained cocrystals also showed temperature, humidity, and H+/NH4+ responsive emission behavior, which allows their applications as thermal and humidity sensors, and multiple information encryptions. This research paves the way for preparing intelligent hydrophilic organic cocrystal luminescent materials. Hydrophilic donors with electron-deficient acceptors were coassembled to achieve luminescence-switching cocrystals triggered by water molecules. The obtained cocrystals show a strong water absorption ability and excellent fluorescence properties. The emission of cocrystals can be reversibly switched by heating and water. Finally, the obtained cocrystals show potential applications in temperature-humidity and acid-base responses.+image
|
|
| 27. |
- Gusev, Alexey, et al.
(author)
-
Mononuclear copper(i) complexes bearing a 3-phenyl-5-(pyridin-4-yl)-1,2,4-triazole ligand: synthesis, crystal structure, TADF-luminescence, and mechanochromic effects
- 2023
-
In: Dalton Transactions. - : ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY. - 1477-9226 .- 1477-9234. ; 52:41, s. 14995-15008
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Three new mononuclear heteroleptic copper(i) halide complexes, [CuL(PPh3)(2)X] (X = Cl, Br, I), based on 3-phenyl-5-(pyridin-4-yl)-1,2,4-triazole (L) and triphenylphosphine (PPh3) ligands, have been prepared by reaction of CuX (X = Cl, Br, I), L and PPh3 in a molar ratio of 1 : 1 : 2 in MeCN solutions. The synthesized complexes exhibit blue light emission in solutions and bright green emission in the crystal state with quantum yields of up to 100%. The luminescence decay analysis and density functional theory calculations revealed that the emission of solid samples at room temperature corresponds to the thermally activated delayed fluorescence, while that at 77 K is assigned to phosphorescence. Utilizing the studied complexes in OLED heterostructures resulted in high-performing green-emitting devices with an external quantum efficiency of up to 13.4%.
|
|
| 28. |
- Homod, Raad Z., et al.
(author)
-
Deep clustering of cooperative multi-agent reinforcement learning to optimize multi chiller HVAC systems for smart buildings energy management
- 2023
-
In: Journal of Building Engineering. - : Elsevier. - 2352-7102. ; 65
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Chillers are responsible for almost half of the total energy demand in buildings. Hence, the obligation of control systems of multi-chiller due to changes indoor environments is one of the most significant parts of a smart building. Such a controller is described as a nonlinear and multi-objective algorithm, and its fabrication is crucial to achieving the optimal balance between indoor thermal comfort and running a minimum number of chillers. This work proposes deep clustering of cooperative multi-agent reinforcement learning (DCCMARL) as well-suited to such system control, which supports centralized control by learning of agents. In MARL, since the learning of agents is based on discrete sets of actions and stats, this drawback significantly affects the model of agents for representing their actions with efficient performance. This drawback becomes considerably worse when increasing the number of agents, due to the increased complexity of solving MARL, which makes modeling policy very challenging. Therefore, the DCCMARL of multi-objective reinforcement learning is leveraging powerful frameworks of a hybrid clustering algorithm to deal with complexity and uncertainty, which is a critical factor that influences to the achievement of high levels of a performance action. The results showed that the ability of agents to manipulate the behavior of the smart building could improve indoor thermal conditions, as well as save energy up to 44.5% compared to conventional methods. It seems reasonable to conclude that agents' performance is influenced by what type of model structure.
|
|
| 29. |
- Imran, Qari Muhammad, et al.
(author)
-
Transcriptome wide identification and characterization of NO-responsive WRKY transcription factors in Arabidopsis thaliana L.
- 2018
-
In: Environmental and Experimental Botany. - : Elsevier. - 0098-8472 .- 1873-7307. ; 148, s. 128-143
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- WRKY transcription factors are important plant-specific regulatory genes characterized by one or two conserved WRKY domain(s) usually followed by a zinc-finger motif. In this study using Arabidopsis thaliana, the RNA-Seq based transcriptomic analysis showed differential expression of 33 genes encoding WRKY TFs in response to the nitric oxide (NO) donor S-Nitrosocysteine (CySNO). Interestingly, 93.9% of these TFs were up-regulated with at least 2-fold change, suggesting their putative involvement in NO mediated gene regulation. GO- analysis of all the 33 transcriptomic elements showed their putative involvement in biological processes such as abiotic stress tolerance and defense against fungal pathogens (89.39 fold enrichment). Analysis of the NO-responsive AtWRKY TFs promoter region revealed the presence of the cis-acting elements such as ABRE, EIRE, ERE, and MBS involved in osmotic stress response, maximal elicitor-mediated activation, and drought-stress regulation. The analysis of NO-responsive AtWRKY TF motifs and their comparison with rice, soybean, and tomato orthologs suggested that members of the WRKY family belonging to the same group shared similar motifs and phylogenetic tree suggested that these TFs were highly conserved. Validation of transcriptomic data through quantitative real time-PCR showed a high correlation coefficient (0.85) indicating the high reliability and similarity of both types of analysis. Comparison of the NO-responsive and non-responsive WRKYs showed the presence of tyrosine (T) and cysteine (C) residues at a distance of 7 residues from the WRKYGQK motif which may serve as potential targets for modification by NO via tyrosine nitration and S-nitrosylation. We also validated the response of WRKYs through in vivo analysis using atwrky62 loss of function mutant and the results indicated a negative role of AtWRKY62 in plant growth. Furthermore, atwrky62 showed significantly less SNO contents compared to wild type plants indicating putative role of AtWRKY62 in NO metabolism.
|
|
| 30. |
- Ivaniuk, Khrystyna, et al.
(author)
-
(Tetrafluorovinylphenyl)carbazole as a Multifunctional Material for OLED Applications
- 2023
-
In: ACS APPLIED ELECTRONIC MATERIALS. - : AMER CHEMICAL SOC. - 2637-6113. ; 5:4, s. 2156-2168
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The multifunctional materials for application in organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs) based on a single structural motif are very desired but quite rare species. Such structures allow simplifying the chemical variety within OLED heterostructures and thus reducing their cost, manufacturing time, and logistic efforts. In this paper, we report the 9-(2,3,5,6-tetrafluoro-4-vinylphenyl)carbazole molecule (Cz4FS) utilized as a fluorescent emitter, host material for quantum dot based OLEDs (QLEDs), acceptor part of the exciplex active layer, and monomer that can be used for the preparation of emissive polymers and copolymers. The external quantum efficiency (EQE) of the corresponding fluorescent OLED based on a Cz4FS single emitter doped into a 1,3-bis(carbazol-9-yl)benzene matrix is 4.2%, which is close to the theoretical limit and maximum brightness at the level of 3600 cd/m2. An OLED based on exciplex emission obtained utilizing Cz4FS as an acceptor demonstrates higher efficiency (5.3%) and much higher brightness near 25 000 cd/m2. A QLED based on Cz4FS as a host for CdSeS/ZnS core-shell quantum dots demonstrates excellent energy transfer from the Cz4FS matrix that results in a clear spectrum of quantum dots with an EQE of 2.3%, maximum of 19 000 cd/m2, and narrow spectral distribution. An OLED based on a Cz4FS-based polymer and copolymer demonstrates not extraordinary efficiency but low-efficiency roll-off in a wide range of current densities.
|
|
| 31. |
- Johnson, Heather, et al.
(author)
-
Gene-Mutation-Based Algorithm for Prediction of Treatment Response in Colorectal Cancer Patients
- 2022
-
In: Cancers. - : MDPI. - 2072-6694. ; 14:8
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- PURPOSE: Despite the high mortality of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC), no new biomarker tools are available for predicting treatment response. We developed gene-mutation-based algorithms as a biomarker classifier to predict treatment response with better precision than the current predictive factors.METHODS: Random forest machine learning (ML) was applied to identify the candidate algorithms using the MSK Cohort (n = 471) as a training set and validated in the TCGA Cohort (n = 221). Logistic regression, progression-free survival (PFS), and univariate/multivariate Cox proportional hazard analyses were performed and the performance of the candidate algorithms was compared with the established risk parameters.RESULTS: A novel 7-Gene Algorithm based on mutation profiles of seven KRAS-associated genes was identified. The algorithm was able to distinguish non-progressed (responder) vs. progressed (non-responder) patients with AUC of 0.97 and had predictive power for PFS with a hazard ratio (HR) of 16.9 (p < 0.001) in the MSK cohort. The predictive power of this algorithm for PFS was more pronounced in mCRC (HR = 16.9, p < 0.001, n = 388). Similarly, in the TCGA validation cohort, the algorithm had AUC of 0.98 and a significant predictive power for PFS (p < 0.001).CONCLUSION: The novel 7-Gene Algorithm can be further developed as a biomarker model for prediction of treatment response in mCRC patients to improve personalized therapies.
|
|
| 32. |
- Johnson, Heather, et al.
(author)
-
K-RAS associated gene-mutation-based algorithm for prediction of treatment response of patients with subtypes of breast cancer and especially triple-negative cancer
- 2022
-
In: Cancers. - : MDPI. - 2072-6694. ; 14:21
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Purpose: There is an urgent need for developing new biomarker tools to accurately predict treatment response of breast cancer, especially the deadly triple-negative breast cancer. We aimed to develop gene-mutation-based machine learning (ML) algorithms as biomarker classifiers to predict treatment response of first-line chemotherapy with high precision. Methods: Random Forest ML was applied to screen the algorithms of various combinations of gene mutation profiles of primary tumors at diagnosis using a TCGA Cohort (n = 399) with up to 150 months follow-up as a training set and validated in a MSK Cohort (n = 807) with up to 220 months follow-up. Subtypes of breast cancer including triple-negative and luminal A (ER+, PR+ and HER2−) were also assessed. The predictive performance of the candidate algorithms as classifiers was further assessed using logistic regression, Kaplan–Meier progression-free survival (PFS) plot, and univariate/multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression analyses. Results: A novel algorithm termed the 12-Gene Algorithm based on mutation profiles of KRAS, PIK3CA, MAP3K1, MAP2K4, PTEN, TP53, CDH1, GATA3, KMT2C, ARID1A, RunX1, and ESR1, was identified. The performance of this algorithm to distinguish non-progressed (responder) vs. progressed (non-responder) to treatment in the TCGA Cohort as determined using AUC was 0.96 (95% CI 0.94–0.98). It predicted progression-free survival (PFS) with hazard ratio (HR) of 21.6 (95% CI 11.3–41.5) (p < 0.0001) in all patients. The algorithm predicted PFS in the triple-negative subgroup with HR of 19.3 (95% CI 3.7–101.3) (n = 42, p = 0.000). The 12-Gene Algorithm was validated in the MSK Cohort with a similar AUC of 0.97 (95% CI 0.96–0.98) to distinguish responder vs. non-responder patients, and had a HR of 18.6 (95% CI 4.4–79.2) to predict PFS in the triple-negative subgroup (n = 75, p < 0.0001). Conclusions: The novel 12-Gene algorithm based on multitude gene-mutation profiles identified through ML has a potential to predict breast cancer treatment response to therapies, especially in triple-negative subgroups patients, which may assist personalized therapies and reduce mortality.
|
|
| 33. |
- Kaialy, Waseem, et al.
(author)
-
Effect of carrier particle shape on dry powder inhaler performance
- 2011
-
In: International Journal of Pharmaceutics. - : Elsevier BV. - 0378-5173 .- 1873-3476. ; 421:1, s. 12-23
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The aim of this study was to characterise the aerosolisation properties of salbutamol sulphate (SS) from dry powder inhaler (DPI) formulations containing different carrier products. The difference in the elongation ratio (ER) of the different carriers was highlighted. Different set of carriers, namely commercial mannitol (CM), commercial lactose (CL), cooling crystallised mannitol (CCM), acetone crystallised mannitol (ACM) and ethanol crystallised mannitol (ECM) were used and inspected in terms of size, shape, density, crystal form, flowability, and in vitro aerosolisation performance using Multi Stage Liquid Impinger (MSLI) and Aerolizer® inhaler device. Solid-state and morphological characterization showed that CM product was in pure β-form having particles with smaller ER (CM: ER = 1.62 ± 0.04) whereas ACM and ECM mannitol particles were in pure α form with higher ER (ACM: ER = 4.83 ± 0.18, ECM: ER = 5.89 ± 0.19). CCM product crystallised as mixtures of β-form and δ-form and showed the largest variability in terms of particle shape, size, and DPI performance. Linear relationships were established showing that carrier products with higher ER have smaller bulk density (Db), smaller tap density (Dt), higher porosity (P), and poorer flow properties. In vitro aerosolisation assessments showed that the higher the ER of the carrier particles the greater the amounts of SS delivered to lower airway regions indicating enhanced DPI performance. Yet, DPI performance enhancement by increasing carrier ER reached a “limit” as increasing carrier ER from 4.83 ± 0.18 (ACM) to 5.89 ± 0.19 (ECM) did not significantly alter fine particle fraction (FPF) of SS. Also, carrier particles with higher ER were disadvantageous in terms of higher amounts of SS remained in inhaler device (drug loss) and deposited on throat. Linear relationship was established (r2 = 0.87) showing that the higher the carrier ER the lower the drug emission (EM) upon inhalation. Moreover, poorer flowability for carrier products with higher ER is disadvantageous in terms of DPI formulation dose metering and processing on handling scale. In conclusion, despite that using carrier particles with higher ER can considerably increase the amounts of drug delivered to lower airway regions; this enhancement is restricted to certain point. Also, other limitations should be taken into account including higher drug loss and poorer flowability.
|
|
| 34. |
- Kaialy, Waseem, et al.
(author)
-
Influence of lactose carrier particle size on the aerosol performance of budesonide from a dry powder inhaler
- 2012
-
In: Powder Technology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0032-5910 .- 1873-328X. ; 227, s. 74-85
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of carrier particle size on properties of dry powder and its effect on dry powder inhaler (DPI) performance. Commercial α-lactose-monohydrate, a commonly used carrier in DPI formulations, was carefully sieved to obtain different lactose size fractions, namely Lac A (90–125 μm), Lac B (63–90 μm), Lac C (45–63 μm), Lac D (20–45 μm), and Lac E (< 20 μm). The lactose samples were analysed in terms of size, shape, solid state, density, and flowability. Lactose particles were blended with budesonide (< 5 μm) powder to generate five different formulations. These formulations were then evaluated in terms of budesonide-lactose adhesion properties, drug content homogeneity, and in vitro aerosolisation performance. The results demonstrated that lactose samples with smaller particle volume mean diameter have higher amorphous lactose content, higher true density (linear, r2 = 0.9932), higher surface smoothness (linear, r2 = 0.8752), smaller angularity (linear, r2 = 0.921), smaller bulk density, higher porosity (linear, r2 = 0.914), poorer flowability, and higher specific surface area. In general, the smaller the lactose particles the smaller are the budesonide-lactose adhesion properties. Budesonide formulated with smaller lactose particles exhibited smaller aerodynamic diameter and higher amounts of budesonide were delivered to lower stages of the impactor indicating improved DPI aerosolisation performance. However, the use of lactose particles with smaller volume mean diameter had a detrimental effect on budesonide content homogeneity and caused an increase in the amounts of budesonide deposited on oropharyngeal region. Therefore, particle size of the lactose within dry powder inhaler formulations should be selected carefully. Accordingly, higher drug aerosolisation efficiency of lactose particles with smaller size may have to be balanced due to considerations of other disadvantages including poorer flowability, reduced formulation stability, higher potential side effects, and higher dose variability.
|
|
| 35. |
- Kalsoom, Aasia, et al.
(author)
-
In Vitro Evaluation of Cytotoxic Potential of Caladium lindenii Extracts on Human Hepatocarcinoma HepG2 and Normal HEK293T Cell Lines
- 2022
-
In: BioMed Research International. - : Hindawi Limited. - 2314-6133 .- 2314-6141. ; 2022
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Data regarding the therapeutic potential of Caladium lindenii (C. lindenii) are insufficient. It becomes more important to explore plants as an alternative or palliative therapeutics in deadly diseases around the globe. The current study was planned to explore C. lindenii for its anticancer activity of ethanolic and hexane extracts of C. lindenii leaves against hepatic carcinoma (HepG2) and human embryonic kidney (HEK293T) cell lines. HepG2 and HEK293T cells were treated with 10, 50, 100, 200, and 400 μg/mL of ethanolic and hexane extracts of C. lindenii and were incubated for 72 h. Antiproliferative activity was measured by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2yl)-2,5-biphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, and percentage viability were calculated through crystal violet staining and cellular morphology by Floid Cell Imaging Station. The study showed ethanolic extract exhibiting a significantly higher antiproliferative effect on HepG2 (IC50=31 μg/mL) in a concentration-dependent manner, while HEK293T (IC50=241 μg/mL) cells showed no toxicity. Hexane extract exhibited lower cytotoxicity (IC50=150 μg/mL) on HepG2 cells with no effect on HEK293T (IC50=550 μg/mL). On the other hand, the percentage viability of HepG2 cells was recorded as 78%, 67%, 50%, 37%, and 28% by ethanolic extracts, and 88%, 80%, 69%, 59%, and 50% by hexane extracts at tested concentrations of both extracts. Toxicity assay showed significantly safer ranges of percentage viabilities in normal cells (HEK293T), i.e., 95%, 90%, 88%, 76%, and 61% with ethanolic extract and 97%, 95%, 88%, 75%, and 62% with hexane extract. The assay validity revealed 100% viability in the control negative (dimethyl sulfoxide treated) and less than 45% in the control positive (cisplatin) on both HepG2 and HEK293T cells. Morphological studies showed alterations in HepG2 cells upon exposure to >50 μg/mL of ethanolic extracts and ≥400 μg/mL of hexane extracts. HEK293T on the other hand did not change its morphology against any of the extracts compared to the aggressive changes on the HepG2 cell line by both extracts and positive control (cisplatin). In conclusion, extracts of C. lindenii are proved to have significant potential for cytotoxicity-induced apoptosis in human cancer HepG2 cells and are less toxic to normal HEK293T cells. Hence C. lindenii extracts are proposed to be used against hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after further validations.
|
|
| 36. |
- Munir, M. Adeel, et al.
(author)
-
Blockchain Adoption for Sustainable Supply Chain Management : Economic, Environmental, and Social Perspectives
- 2022
-
In: Frontiers in Energy Research. - : Frontiers Media S.A.. - 2296-598X. ; 10
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Due to the rapid increase in environmental degradation and depletion of natural resources, the focus of researchers is shifted from economic to socio-environmental problems. Blockchain is a disruptive technology that has the potential to restructure the entire supply chain for sustainable practices. Blockchain is a distributed ledger that provides a digital database for recording all the transactions of the supply chain. The main purpose of this research is to explore the literature relevant to blockchain for sustainable supply chain management. The focus of this review is on the sustainability of the blockchain-based supply chain concerning environmental conservation, social equality, and governance effectiveness. Using a systematic literature review, a total of 136 articles were evaluated and categorized according to the triple bottom-line aspects of sustainability. Challenges and barriers during blockchain adoption in different industrial sectors such as aviation, shipping, agriculture and food, manufacturing, automotive, pharmaceutical, and textile industries were critically examined. This study has not only explored the economic, environmental, and social impacts of blockchain but also highlighted the emerging trends in a circular supply chain with current developments of advanced technologies along with their critical success factors. Furthermore, research areas and gaps in the existing research are discussed, and future research directions are suggested. The findings of this study show that blockchain has the potential to revolutionize the entire supply chain from a sustainability perspective. Blockchain will not only improve the economic sustainability of the supply chain through effective traceability, enhanced visibility through information sharing, transparency in processes, and decentralization of the entire structure but also will help in achieving environmental and social sustainability through resource efficiency, accountability, smart contracts, trust development, and fraud prevention. The study will be helpful for managers and practitioners to understand the procedure of blockchain adoption and to increase the probability of its successful implementation to develop a sustainable supply chain network.
|
|
| 37. |
- Mushtaq, Naveed, et al.
(author)
-
Tuning the Energy Band Structure at Interfaces of the SrFe0.75Ti0.25O3-delta-Sm0.25Ce0.75O2-delta Heterostructure for Fast Ionic Transport
- 2019
-
In: ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces. - : AMER CHEMICAL SOC. - 1944-8244 .- 1944-8252. ; 11:42, s. 38737-38745
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Interface engineering holds huge potential for enabling exceptional physical properties in heterostructure materials via tuning properties at the atomic level. In this study, a heterostructure built by a new redox stable semiconductor SrFe0.75Ti0.25O3-delta (SFT) and an ionic conductor Sm0.25Ce0.75O2 (SDC) is reported. The SFT-SDC heterostructure exhibits a high ionic conductivity >0.1 S/cm at 520 degrees C, which is 1 order of magnitude higher than that of bulk SDC. When it was applied into the fuel cell, the SFT-SDC can realize favorable electrolyte functionality and result in an excellent power density of 920 mW cm(-2) at 520 degrees C. The prepared SFT-SDC heterostructure materials possess both electronic and ionic conduction, where electron states modulate local electrical field to facilitate ion transport. Further investigations to calculate the structure and electronic structure/state of SFT and SDC are done using density functional theory (DFT). It is found that the reconstruction of the energy band at interfaces is responsible for such enhanced ionic conductivity and cell power output. The current study about the perovskite-based heterostructure presents a novel strategy for developing advanced ceramic fuel cells.
|
|
| 38. |
- Rafique, Asia, et al.
(author)
-
An efficient carbon resistant composite Ni0.6Zn0.4O2-delta-GDC anode for biogas fuelled solid oxide fuel cell
- 2019
-
In: Journal of Power Sources. - : ELSEVIER. - 0378-7753 .- 1873-2755. ; 438
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This paper describes the fabrication of Ni0.6Zn0.4-Gd0.2Ce0.8O2-delta (NiZn-GDC) via a two-step wet chemical synthesis technique. This composite was found to be more thermally stable and carbon resistive under the intense reducing environment of biogas. This was confirmed by different characterization techniques. The maximum power density P-max, was achieved at 600 degrees C as 820 mW/cm(2) and 548 mW/cm(2) with hydrogen and biogas, respectively. Different characterization techniques have been performed, such as X-ray diffractometry (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM/EDX), UV visible spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. The XRD pattern by Rietveld refinement showed two-phase structures of the anode composite with an average crystallite size of 25 35 nm before and after reduction with methane. The optical band gap (E-g(opt)) of NiZn-GDC was calculated to be 2.24eV from the Tauc plot using absorbance data. The Nyquist plot was also drawn to study the AC electrochemical impedance spectra (EIS) of the nanocomposite anode from 450 degrees C to 600 degrees C in air. The maximum DC conductivity of 1.37 S/cm was observed at a temperature of 600 degrees C using the four-probe DC technique.
|
|
| 39. |
- Rafique, Asia, et al.
(author)
-
Multioxide phase-based nanocomposite electrolyte (M@SDC where M = Zn2+ / Ba2+/ La2+/Zr-2/Al3+) materials
- 2020
-
In: Ceramics International. - : ELSEVIER SCI LTD. - 0272-8842 .- 1873-3956. ; 46:52, s. 6882-6888
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This paper deals with the development of a highly dense and stable electrolyte on the base of nanoionics oxide interface theory. This gives a comparative study of two-phase nanocomposite electrolytes that are developed for low temperature solid oxide fuel cells (LT-SOFCs). These nanocomposites are synthesised with different oxides, which are coated on the doped ceria that showed high oxide ion mobility for LT-SOFCs. These novel two-phase nanocomposite oxide ionic conductors (MCe0.8Sm0.2O2-MO2, where M = Zn2+/Ba2+/La3+/Zr2+/Al3+) were synthesised by a co-precipitation method. The interface study between these two phases was analysed by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), while ionic conductivities were measured with DC conductivity (four probe method). The nanocomposite electrolytes exhibited higher conductivities with the increase of concentration of coated oxides but decreased at a certain level. The structural or morphological properties of the nanocomposite electrolytes were examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The thermal stability was investigated using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The maximum performance of 590 mW/cm(2) at 550 degrees C was obtained for the Zn@SDC based cell, and the rest of the coated samples Ba@SDC, La@SDC, Zr@SDC and Al@SDC based cells showed values of 550 mW/cm(2), 540 mW/cm(2), 450 mW/cm(2), 340 mW/cm(2), respectively, with hydrogen as a fuel. Therefore, the coated-SDC based nanocomposite materials are a good approach for lowering the operating temperature to achieve the challenges of the solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC). These two-phase nanocomposite electrolytes satisfy the all requirements which one electrolyte should have, like high ionic conduction, thermodynamic stability and negligible electronic conduction.
|
|
| 40. |
- Rafique, Asia, et al.
(author)
-
Significance enhancement in the conductivity of core shell nanocomposite electrolytes
- 2015
-
In: RSC Advances. - : Royal Society of Chemistry. - 2046-2069. ; 5:105, s. 86322-86329
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Today, there is great demand of electrolytes with high ionic conductivities at low operating temperatures for solid-oxide fuel cells. Therefore, a co-doped technique was used to synthesize a highly ionically conductive two phase nanocomposite electrolyte Sr/Sm-ceria-carbonate by a co-precipitation method. A significant increase in conductivity was measured in this co-doped Sr/Sm-ceria-carbonate electrolyte at 550 degrees C as compared to the more commonly studied samarium doped ceria. The fuel cell power density was 900 mW cm(-2) at low temperature (400-580 degrees C). The composite electrolyte was found to have homogenous morphology with a core-shell structure using SEM and TEM. The two phase core-shell structure was confirmed using XRD analysis. The crystallite size was found to be 30-60 nm and is in good agreement with the SEM analysis. The thermal analysis was determined with DSC. The enhancement in conductivity is due to two effects; co-doping of Sr in samarium doped ceria and it's composite with carbonate which is responsible for the core-shell structure. This co-doped approach with the second phase gives promise in addressing the challenge to lower the operating temperature of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC).
|
|
| 41. |
- Rasool, Mahmood, et al.
(author)
-
A novel missense mutation in the EDA gene associated with X-linked recessive isolated hypodontia
- 2008
-
In: Journal of Human Genetics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1434-5161 .- 1435-232X. ; 53:10, s. 894-8
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Isolated hypodontia, or congenital absence of one to six permanent teeth (OMIM 300606), is a common condition that affects about 20% of individuals worldwide. We identified two extended Pakistani pedigrees segregating X-linked hypodontia with variable expressivity. Affected males show no other associated anomalies, and obligate carrier females have normal dentition. We analyzed the families with polymorphic markers in the ectodysplasin A (EDA) gene region and obtained significant linkage to the phenotype in each pedigree (Z(max) 3.29 and 2.65, respectively, at theta = 0.00). Sequence analysis of the coding regions of EDA revealed a novel missense mutation c.1091T>C resulting in a methionine to threonine substitution (p.M364T) in the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) homology domain. Met364 is a highly conserved residue located on the outer surface of the EDA protein. From our findings, we suggest that the mutation disturbs but does not destroy the EDA structure, resulting in the partial and unusually mild ED phenotype restricted to hypodontia.
|
|
| 42. |
- Sarfraz, Amina, et al.
(author)
-
Catalytic Effect of Silicon Carbide on the Composite Anode of Fuel Cells
- 2021
-
In: ACS Applied Energy Materials. - : AMER CHEMICAL SOC. - 2574-0962. ; 4:7, s. 6436-6444
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- High efficiency, fuel flexibility, and sustainable energy conversion make fuel cells attractive compared to conventional energy systems. The direct ethanol fuel cells have attracted much attention because of the direct utilization of ethanol fuel. Anode materials are required to enhance the catalytic activity of the liquid fuel, which oxidize the fuel at lower operating temperature. Therefore, the catalytic effect using silicon carbide has been investigated in the LiNiO2-delta anode. The material has been characterized, and it is found that SiC shows a cubic structure and LiNiO2-delta exhibits a hexagonal structure, while the LiNiO2-delta-SiC composite exhibits a mixed cubic and hexagonal phase. Scanning electron microscopy depicts that the material is porous. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis shows the presence of Si-O-Si, Si-C, C=O, and Si-OH bonding. The LiNiO2-delta-SiC composite (1:0.3) exhibited a maximum electrical conductivity of 1.34 S cm(-1) at 650 degrees C with an electrical band gap of 0.84 eV. The fabricated cell with the LiNiO2-delta-SiC anode exhibits a power density of 0.20 W cm(-2) at 650 degrees C with liquid ethanol fuel. The results show that there is a promising catalytic activity of SiC in the fuel cell anode.
|
|
| 43. |
- Shojaee, Saeed, et al.
(author)
-
Investigation of Drug Release from PEO Tablet Matrices in the Presence of Vitamin E as Antioxidant
- 2015
-
In: Current Drug Delivery. - : Bentham Science Publishers Ltd.. - 1567-2018 .- 1875-5704. ; 12:5, s. 591-599
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of drug type on the release of drug from PEO matrix tablets accompanied with the impact of vitamin E succinate as antioxidant. The result showed that the presence of vitamin E promoted a stable release rate of soluble drug propranolol HCl from aged PEO matrix tablets, which was similar to fresh sample, regardless of molecular weight ( MW) of PEO. However, the influence of the presence of vitamin E on the release rate of partially soluble drug, theophylline, was dependent on the MW of PEO; i.e., fast and unstable drug release was obtained in the case of low MW PEO 750 whereas stable drug release was obtained in the case of high MW PEO 303. The release of low water-soluble drug zonisamide was stable regardless of both the presence of vitamin E and the MW of PEO. The presence of vitamin E slightly slowed the release of zonisamide from aged PEO 303 matrices but not PEO 750 matrices. Therefore, in order to achieve a suitable controlled release profile from PEO matrices, not only the presence of vitamin E but also the solubility of the drug and the MW of polyox should be considered.
|
|
| 44. |
- Ullah, Muhammad Kaleem, et al.
(author)
-
Tri-doped ceria (M0.2Ce0.8O2-δ, M= Sm0.1 Ca0.05 Gd0.05) electrolyte for hydrogen and ethanol-based fuel cells
- 2019
-
In: Journal of Alloys and Compounds. - : Elsevier BV. - 0925-8388. ; 773, s. 548-554
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In recent scientific research, an interest has been gained significantly by rare earth metals such as cerium (Ce), samarium (Sm) and gadolinium (Gd) due to their use in fuel cells as electrolyte and catalysts. When used in an electrolyte, these materials lower the fuel cell's operating temperature compared to a conventional electrolyte, for example, yittria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) which operates at a high temperature (≥800 °C). In this paper, the tri-doped ceria, M0.2Ce0.8O2-δ(M = Sm0.1Ca0.05Gd0.05) electrolyte powders was synthesized using the co-precipitation method at 80 °C. These dopants were used for CeO2with a total molar ratio of 1 M. Dry-pressed powder technique was used to make fuel cell pellets from the powder and placed them in the furnace to sinter at 700 °C for 60 min. Electrical conductivity of such a pellet in air was 1.2 × 10−2S cm−1at 700 °C measured by the ProboStat-NorECs setup. The crystal structure was determined with the help of X-ray diffraction (XRD), which showed that all the dopants were successfully doped in CeO2. Raman spectroscopy and UV-VIS spectroscopy were also carried out to analyse the molecular vibrations and absorbance, respectively. The maximum open-circuit voltages (OCVs) for hydrogen and ethanol fuelled at 550 °C were observed to be 0.89 V and 0.71 V with power densities 314 mW cm−2and 52.8 mW cm−2, respectively.
|
|
| 45. |
- Waly, Mohamed Ibrahim, et al.
(author)
-
Advancement of a High-Efficiency Wearable Antenna Enabling Wireless Body Area Networks
- 2023
-
In: IEEE Access. - Piscataway, NJ : IEEE. - 2169-3536. ; 11, s. 138325-138335
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This paper presents a unique antenna that is designed to be efficient, with improved gain and partial flexibility, for use in wearable biomedical telemetry applications. The antenna design utilizes a semi-flexible RO5880 substrate material (dielectric constant, epsilon(r) = 2.2, loss tangent, ( tan delta ) = 0.0009) with physical dimensions measuring 0.47 lambda(g)x 0.47 lambda(g) . The model involves the incorporation of rectangular inverted C slots, which effectively results in a reduction of the resonant frequency. Additionally, a distributed rectangular slot is introduced on the ground plane, contributing to the augmentation of the operational bandwidth. The operational frequency of the proposed antenna design is 2.40 GHz, accompanied by a bandwidth (BW) of 320 MHz at a -10 dB level. This equates to a fractional percentage bandwidth (FBW) of 13.33% centered around the frequency of 2.40 GHz. The antenna design presented in this work demonstrates the preservation of improved gain and efficiency, achieving values of 3.67 dBi and 94%, respectively, at a frequency of 2.40 GHz. The work demonstrates through simulation and experimental outcomes that the antenna exhibits minimal impact on parameters such as gain reflection coefficient (|S-11|) , BW, and bending efficiency. Furthermore, the antenna underwent simulation and experimental testing in close proximity to the human body, revealing favorable operational characteristics. The proposed antenna exhibits substantial potential as a viable option for wearable biomedical instruments. Thus, the proposed wearable antenna design in this study offers a wideband antenna for ISM band applications, expanding bandwidth without compromising performance. Bending the antenna minimally affects gain, bandwidth, and efficiency when worn on the body, making it suitable for wearables. It also maintains a reasonably low Specific Absorption Rate (SAR), reducing wave absorption by the body. Unique features like rectangular inverted C slots and a distributed rectangular slot on the ground plane enhance bandwidth while maintaining performance during bending. © 2013 IEEE.
|
|
| 46. |
- Wang, Tianyan, et al.
(author)
-
PIP5K1α is Required for Promoting Tumor Progression in Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer
- 2022
-
In: Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology. - : Frontiers Media S.A.. - 2296-634X. ; 10
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- PIP5K1α has emerged as a promising drug target for the treatment of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), as it acts upstream of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway to promote prostate cancer (PCa) growth, survival and invasion. However, little is known of the molecular actions of PIP5K1α in this process. Here, we show that siRNA-mediated knockdown of PIP5K1α and blockade of PIP5K1α action using its small molecule inhibitor ISA-2011B suppress growth and invasion of CRPC cells. We demonstrate that targeted deletion of the N-terminal domain of PIP5K1α in CRPC cells results in reduced growth and migratory ability of cancer cells. Further, the xenograft tumors lacking the N-terminal domain of PIP5K1α exhibited reduced tumor growth and aggressiveness in xenograft mice as compared to that of controls. The N-terminal domain of PIP5K1α is required for regulation of mRNA expression and protein stability of PIP5K1α. This suggests that the expression and oncogenic activity of PIP5K1α are in part dependent on its N-terminal domain. We further show that PIP5K1α acts as an upstream regulator of the androgen receptor (AR) and AR target genes including CDK1 and MMP9 that are key factors promoting growth, survival and invasion of PCa cells. ISA-2011B exhibited a significant inhibitory effect on AR target genes including CDK1 and MMP9 in CRPC cells with wild-type PIP5K1α and in CRPC cells lacking the N-terminal domain of PIP5K1α. These results indicate that the growth of PIP5K1α-dependent tumors is in part dependent on the integrity of the N-terminal sequence of this kinase. Our study identifies a novel functional mechanism involving PIP5K1α, confirming that PIP5K1α is an intriguing target for cancer treatment, especially for treatment of CRPC.
|
|
