Bandwidth Enhancement of Planar Terahertz Metasurfaces via Overlapping of Dipolar Modes

Plasmonics - We present enhancement of operational bandwidths of planar terahertz metasurfaces by incorporating a complex unit cell that consists of a pair of concentric ring resonators. The inner...     

Senescence regulation by alcohols in cut flowers of Calendula officinalis L.

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of alcohols viz., ethanol, methanol and n-butanol at different concentrations not only on the vase life of Calendula officinalis L. cut flowers but also to record changes in metabolites like starch content and amount of sugars, and activities of α-amylase, and antioxidant enzymes like peroxidase and superoxide dismutase as well as lipid peroxidation. Ethanol as holding solution significantly increased the vase life as compared to other treatments or the control. n-Butanol shortened vase life and caused the flower stem to fold, whereas ethanol and methanol individually delayed drying up and petals dried slowly from their tips. Significant increments in solution uptake, moisture content and flower diameter were noticed with 2 % ethanol followed by 2 % methanol. Cut scapes having 2 % ethanol exhibited maximum amount of starch and considerably lower amount of reducing and non-reducing sugars. This treatment not only brings down the specific activities of α-amylase and peroxidase but also decreases the process of lipid peroxidation. Effectiveness of methanol (2 %) is evident just after ethanol application (2 %). Lowest concentrations of ethanol and methanol also show relatively higher level of SOD activity in cut flowers of Calendula officinalis.     

Anti-platelet activity of a three-finger toxin (3FTx) from Indian monocled cobra (Naja kaouthia) venom

A low molecular weight anti-platelet peptide (6.9 kDa) has been purified from Naja kaouthia venom and was named KT-6.9. MALDI-TOF/TOF mass spectrometry analysis revealed the homology of KT-6.9 peptide sequence with many three finger toxin family members. KT-6.9 inhibited human platelet aggregation process in a dose dependent manner. It has inhibited ADP, thrombin and arachidonic acid induced platelet aggregation process in dose dependent manner, but did not inhibit collagen and ristocetin induced platelet aggregation. Strong inhibition (70%) of the ADP induced platelet aggregation by KT-6.9 suggests competition with ADP for its receptors on platelet surface. Anti-platelet activity of KT-6.9 was found to be 25 times stronger than that of anti-platelet drug clopidogrel. Binding of KT-6.9 to platelet surface was confirmed by surface plasma resonance analysis using BIAcore X100. Binding was also observed by a modified sandwich ELISA method using anti-KT-6.9 antibodies. KT-6.9 is probably the first 3FTx from Indian monocled cobra venom reported as a platelet aggregation inhibitor.     

Syntheses and structure of heterobimetallic helical polymeric Mo-M(II) (M = Mn, Co, Zn, Cd or Ni) complexes using a flexidentate metalloligand

A series of heterobimetallic polymeric complexes of manganese, cobalt, zinc, cadmium and nickel, [M(Mo₂O₅L₂)(MeOH)₂(H₂O)₂]_n·nH₂O {M = Mn (2), n = 1, Co (3), n = 0, Zn (4), n = 1 and Cd (5), n = 1} and [Ni(Mo₂O₅L₂)(MeOH)(H₂O)₃]_n·2H₂O·MeOH (6) have been synthesized form the reaction of [{Na₄(H₂O)₄(μ-H₂O)₂} ⊂ (Mo₂O₅L₂)₂] (1) {LH₂ = 2-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-2-hydroxybenzylamino)acetic acid} with the corresponding metal salts. The complexes have been structurally characterized. The Complexes, 3 and 6 undergo thermal decomposition to afford mixed oxides of the type, MMoO₄·MoO₃ {M = Co or Ni}.     

Desferrioxamine-caffeine (DFCAF) as a cell permeant moderator of the oxidative stress caused by iron overload

Desferrioxamine (DFO) is a potent iron chelator used in the treatment of iron overload (IO) disorders. However, due to its low cell permeability and fast clearance, DFO administration is usually prolonged and of limited use for the treatment of IO in tissues such as the brain. Caffeine is a safe, rapidly absorbable molecule that can be linked to other compounds to improve their cell permeability. In this work, we successfully prepared and described DFO-caffeine, a conjugate with iron scavenging ability, antioxidant properties and enhanced permeation in the HeLa cell model.