Stable carbon and nitrogen isotopic composition of PM over Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP), adjoining regions and Indo-Himalayan Range (IHR) during a winter 2014 campaign.

For source identification, a field campaign involving simultaneous sampling of particulate matter (PM) was conducted at eight sampling sites in the Indian mainland during winter 2014. The sampling sites include Delhi (upper IGP), Lucknow (middle IGP), and Kolkata (lower IGP) in the Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP); Mohal-Kullu and Darjeeling in the Indo-Himalayan Range (IHR). In addition, Ajmer, located upwind of the IGP in NW-India and Giridih and Bhubaneswar, in the downwind to the IGP has also been chosen.

Chemical Tuning of Zwitterionic Ionic Liquids for Variable Thermophysical Behaviours, Nanostructured Aggregates and Dual-Stimuli Responsiveness.

The design and synthesis of a series of zwitterionic ionic liquids (ZILs) to understand the structure-property relationship towards an increase of the thermal stability, a variation of the glass transition temperature, the shape-tuning of nanostructured aggregates and the tuning of the stimuli responsiveness are demonstrated. The substitution reaction of imidazole with various aliphatic and aromatic bromides followed by the reaction of the corresponding substituted imidazoles with bromoalkyl carboxylic acids of varying spacer length produces the ZILs. In aqueous solution, a ZIL molecule either exist in its ionic liquid (substituted imidazolium bromide) form or its zwitterionic (substituted imidazolium alkyl carboxylate) form with an isoelectric point (pI) depending on the pH value of the solution.

Terpyridine derivatives as "turn-on" fluorescence chemosensors for the selective and sensitive detection of Zn ions in solution and in live cells.

A terpyridine based compound L1 was designed and synthesized as an "off-on" chemosensor for the detection of Zn2+. Chemosensor L1 showed excellent selectivity and sensitivity toward Zn2+ by exhibiting a large fluorescence enhancement (∼51-fold) at 370 nm whereas other competitive metal ions did not show any noticeable change in the emission spectra of chemosensor L1. The chemosensor (L1) was shown to detect Zn2+ ions down to 9.

Prediction of striped cylindrical micelles (SCMs) formed by dodecyl-β-d-maltoside (DDM) surfactants.

Using fully atomistic and coarse-grained (CG) molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, we report, for the first time, the self-assembly of initially randomly dispersed dodecyl-β-d-maltoside (DDM) surfactants into a striped cylindrical micelle (SCM) with lamellae of surfactant heads and tails alternating along the cylindrical axis, with both heads and tails in contact with the water. By changing the interaction strength of the head group with water relative to itself, we find that such micelles are most likely for head groups with marginal solubility in the water solvent. Unlike the surfactants in a regular cylindrical micelle, whose tails are in the fluid micelle interior, the diffusion of DDM surfactants along the micelle body is blocked by the lamellar patterning.

Carbonaceous Species of PM in Megacity Delhi, India During 2012-2016.

Organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) in PM were estimated to study the seasonal and inter-annual variability of atmospheric total carbonaceous aerosols (TCA) at an urban site of megacity Delhi, India for 5 years from January, 2012 to December, 2016. The annual average (± standard deviation) concentrations of PM, OC, EC and TCA were 128 ± 81, 16.6 ± 12.

"On Water'' Promoted Ullmann-Type C-N Bond-Forming Reactions: Application to Carbazole Alkaloids by Selective N-Arylation of Aminophenols.

The Ullmann-type cross coupling of a variety of aromatic, aliphatic amines with aryl halides is reported using a CuI-based catalytic system in combination with an easily accessible prolinamide ligand in aqueous media. The method is mild and tolerant to air, moisture, and a wide range of functional groups, providing a novel way to access a variety of aminated products. Secondary amines like heteroaromatic amines and nucleobases have also been used, affording the corresponding coupling products in good to excellent yields.

Translocation of Bioactive Molecules through Carbon Nanotubes Embedded in the Lipid Membrane.

One of the major challenges of nanomedicine and gene therapy is the effective translocation of drugs and genes across cell membranes. In this study, we describe a systematic procedure that could be useful for efficient drug and gene delivery into the cell. Using fully atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, we show that molecules of various shapes, sizes, and chemistries can be spontaneously encapsulated in a single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) embedded in a 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC) lipid bilayer, as we have exemplified with dendrimers, asiRNA, ssDNA, and ubiquitin protein.

Targeting murine leukemic stem cells by antibody functionalized mesoporous silica nanoparticles.

Acute leukemia is initiated and maintained by leukemia stem cells (LSCs) and therefore there is great interest to develop innovative therapeutic approaches which target LSCs. Here we show that mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) functionalized with succinic anhydride, tagged with an anti-B220 antibody and loaded with the anthracycline daunorubicin are efficiently incorporated into murine B220-positive AML LSCs and preferentially kill these cells in comparison to B220-negative AML LSCs in vitro. Furthermore, short - term treatment of the AML LSCs with these MSNs before transplant significantly delayed leukemia development in recipient mice.

Physicochemical Stability of an Oral Suspension of Trimethoprim 20 mg/mL in Combination with Sulfadiazine 200 mg/mL in PCCA Base SuspendIt.

Trimethoprim is a diaminopyrimidine antibacterial agent that, like sulfonamides, inhibits bacterial folic acid synthesis, but at a different stage in the metabolic pathway. It has a similar spectrum of activity to the sulfonamides and is given by mouth or by injection, either alone or in conjunction with a sulfonamide, such as sulfadiazine. Sulfadiazine is a bacteriostatic antibacterial agent that interferes with folic acid synthesis in susceptible bacteria.

Plasma metabolomics reveal the correlation of metabolic pathways and Prakritis of humans.

Background: Ayurveda, an ancient Indian medicinal system, has categorized human body constitutions in three broad constitutional types (prakritis) i.e. Vata, Pitta and Kapha.

Economic and sustainable management of wastes from rice industry: combating the potential threats.

Rice is one of the imperative staple foods, particularly in the developing countries. The exponential boom in human population has resulted in the continuous expansion in the rice industry in order to meet the food demands. The various stages of paddy processing release huge quantity of solid wastes, mainly rice husk, rice husk ash and liquid wastes in the form of rice industry wastewater.

Super-Resolution Microscopy Unveils Dynamic Heterogeneities in Nanoparticle Protein Corona.

The adsorption of serum proteins, leading to the formation of a biomolecular corona, is a key determinant of the biological identity of nanoparticles in vivo. Therefore, gaining knowledge on the formation, composition, and temporal evolution of the corona is of utmost importance for the development of nanoparticle-based therapies. Here, it is shown that the use of super-resolution optical microscopy enables the imaging of the protein corona on mesoporous silica nanoparticles with single protein sensitivity.

Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) as Functional Supramolecular Architectures for Anion Recognition and Sensing.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have experienced a tremendous growth during last few decades as porous crystalline molecular materials. The comprehensive effect of structural diversity, tunability and high surface area makes MOFs suitable for multifarious applications. MOFs can act as potential receptors toward different target components along with ionic species, small molecules, solvents, explosives etc.

Optimization of Fe Removal from Coal Mine Wastewater using Activated Biochar of .

  The present study investigates the sorptive removal of Fe2+ from simulated coal mine waste water using steam activated biochar (SABC) developed from the roots of Colocasia esculenta. The process was optimized by response surface methodology (RSM) under the influence of pH, temperature, adsorbent dosage and contact time at a constant shaking speed of 180 rpm with an initial concentration of 3 mg/L. The uptake performance of the biosorbent was assessed following a 24 full factorial experimental matrix developed by central composite design approach.

Multiscale Computational Modeling of the Nanostructure of Solid Dispersions of Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose Acetate Succinate (HPMCAS) and Phenytoin.

We recently developed coarse-grained (CG) force fields for hydroxypropyl methylcellulose acetate succinate (HPMCAS) polymers and the model drug molecule phenytoin, and a continuum transport model to study the polymer-drug nanostructures presented during a dissolution test after solvation of solid dispersion particles. We model the polymer-drug interactions that contribute to suppression of drug aggregation, release, and crystal growth during the dissolution process, and we take these as indicators of polymer effectiveness. We find that the size and the intermolecular interaction strength of the functional group and the drug loading concentration are the major factors that impact the effectiveness of the polymeric excipient.

Loss of crop yields in India due to surface ozone: an estimation based on a network of observations.

Surface ozone is mainly produced by photochemical reactions involving various anthropogenic pollutants, whose emissions are increasing rapidly in India due to fast-growing anthropogenic activities. This study estimates the losses of wheat and rice crop yields using surface ozone observations from a group of 17 sites, for the first time, covering different parts of India. We used the mean ozone for 7 h during the day (M7) and accumulated ozone over a threshold of 40 ppbv (AOT40) metrics for the calculation of crop losses for the northern, eastern, western and southern regions of India.

Stability of Spironolactone Oral Suspension in PCCA Base, SuspendIt.

Spironolactone (Aldactone) is a potassium-sparing diuretic used to treat hypertension and heart failure and may also be used to treat edema resulting from kidney disease, low potassium levels, or excess aldosterone. No commercial liquid dosage form of spironolactone exists. An extemporaneously compounded suspension from pure drug powder or commercial tablets would provide an alternative option to meet unique patient needs.

Novel siRNA formulation to effectively knockdown mutant p53 in osteosarcoma.

Objectives: The tumor suppressor p53 plays a crucial role in the development of osteosarcoma. The primary objective of this study is to develop and optimize lipid based nanoparticle formulations that can carry siRNA and effectively silence mutant p53 in 318-1, a murine osteosarcoma cell line.

Methods: The nanoparticles were composed of a mixture of two lipids (cholesterol and DOTAP) and either PLGA or PLGA-PEG and prepared by using an EmulsiFlex-B3 high pressure homogenizer.

Serum Protein Adsorption Enhances Active Leukemia Stem Cell Targeting of Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles.

The functionalization of nanoparticles with a ligand targeting receptors overexpressed by the target cells is a commonly used strategy when aiming at nanoparticle-based, cell type-specific drug delivery.1-4 However, the influence of particle surface chemistry on the targetability has received much less attention. The surface charge is known to directly or indirectly affect the nanoparticle cellular uptake kinetics by influencing serum protein adsorption.

Chemical characteristics and source apportionment of PM using PCA/APCS, UNMIX, and PMF at an urban site of Delhi, India.

The present study investigated the comprehensive chemical composition [organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC), water-soluble inorganic ionic components (WSICs), and major & trace elements] of particulate matter (PM) and scrutinized their emission sources for urban region of Delhi. The 135 PM samples were collected from January 2013 to December 2014 and analyzed for chemical constituents for source apportionment study. The average concentration of PM was recorded as 121.

Nucleation of urea from aqueous solution: Structure, critical size, and rate.

Using fully atomistic simulations, we find that the structure of the critical urea crystal nucleus (monoclinic, four molecules per unit cell) in an aqueous solution differs from the known crystal structure of bulk urea (orthorhombic, two molecules per unit cell). Following a frequently used "seeding technique" combined with the classical nucleation theory, we also find that at room temperature the critical nucleus is very large (containing ∼530 molecules) and the nucleation rate is very slow (∼5×10cms), suggesting that the homogeneous nucleation of urea is improbable at room temperature.

Inter-annual Variation of Ambient Ammonia and Related Trace Gases in Delhi, India.

In this study, ambient NH, NO, NO, CO and SO were measured continuously from February, 2008, to December, 2016. The annual average mixing ratios (mole/mole) of NH, NO, NO, CO and SO were 17.8 ± 3.

Depression in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy in a tertiary care hospital of North Bengal, India.

Background: Detection of cancer and subsequent chemotherapy can lead to clinical depression in many cancer patients.

Objectives: The study was conducted to find out the extent of depression in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and determine the factors associated with depression.

Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted at the Chemotherapy Day Care Centre of North Bengal Medical College and Hospital from May to June 2013.