Waste-Derived Copper Flakes for Solvent-Free Reductive Acetamidation of Nitroarenes.

Herein, waste-derived copper (Cu) flakes have been used as heterogeneous catalysts for the solvent-free and one-pot reductive acetamidation of nitroarenes. Metallic copper flakes (f-ZCu) were isolated from waste copper Cu scrap/flakes/turnings generated after the grinding and cutting (from the Cu industries). f-ZCu is being used to synthesize acetanilide with a considerable yield (∼82%) in one-step and solvent-free conditions within a reaction time of 6 h.

Modulation of the immune response and infection pattern to Leishmania donovani in visceral leishmaniasis due to arsenic exposure: An in vitro study.

The arsenic contamination of ground water in visceral leishmaniasis (VL) endemic areas in Bihar, India leads to human exposure through drinking water. Possibly, the consumed arsenic (As) accumulates in the tissues of VL patients, who subsequently internalize intracellular amastigotes to confer resistance against chemotherapy to the parasite, leading to modulation in the host's immune response. This hypothesis appears to be consistent with the in vitro findings that in arsenic-exposed parasites, the mitochondrial membrane potential became depolarized, whereas the reduced thiol and lactate production was overexpressed with enhanced glucose consumption; therefore, the reduced thiol possibly supports an immunosuppressive state in the host cells.

Chemical analysis of groundwater of Nathnagar Block under Bhagalpur District, Bihar (India).

The chemical analysis of groundwater samples from hundred handpumps in five villages of the Nathnagar Block under Bhagalpur District, Bihar, India indicates that the water samples in the area were slightly alkaline and the concentration of total hardness and heavy metal like arsenic were above the drinking water specifications as prescribed by World Health Organization (1999) and ISI (2003); whereas other chemical parameters were well within the permissible limit. The results of the present study suggest that the groundwater sources under investigation were suitable for domestic purposes including drinking except for arsenic. The concentration of arsenic in most of the handpumps analyzed was high, and that might be attributed to the excessive withdrawal of the groundwater and changes in the geo-chemical environment of the Ganga river.

Efficacy of tadalafil in secondary Raynaud's phenomenon resistant to vasodilator therapy: a double-blind randomized cross-over trial.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of tadalafil as add-on therapy in secondary RP resistant to vasodilators.

Methods: Patients with scleroderma and MCTD having four or more RP attacks per week despite being on vasodilators were randomized to receive either placebo or tadalafil (20 mg) on alternate days as add-on therapy to their current vasodilators for 6 weeks. After a 7-day washout, patients were crossed over to the other arm.