Studies on interstitial carbon doping from a Ti precursor in a hierarchical TiO2 nanostructured photoanode by a single step hydrothermal route

Carbon doping from a Ti precursor in TiO₂ synthesized by a hydrothermal method was studied. The structural, optical and morphological study of the deposited material was carried out using X-ray diffraction, UV-vis spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy characterization techniques. The elemental composition of the TiO₂ deposited with different precursor concentrations was studied using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and electron dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The amount of elemental carbon in the TiO₂ matrix is found to be increased as the Ti precursor concentration is increased, which strengthens the proposed idea of carbon doping via a Ti precursor.

Interstitial carbon doping is possible directly from a Ti precursor (titanium(iv) isopropoxide) without using any other carbon source.     

UPLC-QTOF-MS fingerprinting combined with chemometrics to assess the solvent extraction efficiency,phytochemical variation,and antioxidant activities of Beta vulgaris L.

Accurate assays of plant antioxidants and other phytochemicals require efficient extraction conditions and enable rigorous assessments of crop varieties and production systems. This study assessed the extraction of phytochemicals and antioxidants from conventionally or organically grown red and golden beets (Beta vulgaris L.), using twenty solvent (S1–S20) mixtures containing water, methanol, and ethanol alone or with acids (ascorbic, formic, acetic). Red beetroot extracted with methanol with or without acid had the highest betanin content (2791.0 μg/g and 8222.3 μg/g of fresh weight [FW], respectively) and golden beetroot extracted with methanol/ascorbic acid/water had the highest vulgaxanthin I (193.7 μg/g and 15.0 μg/g of FW, respectively). The radical-scavenging activity and total phenolics in beetroot extracts reflected the different extraction efficiency of each solvent. UHPLC-QTOF-MS was used to identify twenty-seven phytochemicals, including 23 betalains, 2 amino acids, and 2 phenolic acids. Chemometric approaches discriminated the beet varieties and different extracts within one variety based on the composition and abundance of the key phytochemicals. The red beetroot extracted with aqueous ethanol with or without acid (S5, S7, S8, S9), and golden beetroot extracted with methanol-containing solvents (S15 for conventionally and S20 for organically) had the highest levels of phytochemicals, suggesting that these conditions efficiently extract key phytochemicals.     

Congenital urethrocutaneous fistula in an adolescent male

A urethrocutaneous fistula is a common complication after hypospadias repair, but congenital fistula is a rare anomaly. We present a 16-year-old boy with this unusual anomaly. Its etiology, embryology, and management are discussed in brief.KEY WORDS: Adolescent, congenital fistula of penile urethra, urethroplasty     

Release and distribution of [3H]norepinephrine in nonpigmented and pigmented rabbit iris.

Unequal accumulation of drugs in pigmented and nonpigmented iris has been known for some time. However, at low concentrations of the sympathetic neurotransmitter norepinephrine, the accumulation is equal in both types of irides. The spontaneous and potassium-induced release of 3H was studied in isolated rabbit irides labeled with 0.1 micron [3H]norepinephrine ([3H]NE). The spontaneous outflow and the tissue 3H content were similar in both types of irides, but the potassium-induced release was significantly higher in nonpigmented iris. When irides were labeled with [3H]NE in the presence of 1 micron desmethylimipramine, the potassium-induced release was still significantly higher in nonpigmented than in pigmented iris, although the tissue 3H content was higher in the latter. Subcellular distribution of [3H]NE in both types of irides is presented. The data indicate that [3H]NE is distributed unequally in both types of irides in spite of equal tissue accumulation. The binding of NE by the pigment cell suggests an additional site of loss, or site of uptake, of the transmitter in melanin-containing tissues. The physiological significance of such an unequal release in relation to the evolutionary adaptation of the eye to light is discussed.     

Validation of the GRACE score for prognosis in Indian patients with acute coronary syndromes

AimTo validate the global registry of acute coronary events (GRACE) score in acute coronary syndromes (ACS) patients and study its angiographic correlation.Methods and resultsTwo-hundred and thirty-five ACS patients were studied for the combined endpoint of all-cause in-hospital mortality and non-fatal infarction/reinfarction. We tested the predictive accuracy of the composite GRACE score using the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve.Lower systolic blood pressure (SBP) (odds ratio [OR] 7.93, P=0.005), ST-segment deviation (OR 7.79, P=0.02) and cardiac biomarker positivity (OR > 6.52, P=0.01) were significantly associated with events. Serum creatinine > 1.4 mg/dL showed a trend towards statistical significance (OR 4.14, P=0.05), whereas age > 50 years (OR 3.62, P=not significant [NS]) and Killips class 4 (OR 2.71, P=NS) showed good association. The best value for predicting events was a GRACE score of > 217 and these patients were more likely to have double/triple vessel disease (P = 0.0009). The C statistic for the GRACE score was 0.75.ConclusionHigher GRACE score predicts in-hospital events and more severe angiographic coronary artery disease (CAD).