Epithelial sodium channels (ENaC) is a protein that plays a role in maintaining sodium levels and can be used as a biomarker of hypertension. This study aims to develop an electrochemical immunosensor for detecting ENaC using a screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE) which is modified with reduced graphene oxide (RGO). The performance of RGO enhanced to provide covalent bonds between the -COOH residues at RGO and the terminal -NH2 of anti-ENaC. While anti-ENaC and ENaC decrease the peak of ferric cyanides current because of the resistance effect. The optimum concentration of anti-ENaC was 1.0 µg/mL for 30 min incubation time. The various concentration of ENaC has a linear relationship with the decreasing of ferric cyanide peak current in the range of 0.01-1.5 ng/mL, and the limit of detection found at 0.198 ng/mL. The low-level exposure of ENaC warrants the realization of a point-of-care device for early detection of hypertension in urine samples.

In order to investigate the isomerization and conversion mechanism of the advantageous and widely used nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicine flurbiprofen, the hybrid density functional theory was applied. According to the results, the rearrangement reaction of (R)-flurbiprofen to its (S)-enantiomer happens in a [1,3]-hydrogen shifts with inversion of configuration at chiral center C14. From the calculated energies, it can be understood that the rate-limiting step in the flurbiprofen isomerization is the excitation of (R)-flurbiprofen methyl ester in its initial form to the first excited singlet state S1 at λ=243.91 nm. we studied this process by scanning the C14-H17 distance for the excited singlet to get more information about the process of isomerization occurring upon excitation. The results of calculations demonstrated that the isomerization process should pass through a ~71 kcal/mol barrier. The (S)-flurbiprofen methyl ester is more photostable than its related (R)-enantiomer. This issue can be attributed to the -1.50 kcal/mol of thermodynamic stability of the (S)-flurbiprofen methyl ester.

Contamination of soils by trace elements is a worldwide concern and has negative effects on environmental sustainability. Geochemical assessment of soils using appropriate indicators and pollution indices has received much attention in recent years in efforts to rehabilitate this resource. This study quantified pollution of soils by trace elements at the Roundhill landfill, South Africa using indices and multivariate statistics. Soils were collected and assayed for trace metals using x-ray fluorescence. Pollution indices classified soil contamination levels while multivariate statistical analysis was conducted using principal component and cluster analyses. Findings showed that concentrations of all elements decreased with increasing distance from the landfill. Low to extremely high pollution was evident in all soils and Cr had the highest values compared to other elements. Negative correlation and weak clustering of Cr and Cd was associated with different wastes disposed at the landfill. Reported pollution in soils was associated with the influence of landfill leachate in the investigated area.

A series of fourteen chalcone was synthesized via. Claisen–Schmidt condensation between substituted 2- hydroxyl acetonaphthones and substituted benzaldehyde in presence of tripotassium phosphate (K3PO4) catalyst. The reaction was carried out by conventional method using 2-methoxyethanol. The procedure is simple and efficient in terms of reaction time, easy workup and isolation of products and yields. In-vitro all these synthesized compounds were screened and evaluated for the cytotoxic and antimicrobial activity. It was found that these compounds had significant cytotoxic activity in comparison with standard 5-flurouracil. The compounds 3a, 3b, 3h, 3f and 3l were screened by MTT assay against liver cancer cell line-HepG2. Among these, the compound 3b and 3c showed LC50 values of 997.14 μM/ml and 284.13 μM/ml., respectively. The remaining compounds did not display the LC50 values. The compound 3l displayed the strongest cytotoxic activities with IC50 value of 91.85 μg/ml against liver cancer cell line. The Chalcone 3a, 3f, 3h and 3e demonstrated excellent antimicrobial activity and the remaining were moderately active against tested pathogens. The antimicrobial effects of all the tested compounds are due to the presence of pharmacological active substituent in the basic nucleus of Chalcones. Therefore, the present study leads to the development of new class of anticancer and antimicrobial inhibitory candidates.

N-Heterocyclic carbenes are widely used in organic reactions and coordination chemistry. In the present study, 2,3-dihydro-1,3-diisopropyl-4,5-dimethylimidazol-2-ylidene (1) is reacted with diphenyl disulfide, methyl phenyl disulfide, and bis(methylsulfonyl)methane to yield target compounds 5, 6, and 7 respectively. Structures of these compounds are well established using nuclear magnetic resonance, mass spectrometry and elemental analysis. Possible reaction mechanisms are proposed.