The present world scenario demands for the utilization of natural fiber-reinforced polymeric composites as opposed to synthetic fiber-reinforced composites mainly due to their environmental friendly behavior, availability in abundance, cost-effectiveness, and lightweight and moderately high-strength properties. Along with the above said advantages, the ease of manufacturing of natural fibers has made the researchers around the globe to exploit several locally available natural fibers to understand their feasibility as reinforcement phases in different polymeric composites and their suitability in various commercial and engineering applications. This research investigation has been conducted to discover a better natural/synthetic fiber-reinforced polymer hybrid composite for commercial engineering applications. This research investigation intends to recognize the effect of laminate stacking sequence of Prosopis juliflora fibers (PJFs)/E-glass/carbon fabrics reinforced hybrid epoxy composites under five different composite designations. Manual hand layup method is used as the fabrication method, while studies on physical, mechanical, and morphological properties have been conducted in this research work. From the results obtained, it is obvious that the properties of PJFs/E-glass/carbon fabrics reinforced epoxy composites enhanced due to the hybridization with the addition of E-glass and carbon fabrics in PJFs and augments its suitability in the use of engineering structural applications.

Aging causes gradual changes in free radicals, antioxidants, and immune-imbalance in the elderly. This study aims to understand links among aging, gluco-oxidative stress, and autoantibodies in asymptomatic individuals. In vitro glycation of human serum albumin (Gly-HSA) induces appreciable biochemical changes. Significant inhibition of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) formation was achieved using garlic extract (53.75%) and epigallocatechin-3-gallate from green tea (72.5%). Increased amounts of serum carbonyl content (2.42 ± 0.5) and pentosidine (0.0321 ± 0.0029) were detected in IV-S (S represent smokers) vs. IV group individuals. Direct binding ELISA results exhibited significantly high autoantibodies against Gly-HSA in group IV-S (0.55 ± 0.054; p < 0.001) and III-S (0.40 ± 0.044; p < 0.01) individuals as compared to the age matched subjects who were non-smokers (group IV and III). Moreover, high average percent inhibition (51.3 ± 4.1%) was obtained against Gly-HSA in IV-S group individuals. Apparent association constant was found to be high for serum immunoglobulin-G (IgG) from group IV-S (1.18 × 10−6 M) vs. serum IgG from IV group (3.32 × 10−7 M). Aging induced gluco-oxidative stress and AGEs formation may generate neo-epitopes on blood-proteins, contributing to production of autoantibodies in the elderly, especially smokers. Use of anti-glycation natural products may reduce age-related pathophysiological changes.

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The use of bio-fiber-based hybrid composites in various commercial engineering applications is increasing day by day due to their biodegradability and versatile characteristics. Hence, in the present research investigation, an attempt has been made to scrutinize the mongrelizing possessions under different laminate stacking arrangement concerning Phoenix pusilla fibers (PPFs)/E-glass woven/ carbon woven fabric-reinforced epoxy composite laminates through the studies of density, void fraction, and different mechanical strength behavior evaluation of five resulting diverse hybrid composite laminates. The hybrid laminates were prepared by manual hand lay-up technique. The scrutinization of physical and mechanical properties and the study of fractured surfaces specify noteworthy improvement in density, void fraction, tensile properties, flexural properties, and microhardness properties of PPFs/E-glass/carbon fabrics-reinforced hybrid epoxy composites. The overall results conferred that the composite laminates fabricated in the present study could be potentially used in medium load structural applications.

Polypyrrole (PPy) and polypyrrole/cerium oxide nanocomposite (PPy/CeO2) were prepared by the chemical oxidative method in an aqueous medium using anhydrous ferric chloride (FeCl3) as an oxidant. The successful formulation of materials was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmittance electron microscopy (TEM). A four-in-line probe device was used for studying DC electrical conductivity and ammonia vapor sensing properties of PPy and PPy/CeO2. The significant improvement in both the conductivity and sensing parameters of PPy/CeO2 compared to pristine PPy reveals some synergistic/electronic interaction between PPy and cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO2 NPs) working at molecular levels. The initial conductivity (i.e., conductivity at room temperature) was found to be 0.152 Scm−1 and 1.295 Scm−1 for PPy and PPy/CeO2, respectively. Also, PPy/CeO2 showed much better conductivity retention than pristine PPy under both the isothermal and cyclic ageing conditions. Ammonia vapor sensing was carried out at different concentration (0.01, 0.03, 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, and 0.5 vol %). The sensing response of PPy/CeO2 varied with varying concentrations. At 0.5 vol % ammonia concentration, the % sensing response of PPy and PPy/CeO2 sensor was found to be 39.1% and 93.4%, respectively. The sensing efficiency of the PPy/CeO2 sensor was also evaluated at 0.4. 0.3, 0.2, 0.1, 0.05, 0.03, and 0.01 vol % ammonia concentration in terms of % sensing response, response/recovery time, reversibility, selectivity as well as stability at room temperature.

The Ugi reaction (aldehyde, amine, isocyanide and an ethanoic acid) in the protic ionic liquids ethylammonium nitrate (EAN) and propylammonium nitrate (PAN) gave excellent yields of α-phenylacetamido amides.

The Knoevenagel condensation of a series of substituted phenyl acetonitriles with 1H-pyrrole-2carbaldehyde was examined in seven 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium based ionic liquids and three protic ionic liquids. Of these [BMIM][Br] and [BMIM][OH], with catalytic piperidine, proved most efficient affording 3-substituted-(1H-pyrrol-2-yl)acrylonitriles 3-17 in good to excellent yields (98%) whilst utilisation of the protic ionic liquid propyl ammonium nitrate resulted in reduced yields (0-66%). Screening of the 3-substituted-(1H-pyrrol-2-yl)acrylonitriles analogues 3-17 against a panel of 11 cancer cell lines and one normal cell line allowed the identification of a series of compounds with broad spectrum cytotoxicity, but more interestingly a significant degree of MCF-7 breast cancer cell line specificity was evident with 6 (7 to >25 fold) and 13 (5.7 to >80 fold). Other analogues show high level of efficacy against specific cell lines with 10 showing excellent activity against MCF-7 (GI 50 ¼ 1.7 mM) and A431 (GI 50 ¼ 2.8 mM) cell lines. The most promising of the compounds identified herein were the 4-CF 3 substituted 10 and the 3,4-dichloro substituted 13 with excellent activities against MCF-7 and A431 cell lines. The 3,4-dichloro-13 was a 0.56 mM potent inhibitor of MCF-7 cell growth.

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