First-principles prediction of large thermoelectric efficiency in superionic Li2SnX3 (X = S, Se).

Thermoelectric materials create an electric potential when subjected to a temperature gradient and vice versa; hence they can be used to harvest waste heat into electricity and in thermal management applications. However, finding highly efficient thermoelectrics with high figures of merit, zT ≥ 1, is very challenging because the combination of a high power factor and low thermal conductivity is rare in materials. Here, we use first-principles methods to analyze the thermoelectric properties of Li2SnX3 (X = S, and Se), a recently synthesized class of lithium fast-ion conductors presenting high thermal stability. In p-type Li2SnX3, we estimate highly flat electronic valence bands that produce high Seebeck coefficients exceeding 400 µV K-1 at 700 K. In n-type Li2SnX3, the electronic conduction bands are slightly dispersive; however, the accompanying electron-acoustic phonon scattering is weak, which induces high electrical conductivity. The combination of a high Seebeck coefficient and electrical conductivity gives rise to high power factors, reaching a maximum of ∼4.5 mW m-1 K-2 at 300 K in both n-type Li2SnS3 and Li2SnSe3. Likewise, the thermal conductivity in Li2SnX3 is low as compared to conventional thermoelectric materials, 1.35-4.65 W m-1 K-1 at room temperature. As a result, we estimate a maximum zT of 1.1 in n-type Li2SnS3 at 700 K and of 2.1 (1.1) in n-type Li2SnSe3 at the same temperature (300 K). Our findings of large zT in Li2SnX3 suggest that lithium fast-ion conductors, typically employed as electrolytes in solid-state batteries, hold exceptional promise as thermoelectric materials.

First-principles prediction of phonon-mediated superconductivity in XBC (X = Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba).

From first-principles calculations, we predict four new intercalated hexagonal XBC (X = Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba) compounds to be dynamically stable and phonon-mediated superconductors. These compounds form a LiBC like structure but are metallic. The calculated superconducting critical temperature, Tc, of MgBC is 51 K. The strong attractive interaction between σ-bonding electrons and the B1g phonon mode gives rise to a larger electron-phonon coupling constant (1.135) and hence high Tc; notably, higher than that of MgB2. The other compounds have a low superconducting critical temperature (4-17 K) due to the interaction between σ-bonding electrons and low energy phonons (E2u modes). Due to their energetic and dynamic stability, we envisage that these compounds can be synthesized experimentally.

Dietary diversity modification through school-based nutrition education among Bangladeshi adolescent girls: A cluster randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To measure the efficacy of school-based nutrition education on dietary diversity of the adolescent girls in Bangladesh. METHODS: A matched, pair-cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted from July 2019 to September 2020. Randomization was done to select intervention and control schools. There were 300 participants (150 in the intervention and 150 in the control arm) at baseline. We randomly selected our study participants (adolescent girls) from grades six, seven, and eight of each school. Our intervention components included parents' meetings, eight nutrition education sessions, and the distribution of information, education, and communication materials. An hour-long nutrition education session was provided using audio-visual techniques in a class of intervention school once a week by trained staffs of icddr,b for two months. Data on dietary diversity, anthropometry, socio-economic and morbidity status, a complete menstrual history, and haemoglobin status of adolescent girls were collected at recruitment and after five months of intervention. We calculated the mean dietary diversity score of adolescent girls at baseline and at the endline. As the dietary diversity score was incomparable between the control and intervention arm at baseline, we performed the difference-in-difference analysis to assess the effect of the intervention. RESULTS: Mean age of the adolescent girls was 12.31 years and 12.49 years in the control and intervention arms respectively. Percentages of consumption of organ meat, vitamin A-rich fruits and vegetables, legumes, nuts, and seeds were higher in the intervention arm than in the control arm at the end-line. The mean dietary diversity score remained unchanged in the control arm at 5.55 (95% CI: 5.34-5.76) at baseline and 5.32 (95% CI: 5.11-5.54) at the endline. After the intervention, mean dietary diversity increased from 4.89 (95% CI: 4.67-5.10) at baseline to this mean was 5.66 (95% CI: 5.43-5.88) at the endline. Result from the difference-in-difference analysis revealed that the mean dietary diversity was likely to increase by 1 unit due to intervention. CONCLUSION: The shorter duration of the intervention in our study could not show whether it could change the behavior of adolescent girls in increasing dietary diversity through school-based nutrition education, but it showed a pathway for increasing dietary diversity at school. We recommend including more clusters and other food environment elements in retesting to increase precision and acceptability. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, trial registration no: NCT04116593. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04116593.

Kinetics of enthalpy relaxation of milk protein concentrate powder upon ageing and its effect on solubility.

Kinetics of enthalpy relaxation of milk protein concentrate (MPC) powder upon short-term (up to 67 h) storage at 25 °C and aw 0.85, and long-term (up to 48 days) storage at 25 °C and a range of aw values (0-0.85) were studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The short-term study showed a rapid recovery of enthalpy for the first 48 h, followed by a slower steady increase with time. The non-exponential ß parameter was calculated using the Kohlrausch-Williams-Watts function and found to be 0.39. Long-term storage showed that enthalpy relaxation depends on both storage period and water activity. The enthalpy value was much less for lower moisture content (mc) (aw ≤ 0.23, mc ≤ 5.5%) than for higher mc (aw ≥ 0.45, mc ≥ 8%) samples for a particular storage period. The results suggest that the presence of more water molecules, in close proximity to the protein surface facilitates kinetic unfreezing and subsequent motion of molecular segments of protein molecules towards thermodynamic equilibrium. Although de-ageing of stored samples did not reverse storage-induced solubility losses, the timescale of enthalpy relaxation was similar to that of solubility loss. It is suggested that enthalpy relaxation within stored samples allows structural rearrangements that are responsible for subsequent solubility decreases.

Recent advances in the tuning of the organic framework materials - The selections of ligands, reaction conditions, and post-synthesis approaches.

Organic framework materials, particularly metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), graphene-organic frameworks (GOFs), and covalent organic frameworks (COFs), have led to the revolution across fields including catalysts, sensors, gas capture, and biology mainly owing to their ultra-high surface area-to-volume ratio, on-demand tunable crystal structures, and unique surface properties. While the wet chemistry routes have been the predominant synthesis approach, the crystal phase, morphological parameters, and physicochemical properties of organic framework materials are largely affected by various synthesis parameters and precursors. In this work, we specifically review the influences of synthesis parameters towards crystal structures and chemical compositions of organic framework materials, including selected ligand types and lengths, reaction temperature/solvent/reactant compositions, as well as post-synthesis modification approaches. More importantly, the subsequent impacts on the general electronic, mechanical, surface chemical, and thermal properties as well as the consequent variation in performances towards catalytic, desalination, gas sensing, and gas storage applications are critically discussed. Finally, the current challenges and prospects of organic framework materials are provided.

Chemical and thermal stability of isotypic metal-organic frameworks: effect of metal ions.

Chemical and thermal stabilities of isotypic metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) like Al-BDC (Al-benzenedicarboxylate called MIL-53-Al), Cr-BDC (MIL-53-Cr) and V-BDC (MIL-47-V), after purification to remove uncoordinated organic linkers, have been compared to understand the effect of the central metal ions on the stabilities of the porous MOF-type materials. Chemical stability to acids, bases, and water decreases in the order of Cr-BDC>Al-BDC>V-BDC, suggesting stability increases with increasing inertness of the central metal ions. However, thermal stability decreases in the order of Al-BDC>Cr-BDC> V-BDC, and this tendency may be explained by the strength of the metal-oxygen bond in common oxides like Al(2)O(3), Cr(2)O(3), and V(2)O(5). In order to evaluate precisely the stability of a MOF, it is necessary to remove uncoordinated organic linkers that are located in the pores of the MOF, because a filled MOF may be more stable than the same MOF after purification.

Ageing-induced solubility loss in milk protein concentrate powder: effect of protein conformational modifications and interactions with water.

BACKGROUND: Protein conformational modifications and water-protein interactions are two major factors believed to induce instability of protein and eventually affect the solubility of milk protein concentrate (MPC) powder. To test these hypotheses, MPC was stored at different water activities (a(w) 0.0-0.85) and temperatures (25 and 45 °C) for up to 12 weeks. Samples were examined periodically to determine solubility, change in protein conformation by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and water status (interaction of water with the protein molecule/surface) by measuring the transverse relaxation time (T(2) ) with proton nuclear magnetic resonance ((1) H NMR). RESULTS: The solubility of MPC decreased significantly with ageing and this process was enhanced by increasing water activity (a(w) ) and temperature. Minor changes in protein secondary structure were observed with FTIR which indicated some degree of unfolding of protein molecules. The NMR T(2) results indicated the presence of three distinct populations of water molecules and the proton signal intensity and T(2) values of proton fractions varied with storage condition (humidity) and ageing. CONCLUSION: Results suggest that protein/protein interactions may be initiated by unfolding of protein molecules that eventually affects solubility.

First-principles predictions of low lattice thermal conductivity and high thermoelectric performance of AZnSb (A = Rb, Cs).

Here, two compounds, AZnSb (A = Rb, Cs), have been predicted to be potential materials for thermoelectric device applications at high temperatures by using first-principles calculations based on density functional theory (DFT), density functional perturbation theory (DFPT), and Boltzmann transport theory. The layered structure, and presence of heavier elements Rb/Cs and Sb induce high anharmonicity (larger values of mode Grüneisen parameter), low Debye temperature, and intense phonon scattering. Thus, these compounds possess intrinsically low lattice thermal conductivity (κ l), ∼0.5 W m-1 K-1 on average at 900 K. Highly non-parabolic bands and relatively wide bandgap (∼1.37 and 1.1 eV for RbZnSb and CsZnSb, respectively, by mBJ potential including spin-orbit coupling effect) induce large Seebeck coefficient while highly dispersive and two-fold degenerate bands induce high electrical conductivity. Large power factor and low values of κ l lead to a high average thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT) of RbZnSb and CsZnSb, reaching 1.22 and 1.1 and 0.87 and 1.14 at 900 K for p-and n-type carriers, respectively.

First-principles prediction of structural stability and thermoelectric properties of SrGaSnH.

Thermoelectric (TE) materials based on earth-abundant and non-toxic elements are very useful in cost-effective and eco-friendly waste heat management systems. The constituents of SrGaSnH are earth-abundant and non-toxic, thus we have chosen SrGaSnH to study its structural stability and thermoelectric properties by using density functional theory (DFT), density functional perturbation theory (DFPT), and semi-classical Boltzmann transport theory. Our elastic and phonons calculations show that the compound has good structural stability. The electronic structure calculation discloses that it is an indirect bandgap (0.63 eV by mBJ potential including spin-orbit coupling (SOC) effect) semiconductor. Light band hole effective mass leads to higher electrical conductivity along the x-axis than that of along the z-axis. On the other side, the weak phonon scattering leads to high lattice thermal conductivity ∼ 6.7 W m-1 K-1 at 300 K. Although the power factor (PF) is very high along the x-axis (above 10 mW m-1 K-2 at 300 K), such large κ l dramatically reduces ZT. The maximum values of in-plane and cross-plane ZT are ∼1 (n-type), 0.8 (p-type) and 0.6 (n-type), (0.2 p-type) at 700 K, respectively. The present study has revealed that this compound has strong potential in eco-friendly TE applications.

Electronic structure transition of cubic CsSnCl3 under pressure: effect of rPBE and PBEsol functionals and GW method.

The antiperovskites based on metal halides have emerged as potential materials for advanced photovoltaic and electronic device applications. But the wide bandgap of non-toxic CsSnCl3 reduces its photovoltaic efficiency. Here, we report the change of electronic structure of CsSnCl3 at different pressure by using GGA-rPBE and GGA-PBEsol functionals and the GW method. We have shown that the prediction of electronic structure transition (semiconducting to metallic state) strongly depends on the exchange-correlation and the GW method gives the most reasonable values of the bandgap under pressure. The pressure increases the electronic density of states close to the Fermi level by pushing the valence electrons upward and thus, reduces the bandgap linearly. Afterward, we have also investigated the influence of pressure on absorption coefficient, and mechanical properties meticulously. Although the pressure shifts the absorption peak to lower photon energies, the absorption coefficient is slightly improved.

Improving the optical and thermoelectric properties of Cs2InAgCl6 with heavy substitutional doping: a DFT insight.

The next-generation indium-based lead-free halide material Cs2InAgCl6 is promising for photovoltaic applications due to its good air stability and non-toxic behavior. However, its wide bandgap (>3 eV) is not suitable for the solar spectrum and hence reduces its photoelectronic efficiency for device applications. Here we report a significant bandgap reduction from 2.85 eV to 0.65 eV via substitutional doping and its effects on the optoelectronic and opto-thermoelectric properties from a first-principles study. The results predict that Sn/Pb and Ga and Cu co-doping will enhance the density of states significantly near the valence band maximum (VBM) and thus reduce the bandgap via shifting the VBM upward, while alkali metals (K/Rb) slightly increase the bandgap. A strong absorption peak near the Shockley-Queisser limit is observed in the co-doped case, while in the Sn/Pb-doped case, we notice a peak in the middle of the visible region of the solar spectrum. The nature of the bandgap is indirect with Cu-Ga/Pb/Sn doping, and a significant reduction in the bandgap, from 2.85 eV to 0.65 eV, is observed in the case of Ga-Cu co-doping. We observe a significant increase in the power factor (PF) (2.03 mW m-1 K-2) for the n-type carrier after Pb-doping, which is ∼3.5 times higher than in the pristine case (0.6 mW m -1 K-2) at 500 K.

Low dimensional materials for glucose sensing.

Biosensors are essential components for effective healthcare management. Since biological processes occur on molecular scales, nanomaterials and nanosensors intrinsically provide the most appropriate landscapes for developing biosensors. Low-dimensional materials have the advantage of offering high surface areas, increased reactivity and unique physicochemical properties for efficient and selective biosensing. So far, nanomaterials and nanodevices have offered significant prospects for glucose sensing. Targeted glucose biosensing using such low-dimensional materials enables much more effective monitoring of blood glucose levels, thus providing significantly better predictive diabetes diagnostics and management. In this review, recent advances in using low dimensional materials for sensing glucose are summarized. Sensing fundamentals are discussed, as well as invasive, minimally-invasive and non-invasive sensing methods. The effects of morphological characteristics and size-dependent properties of low dimensional materials are explored for glucose sensing, and the key performance parameters such as selectivity, stability and sensitivity are also discussed. Finally, the challenges and future opportunities that low dimensional materials can offer for glucose sensing are outlined.

Role of Oxygen Vacancy Ordering and Channel Formation in Tuning Intercalation Pseudocapacitance in Mo Single-Ion-Implanted CeO2-x Nanoflakes.

Metal oxide pseudocapacitors are limited by low electrical and ionic conductivities. The present work integrates defect engineering and architectural design to exhibit, for the first time, intercalation pseudocapacitance in CeO2-x. An engineered chronoamperometric electrochemical deposition is used to synthesize 2D CeO2-x nanoflakes as thin as ∼12 nm. Through simultaneous regulation of intrinsic and extrinsic defect concentrations, charge transfer and charge-discharge kinetics with redox and intercalation capacitances together are optimized, where reduction increases the gravimetric capacitance by 77% to 583 F g-1, exceeding the theoretical capacitance (562 F g-1). Mo ion implantation and reduction processes increase the specific capacitance by 133%, while the capacitance retention increases from 89 to 95%. The role of ion-implanted Mo6+ is critical through its interstitial solid solubility, which is not to alter the energy band diagram but to facilitate the generation of electrons and to establish the midgap states for color centers, which facilitate electron transfer across the band gap, thus enhancing n-type semiconductivity. Critically, density functional theory simulations reveal, for the first time, that the reduction causes the formation of ordered oxygen vacancies that provide an atomic channel for ion intercalation. These channels enable intercalation pseudocapacitance but also increase electrical and ionic conductivities. In addition, the associated increased active site density enhances the redox such that the 10% of the Ce3+ available for redox (surface only) increases to 35% by oxygen vacancy channels. These findings are critical for any oxide system used for energy storage systems, as they offer both architectural design and structural engineering of materials to maximize the capacitance performance by achieving accumulative surface redox and intercalation-based redox reactions during the charge/discharge process.

Synthesis of a metal-organic framework material, iron terephthalate, by ultrasound, microwave, and conventional electric heating: a kinetic study.

A metal-organic framework material named MIL-53(Fe), iron terephthalate, has been synthesized sovothermally at a relatively low temperature by not only conventional electric (CE) heating, but also by irradiation under ultrasound (US) and microwave (MW) conditions to gain an understanding of the accelerated syntheses induced by US and MW. The kinetics for nucleation and crystal growth were analyzed by measuring the crystallinity of MIL-53(Fe) under various conditions. The nucleation and crystal growth rates were estimated from crystallization curves of the change in crystallinity with reaction time. The activation energies and pre-exponential factors were calculated from Arrhenius plots. It was confirmed that the rate of crystallization (both nucleation and crystal growth) decreases in the order US>MW>>CE, and that the accelerated syntheses under US and MW conditions are due to increased pre-exponential factors rather than decreased activation energies. It is suggested that physical effects such as hot spots are more important than chemical effects in the accelerated syntheses induced by US and MW irradiation. The syntheses were also conducted in two steps to understand quantitatively the acceleration induced by MW and it was found that the acceleration in crystal growth is more important than the acceleration in nucleation, even though both processes are accelerated by MW irradiation.

Rapid syntheses of a metal-organic framework material Cu3(BTC)2(H2O)3 under microwave: a quantitative analysis of accelerated syntheses.

A typical MOF material, Cu-BTC has been synthesized with microwave and conventional electric heating in various conditions to elucidate, for the first time, the quantitative acceleration in the synthesis of a MOF by microwaves. The acceleration by microwaves is mainly due to rapid nucleation rather than rapid crystal growth, even though both stages are accelerated. The acceleration in the nucleation stage by microwaves is due to the very large pre-exponential factor (about 1.4 x 10(10) times that of conventional synthesis) in the Arrhenius plot. However, the activation energy for the nucleation in the case of microwave synthesis is higher than the activation energy of conventional synthesis. The large acceleration in the nucleation, compared with that in the crystal growth, is observed once again by the syntheses in two-steps (changing heating methods from microwave into conventional heating or from conventional heating into microwave heating just after the nucleation is completed). The crystal size of Cu-BTC obtained by microwave-nucleation is generally smaller than the Cu-BTC made by conventional-nucleation, probably due to rapid nucleation and the small size of nuclei with microwave-nucleation.

Electronic properties and low lattice thermal conductivity (κ l) of mono-layer (ML) MoS2: FP-LAPW incorporated with spin-orbit coupling (SOC).

This paper focuses on the electronic and thermoelectric properties of monolayer MoS2. Here, we have examined the structure of MoS2, in which the hole in the center of the hexagonal cage is considered as a void atom, termed 1H-MoS2. Density functional theory (DFT) employing the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) and spin-orbit coupling (SOC) has been used for all calculations. Incorporation of SOC resulted in a significant change in the profile of the band energy, specifically the splitting of the valence band maximum (VBM) into two sub-bands. The "split-off" energy is found to be ∼20.6 meV. The reduction of the band gap with SOC is a prominent feature at the K-K location in the Brillouin zone. The band gap calculated with the GGA is ∼1.75 eV. However, on implementation of SOC, the GGA band gap was reduced to ∼1.68 eV. The frequency-dependent phonon dispersion curve was obtained to analyse the thermodynamical stability. 1H-MoS2 is found to be thermodynamically stable with no imaginary frequency. We report a low value of lattice thermal conductivity (κ l) and low electron effective masses, which are desirable for potential applications in thermoelectric devices.

NLGP Attenuates Murine Melanoma and Carcinoma Metastasis by Modulating Cytotoxic CD8+ T Cells.

Neem leaf glycoprotein (NLGP), a natural immunomodulator, attenuates murine carcinoma and melanoma metastasis, independent of primary tumor growth and alterations in basic cellular properties (cell proliferation, cytokine secretion, etc.). Colonization event of invasion-metastasis cascade was primarily inhibited by NLGP, with no effect on metastasis-related invasion, migration, and extravasation. High infiltration of interferon γ (IFN-γ)-secreting cytotoxic CD8+ T cells [CD44+, CD69+, GranB+, IFN-γ+, and interleukin 2+] was documented in the metastatic site of NLGP-treated mice. Systemic CD8+ T cell depletion abolished NLGP-mediated metastasis inhibition and reappeared upon adoptive transfer of NLGP-activated CD8+ T cells. Interferon γ-secreting from CD8+ T cells inhibit the expression of angiogenesis regulatory vascular endothelial growth factor and transforming growth factor ß and have an impact on the prevention of colonization. Neem leaf glycoprotein modulates dendritic cells (DCs) for proper antigen presentation by its DC surface binding and upregulation of MHC-I/II, CD86, and CCR7. Neem leaf glycoprotein-treated DCs specifically imprint CXCR3 and CCR4 homing receptors on activated CD8+ T cells, which helps to infiltrate into metastatic sites to restrain colonization. Such NLGP's effect on DCs is translation dependent and transcription independent. Studies using ovalbumin, OVA257-264, and crude B16F10 antigen indicate MHC-I upregulation depends on the quantity of proteasome degradable peptide and only stimulates CD8+ T cells in the presence of antigen. Overall data suggest NLGP inhibits metastasis, in conjunction with tumor growth restriction, and thus might appear as a promising next-generation cancer immunotherapeutic.

Neem leaf glycoprotein directs T-bet-associated type 1 immune commitment.

Neem leaf glycoprotein (NLGP)-mediated immune activation and associated immune polarization was studied. NLGP-induced activation is reflected in upregulation of early activation marker CD69 on lymphocytes, monocytes, and dendritic cells. Activation is also denoted by CD45RO enhancement, with a decrease in CD45RA phenotype and CD62L (L-selectin). NLGP-activated T cells secrete greater amount of signature T-helper (Th)1 cytokines interferon-gamma and a lower amount of the Th2 cytokine interleukin (IL)-4. Similar type 1 directiveness is also observed in antigen-presenting monocytes and dendritic cells by upregulation of IL-12, tumor necrosis factor -alpha and downregulation of IL-10. Creation of the type 1 microenvironment is also assisted by NLGP-induced downregulation of FoxP3(+) T-Reg cells. A type 1-specific transcription factor, T-bet, is upregulated in circulating immune cells after their stimulation with NLGP. In the creation of type 1 immune network, increased phosphorylation of STAT1 and STAT4 with decreased phosphorylation of STAT3 might have significance. We conclude that NLGP may be effective in maintaining normal immune homeostasis by upregulating type 1 response in immunosuppressed hosts, which may have significant role in the induction of host protective antitumor functions.

Facile purification of porous metal terephthalates with ultrasonic treatment in the presence of amides.

A facile purification method for metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), especially the ones containing insoluble 1,4-benzenedicarboxylic acid (terephthalic acid) in the pore, has been suggested. The purification method consists of the treatment of the MOF with amides such as N,N-dimethylformamide, especially under ultrasound treatment. The purification is completed within 1 h at 70 degrees C as has been confirmed by XRD, nitrogen adsorption, FTIR and TGA measurements. The purification method proved to be simple, one-step, fast and energy-efficient. The MOFs purified by the proposed method show high surface area and micropore volume, confirming the efficiency of the method. The proposed method will lead to a new access to activate (for example, to remove carboxylic acids) MOFs that are unstable above around 100 degrees C. Additionally, the method may be used to transform a non-porous MOF-type material into a porous MOF structure. However, adequate solvents will be necessary for the facile purification of MOFs.

Association of early phase of colorectal carcinogenesis with STAT3 activation and its relevance in apoptosis regulation.

Expression of STAT3/pSTAT3 in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients of Indian origin was studied to assess its significance in early detection and apoptosis regulation. Colorectal tissues with malignant lesions were STAT3/pSTAT3 positive in 66% of the cases and among these positive cases, well differentiated, moderately differentiated and poorly differentiated cancers were 86%, 60% and 0% respectively. All CRC specimens studied were immunoreactive with anti-carcinoembryonic antigen antibody. Cells purified from CRC tissues exhibited greater STAT3/pSTAT3 reactivity than peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from healthy individuals, which served as control. apoptotic index (AI) was comparatively low in tissue specimens with STAT3/pSTAT3 expression. CRC cells with a comparatively less number of apoptotic cells, expressed a minimum number of Caspase-3 positive cells (4.73%), in comparison to healthy-PBMC (12.63%). CRC cells with high STAT3/pSTAT3 staining had cells with greater percentage of Bcl2 reactivity (23.05%), but less positivity with Caspase3 antibody (2.05%). Overall data suggests that CRC population was STAT3/pSTAT3 immunoreactive in a stage specific manner and STAT3 protects cancerous colorectal epithelial cells from apoptosis. Bcl-2, Cyclin D1 and Caspase-3 control the activity of apoptosis regulator, STAT3.