In vivo effects of a selected thiourea derivative 1-(2-chlorobenzoyl)-3-(2,3-dichlorophenyl) against nociception, inflammation and gastric ulcerogenicity: Biochemical, histopathological and in silico approaches.

The current study was designed to investigate the potential of a synthetic therapeutic agent for better management of pain and inflammation, exhibiting minimal to non-existent ulcerogenic effects. The effect of 1-(2-chlorobenzoyl)-3-(2,3-dichlorophenyl) thiourea was assessed through model systems of nociception and anti-inflammatory activities in mice. In addition, the ulcerogenic potential was evaluated in rats using the NSAID-induced pyloric ligation model, followed by histopathological and biochemical analysis. The test was conducted on eight groups of albino rats, comprising of group I (normal saline), groups II and III (aspirin® at doses of 100 mg/kg and 150 mg/kg, respectively), groups IV and V (indomethacin at doses of 100 mg/kg and 150 mg/kg, respectively), and groups VI, VII, and VIII (lead-compound at 15 mg/kg, 30 mg/kg and 45 mg/kg doses, respectively). Furthermore, molecular docking analyses were performed to predict potential molecular target site interactions. The results showed that the lead-compound, administered at doses of 15, 30, and 45 mg/kg, yielded significant reductions in chemically and thermally induced nociceptive pain, aligning with the levels observed for aspirin® and tramadol. The compound also effectively suppressed inflammatory response in the carrageenan-induced paw edema model. As for the ulcerogenic effects, the compound groups displayed no considerable alterations compared to the aspirin® and indomethacin groups, which displayed substantial increases in ulcer scores, total acidity, free acidity, and gastric juice volume, and a decrease in gastric juice pH. In conclusion, these findings suggest that our test compound exhibits potent antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory properties and is devoid of ulcerogenic effects.

Effects of Exercise-based Management on Motor Symptoms in Parkinson's Disease - A Meta-analysis.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurological illness after Alzheimer's disease. According to research, medication alone can give palliative alleviation; however, freezing of gait (FOG) and balance can be treated with physical therapy. This meta-analysis aims to bridge gaps about exercise-based therapy's impact on balance and FOG in patients with PD. Google Scholar, CINHAL, Medline, PubMed, and PEDro were searched for 2016-2021 citations using the PIOD paradigm. Pooled effect size mean and SD were analysed using a fixed and random effects model. A total of 21 trials were included in this review, with SMD=0.60 and p=0.0007 utilising BBS. The pooled analysis revealed statistically significant impacts on exercise-based management in the experimental group. With SMD=0.87 and p<0.00001 using Mini-BESTest, the pooled analysis revealed that exercise-based management was also effective on balance in the experimental group. The fixed effect model of FOG in terms of SMD was used to draw the pooled effects of FOG in terms of SMD and FOG in terms of SMD (0.21; 95 percent CI -0.01 to 0.44; p=0.06). According to this research, several physiotherapy approaches such as exergaming, gamepad systems, virtual reality, gait exercises, and core training, help Parkinson's patients regain balance and FOG. Key Words: Parkinson's disease, Physical therapy techniques, Neurological rehabilitation, Balance, Freezing of gait, Motor symptoms.

Physical and electrochemical properties of new structurally flexible imidazolium phosphate ionic liquids.

New structurally flexible 1-methyl- and 1,2-dimethyl-imidazolium phosphate ionic liquids (ILs) bearing oligoethers have been synthesized and thoroughly characterized. These novel ILs revealed high thermal stabilities, low glass transitions, high conductivity and wide electrochemical stability windows up to 6 V. Both the cations and anions of 1-methyl-imidazolium ILs diffuse faster than the ions of 1,2-dimethyl-imidazolium ILs, as determined by pulsed field gradient nuclear magnetic resonance (PFG-NMR). The 1-methyl-imidazolium phosphate ILs showed relatively higher ionic conductivities and ion diffusivity as compared with the 1,2-dimethyl-imidazolium phosphate ILs. As expected, the diffusivity of all the ions increases with an increase in the temperature. The 1-methyl-imidazolium phosphate ILs formed hydrogen bonds with the phosphate anions, the strength of which is decreased with increasing temperature, as confirmed by variable temperature 1H and 31P NMR spectroscopy. One of the representative IL, [EmDMIm][DEEP], presented promising elevated temperature performance as an electrolyte in a supercapacitor composed of multiwall carbon nanotubes and activated charcoal (MWCNT/AC) composite electrodes.

ZIF-12/Fe-Cu LDH Composite as a High Performance Electrocatalyst for Water Oxidation.

Layered double hydroxides (LDH) are being used as electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reactions (OERs). However, low current densities limit their practical applications. Herein, we report a facile and economic synthesis of an iron-copper based LDH integrated with a cobalt-based metal-organic framework (ZIF-12) to form LDH-ZIF-12 composite (1) through a co-precipitation method. The as-synthesized composite 1 requires a low overpotential of 337 mV to achieve a catalytic current density of 10 mA cm-2 with a Tafel slope of 89 mV dec-1. Tafel analysis further demonstrates that 1 exhibits a slope of 89 mV dec-1 which is much lower than the slope of 284 mV dec-1 for LDH and 172 mV dec-1 for ZIF-12. The slope value of 1 is also lower than previously reported electrocatalysts, including Ni-Co LDH (113 mV dec-1) and Zn-Co LDH nanosheets (101 mV dec-1), under similar conditions. Controlled potential electrolysis and stability test experiments show the potential application of 1 as a heterogeneous electrocatalyst for water oxidation.

Zinc-Coordination Polymer-Derived Porous Carbon-Supported Stable PtM Electrocatalysts for Methanol Oxidation Reaction.

Porous carbon (PC) is obtained by carbonizing a zinc-coordination polymer (MOF-5) at 950 °C and PtM (M = Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn) nanoparticles (NPs), which are deposited on PC using the polyol method. Structural and morphological characterizations of the synthesized materials are carried out by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and the porosity was determined using a N2 adsorption/desorption technique. The results revealed that PtM NPs are alloyed in the fcc phase and are well dispersed on the surface of PC. The electrochemical results show that PtM/PC 950 catalysts have higher methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) performances than commercial Pt/C (20%) catalysts. After 3000 s of chronoamperometry (CA) test, the MOR performances decreased in the order of Pt1Cu1/PC 950 > Pt1Ni1/PC 950 > Pt1Fe1/PC 950 > Pt1Zn1/PC 950 > Pt1Co1/PC 950. The high MOR activities of the synthesized catalysts are attributed to the effect of M on methanol dissociative chemisorption and improved tolerance of Pt against CO poisoning. The high specific surface area and porosity of the carbon support have an additional effect in boosting the MOR activities. Screening of the first row transition metals (d 5+n , n = 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) alloyed with Pt binary catalysts for MOR shows that Pt with d 8 (Ni) and d 9 (Cu) transition metals, in equivalent atomic ratios, are good anode catalysts for alcohol fuel cells.

Effect of Aromaticity in Anion on the Cation-Anion Interactions and Ionic Mobility in Fluorine-Free Ionic Liquids.

Ionic liquids (ILs) composed of tetra(n-butyl)phosphonium [P4444]+ and tetra(n-butyl)ammonium [N4444]+ cations paired with 2-furoate [FuA]-, tetrahydo-2-furoate [HFuA]-, and thiophene-2-carboxylate [TpA]- anions are prepared to investigate the effects of electron delocalization in anion and the mutual interactions between cations and anions on their physical and electrochemical properties. The [P4444]+ cations-based ILs are found to be liquids, while the [N4444]+ cations-based ILs are semi-solids at room temperature. Thermogravimetric analysis revealed higher decomposition temperatures and differential scanning calorimetry analysis showed lower glass transition temperatures for phosphonium-based ILs than the ammonium-based counterparts. The ILs are arranged in the decreasing order of their ionic conductivities as [P4444][HFuA] (0.069 mS cm-1) > [P4444][FuA] (0.032 mS cm-1) > [P4444][TpA] (0.028 mS cm-1) at 20 °C. The oxidative limit of the ILs followed the sequence of [FuA]-> [TpA]-> [HFuA]-, as measured by linear sweep voltammetry. This order can be attributed to the electrons' delocalization in [FuA]- and in [TpA]- aromatic anions, which has enhanced the oxidative limit potentials and the overall electrochemical stabilities.

Structural and Ion Dynamics in Fluorine-Free Oligoether Carboxylate Ionic Liquid-Based Electrolytes.

Here, we investigate the physicochemical and electrochemical properties of fluorine-free ionic liquid (IL)-based electrolytes with two different cations, tetrabutylphosphonium, (P4,4,4,4)+, and tetrabutylammonium, (N4,4,4,4)+, coupled to a new anion, 2-[2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethoxy]acetate anion (MEEA)-, for both neat and (P4,4,4,4)(MEEA) also doped with 10-40 mol % of Li(MEEA). We find relatively weaker cation-anion interactions in (P4,4,4,4)(MEEA) than in (N4,4,4,4)(MEEA), and for both ILs, the structural flexibility of the oligoether functionality in the anion results in low glass transition temperatures, also for the electrolytes made. The pulsed field gradient nuclear magnetic resonance (PFG NMR) data suggest faster diffusion of the (MEEA)- anion than (P4,4,4,4)+ cation in the neat IL, but the addition of a Li salt results in slightly lower mobility of the former than the latter and lower ionic conductivity. This agrees with the combined 7Li NMR and attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy data, which unambiguously reveal preferential interactions between the lithium cations and the carboxylate groups of the IL anions, which also increased as a function of the lithium salt concentration. In total, these systems provide a stepping stone for further design of fluorine-free and low glass transition temperature IL-based electrolytes and also stress how crucial it is to control the strength of ion-ion interactions.

Stable and Efficient PtRu Electrocatalysts Supported on Zn-BTC MOF Derived Microporous Carbon for Formic Acid Fuel Cells Application.

Highly efficient, well-dispersed PtRu alloy nanoparticles supported on high surface area microporous carbon (MPC) electrocatalysts, are prepared and tested for formic acid oxidation reaction (FAOR). The MPC is obtained by controlled carbonization of a zinc-benzenetricarboxylate metal-organic framework (Zn-BTC MOF) precursor at 950°C, and PtRu (30 wt.%) nanoparticles (NPs) are prepared and deposited via a polyol chemical reduction method. The structural and morphological characterization of the synthesized electrocatalysts is carried out using powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), an energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) technique, and gas adsorption analysis (BET). The FAOR performance of the catalysts is investigated through cyclic voltammetry (CV), chronoamperometry (CA), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). A correlation between high electrochemical surface area (ECSA) and high FAOR performance of the catalysts is observed. Among the materials employed, Pt1Ru2/MPC 950 with a high electrochemical surface area (25.3 m2 g-1) consequently showed superior activity of the FAOR (I r = 9.50 mA cm-2 and J m = 2,403 mA mg Pt - 1 ) at room temperature, with improved tolerance and stability toward carbonaceous species. The superior electrochemical performance, and tolerance to CO-poisoning and long-term stability is attributed to the high surface area carbon support (1,455 m2 g-1) and high percentage loading of ruthenium (20 wt.%). The addition of Ru promotes the efficiency of electrocatalyst by offering FAOR via a bifunctional mechanism.

Comparing the Thermal and Electrochemical Stabilities of Two Structurally Similar Ionic Liquids.

Here we focus on the thermal and variable temperature electrochemical stabilities of two ionic liquids (ILs) having a common tributyloctyl phosphonium cation [P4,4,4,8]+ and two different orthoborate anions: bis(mandelato)borate [BMB]- and bis(salicylato)borate [BScB]-. The thermo-gravimetric analysis data suggest that [P4,4,4,8][BScB] is thermally more stable than [P4,4,4,8][BMB] in both nitrogen atmosphere and air, while the impedance spectroscopy reveals that [P4,4,4,8][BScB] has higher ionic conductivity than [P4,4,4,8][BMB] over the whole studied temperature range. In contrast, the electrochemical studies confirm that [P4,4,4,8][BMB] is more stable and exhibits a wider electrochemical stability window (ESW) on a glassy carbon electrode surface as compared to [P4,4,4,8][BScB]. A continuous decrease in the ESWs of both ILs is observed as a function of operation temperature.

Electrocatalysts Derived from Metal-Organic Frameworks for Oxygen Reduction and Evolution Reactions in Aqueous Media.

Electrochemical energy conversion and storage devices such as fuel cells and metal-air batteries have been extensively studied in recent decades for their excellent conversion efficiency, high energy capacity, and low environmental impact. However, sluggish kinetics of the oxygen-related reactions at air cathodes, i.e., oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER), are still worth improving. Noble metals such as platinum (Pt), iridium (Ir), ruthenium (Ru) and their oxides are considered as the benchmark ORR and OER electrocatalysts, but they are expensive and prone to be poisoned due to the fuel crossover effect, and may suffer from agglomeration and leaching after long-term usage. To mitigate these limits, it is highly desirable to design alternative ORR/OER electrocatalysts with prominent performance. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are a class of porous crystalline materials consisting metal ions/clusters coordinated by organic ligands. Their crystalline structure, tunable pore size and high surface area afford them wide opportunities as catalytic materials. This Review covers MOF-derived ORR/OER catalysts in electrochemical energy conversion, with a focus on the different strategies of material design and preparation, such as composition control and nanostructure fabrication, to improve the activity and durability of MOF-derived electrocatalysts.

Fabrication of Highly Stable and Efficient PtCu Alloy Nanoparticles on Highly Porous Carbon for Direct Methanol Fuel Cells.

Boosting the durability of Pt nanoparticles by controlling the composition and morphology is extremely important for fuel cells commercialization. We deposit the Pt-Cu alloy nanoparticles over high surface area carbon in different metallic molar ratios and optimize the conditions to achieve desired material. The novel bimetallic electro-catalyst {Pt-Cu/PC-950 (15:15%)} offers exceptional electrocatalytic activity when tested for both oxygen reduction reaction and methanol oxidation reactions. A high mass activity of 0.043 mA/µgPt (based on Pt mass) is recorded for ORR. An outstanding longevity of this electro-catalyst is noticed when compared to 20 wt % Pt loaded either on PC-950 or commercial carbon. The high surface area carbon support offers enhanced activity and prevents the nanoparticles from agglomeration, migration, and dissolution as evident by TEM analysis.

Highly Porous Carbon Derived from MOF-5 as a Support of ORR Electrocatalysts for Fuel Cells.

The development of highly competent electrocatalysts for the sluggish oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) at cathodes of proton-exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) is extremely important for their long-term operation and wide applications. Herein, we present highly efficient ORR electrocatalysts based on Pt/Ni bimetallic nanoparticles dispersed on highly porous carbon obtained via pyrolysis of a metal-organic framework MOF-5. In comparison to the commercial Pt/C (20%), the electrocatalyst Pt-Ni/PC 950 (15:15%) in this study exhibits a pronounced positive shift of 90 mV in Eonset. In addition, it also demonstrates excellent long-term stability and durability during the 500-cycle continue-oxygen-supply (COS) accelerating durability tests (ADTs). The significantly improved activity and stability of Pt-Ni/PC 950 (15:15%) can be attributed to the Pt electron interaction with Ni and carbon support as has been proved in X-ray and microscopic analysis.

Fe/Fe3 C/N-Doped Carbon Materials from Metal-Organic Framework Composites as Highly Efficient Oxygen Reduction Reaction Electrocatalysts.

A series of Fe/Fe3 C-containing N-doped porous carbon materials (Fe/NC) were prepared by pyrolyzing composites that contained a metal-organic framework (MIL-88c-Fe) with dicyandiamide. The Fe/NC obtained at 800 °C (Fe/NC800) showed comparable onset potential and kinetics to that of the commercial Pt/C catalyst in catalyzing the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Further measurements suggested that it has better durability and much higher methanol tolerance than Pt/C. Acid leaching was performed to reveal the critical role of Fe-containing sites in ORR catalysis.