The energy resources mainly petroleum and petroleum hydrocarbons are major pollutants of the environment.The oil and oil products contamination may cause severe harm and hence,the attention has been remunerated in the...The energy resources mainly petroleum and petroleum hydrocarbons are major pollutants of the environment.The oil and oil products contamination may cause severe harm and hence,the attention has been remunerated in the development of alternative technologies for elimination of these contaminants.Biosurfactants were used in the remediation of oil pollution due to advantages such as biodegradability and low toxicity.The biosurfactants are produced from low cost substrates like agro-industrial wastes which reduce the cost of production.Biosurfactants and bioemulsifiers are amphiphilic compounds and are produced as extracellular or a part of the cell membrane by bacteria.The insight view,how hydrocarbons are degraded by microorganisms and thereby reduce the damage of ecosystem is highly essential to target the problem.Biofilms are the bacterial communities which protects the bacterial cells from various adverse conditions.The present review describes the biosurfactants and its synthesis from bacteria and also emphases on the role of surfactants in oil remediation.展开更多
AIM To identify potential anti-cancer constituents in natural extracts that inhibit cancer cell growth and migration. METHODS Our experiments used high dose thymoquinone (TQ) as an inhibitor to arrest LoVo (a human co...AIM To identify potential anti-cancer constituents in natural extracts that inhibit cancer cell growth and migration. METHODS Our experiments used high dose thymoquinone (TQ) as an inhibitor to arrest LoVo (a human colon adenocarcinoma cell line) cancer cell growth, which was detected by cell proliferation assay and immunoblotting assay. Low dose TQ did not significantly reduce LoVo cancer cell growth. Cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) is an enzyme that is involved in the conversion of arachidonic acid into prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in humans. PGE2 can promote COX-2 protein expression and tumor cell proliferation and was used as a control. RESULTS Our results showed that 20 mu mol/L TQ significantly reduced human LoVo colon cancer cell proliferation. TQ treatment reduced the levels of p-PI3K, p-Akt, p-GSK3 beta, and beta-catenin and thereby inhibited the downstream COX-2 expression. Results also showed that the reduction in COX-2 expression resulted in a reduction in PGE2 levels and the suppression of EP2 and EP4 activation. Further analysis showed that TG treatment inhibited the nuclear translocation of beta-catenin in LoVo cancer cells. The levels of the cofactors LEF-1 and TCF-4 were also decreased in the nucleus following TQ treatment in a dose-dependent manner. Treatment with low dose TQ inhibited the COX-2 expression at the transcriptional level and the regulation of COX-2 expression efficiently reduced LoVo cell migration. The results were further verified in vivo by confirming the effects of TQ and/or PGE2 using tumor xenografts in nude mice. CONCLUSION TQ inhibits LoVo cancer cell growth and migration, and this result highlights the therapeutic advantage of using TQ in combination therapy against colorectal cancer.展开更多
Objective:To assess the effect of quercetin(flavonoid) against lindane induced alterations in lipid profile of wistar rats.Methods:Rats were administered orally with lindane(100 mg/kg body weight) and quercetin(10 mg/...Objective:To assess the effect of quercetin(flavonoid) against lindane induced alterations in lipid profile of wistar rats.Methods:Rats were administered orally with lindane(100 mg/kg body weight) and quercetin(10 mg/kg body weight) for 30 days.After the end of treatment period lipid profile was estimated in serum and tissue.Results:Elevated levels of serum cholesterol, triglycerides,low density lipoprotein(LDL),very Low Density Lipoprotein(VLDL) and tissue triglycerides,cholesterol with concomitant decrease in serum HDL and tissue phospholipids were decreased in lindane treated rats were found to be significantly decreased in the quercetin and lindane co-treated rats.Conclusions:Our study suggests that quercetin has hypolipidemic effect and offers protection against lindane induced toxicity in liver by restoring the altered levels of lipids.The quercetin cotreatment along with lindane for 30 days reversed these biochemical alterations in lipids induced by lindane.展开更多
A low grade graphite ore from eastern India was beneficiated by flotation to improve its quality. The ore was composed of 87.80%ash and 8.59%fixed carbon. Primary coarse wet grinding （d80：186 μm） followed by rough...A low grade graphite ore from eastern India was beneficiated by flotation to improve its quality. The ore was composed of 87.80%ash and 8.59%fixed carbon. Primary coarse wet grinding （d80：186 μm） followed by rougher flotation in Denver flotation cell using diesel as collector and pine oil as frother yielded a rougher concentrate. Regrinding （d80：144 μm） of this rougher concentrate was opted for further libera-tion of graphite. It was followed by cleaning in laboratory flotation column. This combined process of relatively coarse primary grinding followed by regrinding and cleaning in flotation column resulted in final concentrate of 7.44% yield with 89.65% fixed carbon and 6.00% ash. This approach of two-stage grinding to recover the flake graphite at the coarsest possible grind can help to minimize grinding energy costs. A conceptual flow sheet which is cost effective was developed based on this methodology.展开更多
With graphite currently leading as the most viable anode for potassium-ion batteries(KIBs),other materials have been left relatively underexamined.Transition metal oxides are among these,with many positive attributes ...With graphite currently leading as the most viable anode for potassium-ion batteries(KIBs),other materials have been left relatively underexamined.Transition metal oxides are among these,with many positive attributes such as synthetic maturity,longterm cycling stability and fast redox kinetics.Therefore,to address this research deficiency we report herein a layered potassium titanium niobate KTiNbO5(KTNO)and its rGO nanocomposite(KTNO/rGO)synthesised via solvothermal methods as a high-performance anode for KIBs.Through effective distribution across the electrically conductive rGO,the electrochemical performance of the KTNO nanoparticles was enhanced.The potassium storage performance of the KTNO/rGO was demonstrated by its first charge capacity of 128.1 mAh g^(−1) and reversible capacity of 97.5 mAh g^(−1) after 500 cycles at 20 mA g^(−1),retaining 76.1%of the initial capacity,with an exceptional rate performance of 54.2 mAh g^(−1)at 1 A g^(−1).Furthermore,to investigate the attributes of KTNO in-situ XRD was performed,indicating a low-strain material.Ex-situ X-ray photoelectron spectra further investigated the mechanism of charge storage,with the titanium showing greater redox reversibility than the niobium.This work suggests this lowstrain nature is a highly advantageous property and well worth regarding KTNO as a promising anode for future high-performance KIBs.展开更多
A simple and rapid liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric(LC-MS/MS) assay method has been developed and fully validated for simultaneous quantification of pioglitazone and candesartan in human plasma.Irbesart...A simple and rapid liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric(LC-MS/MS) assay method has been developed and fully validated for simultaneous quantification of pioglitazone and candesartan in human plasma.Irbesartan was used as an internal standard.The analytes were extracted from human plasma samples by solid-phase extraction technique using a Strata-X 33 mm polymeric sorbent.The reconstituted samples were chromatographed on a C18 column by using a 80:20(v/v) mixture of acetonitrile and 0.1% formic acid as the mobile phase at a flow rate of 0.8 mL/min.The calibration curves obtained were linear(rZ0.99) over the concentration range of 15-3000 ng/mL for pioglitazone and 5-608 ng/mL for candesartan.The results of the intra-and inter-day precision and accuracy studies were well within the acceptable limits.A run time of 2.7 min for each sample made it possible to analyze more than 300 plasma samples per day.The proposed method was found to be applicable to clinical studies.展开更多
Beneficiation of non-coking coal is gaining ground in India. It not only reduces the volume of inert content to be transported to the power plant and also lowers the wear in the boiler houses. For special applications...Beneficiation of non-coking coal is gaining ground in India. It not only reduces the volume of inert content to be transported to the power plant and also lowers the wear in the boiler houses. For special applications such as the fuel for integrated gasification combined cycle plant （IGCC）, the ash content in the coal should preferably be below 15 %. Indian coals are characterized by high inter-grown ash content mainly due to ＇drift origin＇ of Gondwana formation in Permian age. This warrants fine grinding of non-coking coal in order to liberate the ash forming minerals from coal macerals. A non- coking coal sample of vitrinite type from India was ground to 44 ~tm （dso） and subjected to column flotation to improve its quality. The non-coking coal analyzing 34.6 % ash, 26.2 % volatile matter, 1.3 % moisture and 37.9 % fixed carbon could be upgraded to a concentrate/froth of 14.83 % ash at 72.18 % yield by optimizing collector and frother dosages and flotation column operating parameters, namely, froth depth, superficial feed velocity and superficial air velocity. The concentrate produced by this process is suitable as fuel for IGCC in coal-to-electricity route.展开更多
Objective:To investigate the hepatoprotective activity of methanolic leaf extract of Cyathea gigantea(C.gigantea)against paracetamol induced liver damage in rats.Methods:The hepatoprotective activity for plant extract...Objective:To investigate the hepatoprotective activity of methanolic leaf extract of Cyathea gigantea(C.gigantea)against paracetamol induced liver damage in rats.Methods:The hepatoprotective activity for plant extract was investigated for paracetamol induced hepatoxicity in rats.Wislar albino rats of either sex were divided into five groups of 6 animals each and are given orally the following treatment for seven days.The normal control group was given 1%Na.CMC 1mL/kg bw,p.o.Paracetamol at dose of 1g/kg bw,p.o.was given as toxic dose for inducing hepatoloxicity.Silymarin(50mg/kg.p.o.) was given as reference standard.Two doses of C. gigantea extract i.e.,100 mg/kg.p.o.and 200 mg/kg,p.o.were tested for hepatoprotective activity. The treatment was given for seven days and after 24 h of last treatment blood was collected from retro-orbital plexus and analysed for various serum parameters like serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase(SGOT),serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase(SGPT),alkaline phosphatase(ALP),total bilirubin(TB)and total protein(TP)in different groups.Results:The paracetamol intoxication lead to histological and biochemical deteriorations.The treatment with methanolic leaf extract of C.gigantea reduced the elevated levels of SCOT,SGPT,ALP,TB and also reversed the hepatic damage towards normal which further supports the hepatoprotective activity of leaf extract of C.gigantea.Conclusions:The methanolic extract of leaves of C.gigantea at doses of 100 mg/kg bw and 200 mg/kg bw have significant effect on liver of paracetamol induced hepatotoxicity model in rats.展开更多
A novel self-assembled pure and Mg doped ZnO nano-particles （NPs） were successfully synthesized by a simple low temperature co-precipitation method. The prepared photocatalysts were characterized by X-ray diffractio...A novel self-assembled pure and Mg doped ZnO nano-particles （NPs） were successfully synthesized by a simple low temperature co-precipitation method. The prepared photocatalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction, high resolution scanning electron mi- croscopy, high resolution transmission electron microscopy, diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and photoluminescence （PL） spectroscopy. The results indicated that the prepared photocatalysts showed high crystallinity with a uniform size distribution of the NPs. The degradation of cholorphenols is highly mandatory in today＇s scenario as they are affecting the environment adversely. Thus, the photocatalytic degradation of 4-chlorophenol （4-CP）, a potent endocrine disrupting chemical in aqueous medium was investigated by both pure and Mg-doped ZnO NPs under UV-light irradiation in the present study. The influence of the Mg content on the structure, morphology, PL character and photocatalytic activity of ZnO NPs were investigated systematically. Furthermore,the effect of different parameters such as 4-CP concentration, photocatalyst amount, pH and UV-light wavelength on the resulting photocatalytic activity was investigated.展开更多
Based on μ-, T- and H-dependent pairing and number equations and the premise that μ(T) is predominantly the cause of the variation of the upper critical field H<sub>c</sub><sub>2</sub>(T), wh...Based on μ-, T- and H-dependent pairing and number equations and the premise that μ(T) is predominantly the cause of the variation of the upper critical field H<sub>c</sub><sub>2</sub>(T), where μ, T and H denote the chemical potential, temperature and the applied field, respectively, we provide in this paper fits to the empirical H<sub>c</sub><sub>2</sub>(T) data of H<sub>3</sub>S reported by Mozaffari, et al. (2019) and deal with the issue of whether or not H<sub>3</sub>S exhibits the Meissner effect. Employing a variant of the template given by Dogan and Cohen (2021), we examine in detail the results of Hirsch and Marsiglio (2022) who have claimed that H<sub>3</sub>S does not exhibit the Meissner effect and Minkov, et al. (2023) who have claimed that it does. We are thus led to suggest that monitoring the chemical potential (equivalently, the number density of Cooper pairs N<sub>s</sub> at T = T<sub>c</sub>) should shed new light on the issue being addressed.展开更多
Excellent fits were obtained by Talantsev (MPLB 33, 1950195, 2019) to the temperature (T)-dependent upper critical field (H<sub>c</sub><sub>2</sub>(T)) data of H<sub>3</sub>S report...Excellent fits were obtained by Talantsev (MPLB 33, 1950195, 2019) to the temperature (T)-dependent upper critical field (H<sub>c</sub><sub>2</sub>(T)) data of H<sub>3</sub>S reported by Mozaffari et al. [Nature Communications 10, 2522 (2019)] by employing four alternative phenomenological models, each of which invoked two or more properties from its sample-specific set S<sub>1</sub> = {T<sub>c</sub>, gap, coherence length, penetration depth, jump in sp.ht.} and a single value of the effective mass (m*) of an electron. Based on the premise that the variation of H<sub>c</sub><sub>2</sub>(T) is due to the variation of the chemical potential μ(T), we report here fits to the same data by employing a T-, μ- and m*-dependent equation for H<sub>c</sub><sub>2</sub>(T) and three models of μ(T), viz. the linear, the parabolic and the concave-upward model. For temperatures up to which the data are available, each of these provides a good fit. However, for lower values of T, their predictions differ. Notably, the predicted values of H<sub>c</sub><sub>2</sub>(0) are much higher than in any of the models dealt with by Talantsev. In sum, we show here that the addressed data are explicable in a framework comprising the set S<sub>2</sub> = {μ, m*, interaction parameter λ<sub>m</sub>, Landau index N<sub>L</sub>}, which is altogether different from S<sub>1</sub>.展开更多
Objective: The main aim of the survey was to assess diabetes treatment-related myths prevalent in the Indian population and if COVID-19 pandemic improved their knowledge about diabetes. Results: The survey was complet...Objective: The main aim of the survey was to assess diabetes treatment-related myths prevalent in the Indian population and if COVID-19 pandemic improved their knowledge about diabetes. Results: The survey was completed by 309 participants;66% did not have diabetes. The responses of people with diabetes and those without diabetes were similar. Survey results of the total population showed that the majority believed that diabetes treatment should start early (92.6%);87.4% believed that the treatment should start within three months of diagnosis with modern medicines;67.3% of the participants felt that allopathic medicines for diabetes were safe, 69.6% believed that if started these medications continue lifelong, and 40.5% thought they damaged all major organs. Insulin was thought to be safe by 65% of the surveyed population;60.8% believed that if they started insulin, they would need it life-long;51.5% thought that insulin was started at the last stage of diabetes;and 58.6% believed that insulin caused kidney damage. A total of 58.6% believed that herbal medicines for diabetes were safer than allopathic;76.4% did not believe that the “diabetic cure” shown through television/newspapers was safe and effective;67.3% did not believe that ayurvedic medicines cured diabetes. Of the surveyed population, 67% felt that their knowledge about diabetes improved during the pandemic and 89.3% knew that PWDs have more serious problems with covid infection. Conclusions: Our survey shows that many diabetes treatment-related myths are prevalent in the Indian population even though the COVID-19 pandemic improved their knowledge about diabetes.展开更多
Food allergy is a significant public health concern globally.Certain probiotics have been found to enhance food allergy by regulating immune-microbe interactions in animal models and patients.However,the effects of Bi...Food allergy is a significant public health concern globally.Certain probiotics have been found to enhance food allergy by regulating immune-microbe interactions in animal models and patients.However,the effects of Bifidobacterium lactis Probio-M8 on food allergy have not been thoroughly investigated.The present study examined the anti-allergic properties of Probio-M8,particularly in relation to immune response and gut microbiota composition.Results demonstrate that oral administration of Probio-M8 effectively mitigated the allergy symptoms triggered by ovalbumin(OVA)by ameliorating the morphological damage in the jejunum,reducing OVA-specific IgE and histamine levels in the serum,and suppressing Th2 cytokines(interleukin(IL)4 and IL-13)while increasing Th1 cytokines(interferon(IFN)γ)and regulatory T(Treg)cytokines(IL-10 and transforming growth factor(TGF)β1)in the culture supernatants of splenic cells.Furthermore,Probio-M8 effectively altered the diversity and composition of gut microbiota,particularly the relative abundances of Akkermansia_muciniphila in OVA-induced mice.Compared to the OVA group,the Probio-M8 group showed a decrease in the relative abundance of Akkermansia_muciniphila.In conclusion,Probio-M8 demonstrates the potential to alleviate food allergy by regulating the Th1/Th2 response and modulating gut microbiota,thereby offering a novel therapeutic strategy for patients with food allergy.展开更多
A series of coumarin-derived azolyl ethanols including imidazolyl,triazolyl,tetrazolyl,benzotriazolyl,thiol-imidazolyl and thiol-triazolyl ones were conveniently synthesized and characterized by IR,~1H NMR,^(13)C NMR ...A series of coumarin-derived azolyl ethanols including imidazolyl,triazolyl,tetrazolyl,benzotriazolyl,thiol-imidazolyl and thiol-triazolyl ones were conveniently synthesized and characterized by IR,~1H NMR,^(13)C NMR and high-resolution mass spectra(HRMS) spectra.Some of the prepared compounds showed appropriate logP_(ow) values and effective antibacterial and antifungal activities.Noticeably,compound 14 with bis-triazolyl ethanol group exhibited low minimal inhibitory concentration(MIC)value of 8 μg/mL against MRSA,which was comparable or even superior to reference drugs Norfloxacin(MIC=8μg/mL)and Chloramphenicol(MIC=16μg/mL).It could also effectively inhibit the growth of the tested fungal strains compared to Fluconazole.Further binding studies of coumarin 14 with calf thymus DNA were investigated by UV-Vis absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy.It was found that compound 14 could interact with calf thymus DNA by groove binding to form14-DNA complex via both hydrogen bonds and van der Waals force,which might be the factor to exert the powerful antimicrobial activity.展开更多
In the urban atmosphere of Bengaluru, various volatile organic compounds(VOCs), particularly Benzene,Toluene, Ethylbenzene, and Xylene(BTEX), have shown an increasing trend in concentration. The present research was c...In the urban atmosphere of Bengaluru, various volatile organic compounds(VOCs), particularly Benzene,Toluene, Ethylbenzene, and Xylene(BTEX), have shown an increasing trend in concentration. The present research was conducted during summer and monsoon seasons, focusing on Kadubeesanahalli, a high-traffic area within the Bengaluru Metropolitan City. Hourly sample data was collected using a BTEX analyzer(Model GC955-600) and subsequently transformed into daily, monthly, and seasonal values. The study revealed distinct patterns in benzene concentrations. Benzene levels were lowest during the early morning hours, specifically from 1:00 a.m.to 7:00 a.m.. Concentrations then increased from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and again from 4:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.,corresponding to the morning and evening peak traffic hours. However, between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., the concentration decreased due to reduced traffic levels. These diurnal variations in benzene concentration are influenced by meteorological parameters. Comparing the two seasons, higher concentrations of Benzene, EthylBenzene, and MP-xylene were observed during the summer season. This increase is attributed to the elevated temperatures during summer, which promote the vaporization of BTEX compounds. Conversely, lower BTEX concentrations were recorded during the monsoon season due to the wet deposition process. The observed positive correlation(r > 0.5) among BTEX parameters strongly suggests a common source, most likely originating from vehicular emissions.展开更多
Effective waste management is a major challenge for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) like Maldives due to limited land availability. Maldives exemplifies these issues as one of the most geographically dispersed c...Effective waste management is a major challenge for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) like Maldives due to limited land availability. Maldives exemplifies these issues as one of the most geographically dispersed countries, with a population unevenly distributed across numerous islands varying greatly in size and population density. This study provides an in-depth analysis of the unique waste management practices across different regions of Maldives in relation to its natural and socioeconomic context. Data shows Maldives has one of the highest population density and per capita waste generation among SIDS, despite its small land area and medium GDP per capita. Large disparities exist between the densely populated capital Male’ with only 5.8 km2 area generating 63% of waste and the ~194 scattered outer islands with ad hoc waste management practices. Given Male’s dense population and high calorific waste, incineration could generate up to ~30 GW/a energy and even increase Maldives’ renewable energy supply by 200%. In contrast, decentralized anaerobic digestion presents an optimal solution for outer islands to reduce waste volume while providing over 40%–100% energy supply for daily cooking in local families. This timely study delivers valuable insights into designing context-specific waste-to-energy systems and integrated waste policies tailored to Maldives’ distinct regions. The framework presented can also guide other SIDS facing similar challenges as Maldives in establishing sustainable, ecologically sound waste management strategies.展开更多
Contact binaries at various stages of evolution unveil various operating mechanisms that drive them.We report the photometric and period variation analysis of two contact binaries EV Cnc and AH Cnc in open cluster M67...Contact binaries at various stages of evolution unveil various operating mechanisms that drive them.We report the photometric and period variation analysis of two contact binaries EV Cnc and AH Cnc in open cluster M67.We observed the cluster from the JCBT 1.3 m telescope and utilized TESS and Kepler observations.The photometric solutions of EV Cnc and AH Cnc revealed a mass ratio of q~0.41 and~0.15 with an inclination of i=42°and87°respectively.These solutions suggest that EV Cnc is probably a semi-detached and AH Cnc is a deep low-mass ratio contact binary.The study of O-C variation analysis indicates that for both systems,the period is increasing which suggests the mass transfer is occurring from secondary to primary.In the case of AH Cnc and based on simulations by randomly varying the time of minima to fit the LITE solution,we noted the third body orbital period to be around P_(3)=26.82±2.54 yr,which is different from earlier reported values and conclude that future observations are required to confirm this scenario.We compare these two systems with other similar contact binaries to get an estimate of the final configuration of the respective systems.展开更多
The novel zirconium oxide, nickel oxide and zinc oxide nanoparticles supported activated carbons（Zr-AC, Ni-AC, Zn-AC） were successfully fabricated through microwave irradiation method. The synthesized nanoparticles ...The novel zirconium oxide, nickel oxide and zinc oxide nanoparticles supported activated carbons（Zr-AC, Ni-AC, Zn-AC） were successfully fabricated through microwave irradiation method. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized using XRD, HR-SEM, XPS and BET. The optical properties of Zr-AC, Ni-AC and Zn-AC composites were investigated using UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The photocatalytic efficiency was verified in the degradation of textile dyeing wastewater（TDW） in UV light irradiation. The chemical oxygen demand（COD） of TDW was observed at regular intervals to calculate the removal rate of COD. Zn-AC composites showed impressive photocatalytic enrichment, which can be ascribed to the enhanced absorbance in the UV light region, the effective adsorptive capacity to dye molecules, the assisted charge transfer and the inhibited recombination of electron-hole pairs. The maximum TDW degradation（82% COD removal） was achieved with Zn-AC. A possible synergy mechanism on the surface of Zn-AC was also designed. Zn-AC could be reused five times without exceptional loss of its activity.展开更多
Nanostructured ZnO and CuO, and coupled oxides, i.e., ZnCu, Zn2Cu, and ZnCu2, with ZnO:CuO molar ratios of 1:1, 2:1, and 1:2, respectively, were successfully prepared through a simple, one-step, microwave-assisted ure...Nanostructured ZnO and CuO, and coupled oxides, i.e., ZnCu, Zn2Cu, and ZnCu2, with ZnO:CuO molar ratios of 1:1, 2:1, and 1:2, respectively, were successfully prepared through a simple, one-step, microwave-assisted urea–nitrate combustion synthesis, without the use of organic solvents or surfactants. The prepared samples were characterized using X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The optical absorption of Zn O extended into the visible region after CuO loading. The photocatalytic activities of ZnO, CuO, and the coupled oxides were evaluated based on photodegradation of 2,4-dichlorophenol under visible-light irradiation. The coupled metal oxide Zn2Cu showed the best photocatalytic activity; this was mainly attributed to the extended photoresponsive range and the increased charge separation rate in the nanocomposite. The photocatalytic degradation process obeyed pseudo-first-order kinetics. The results suggest that the coupled metal oxide Zn2Cu has potential applications as an efficient catalytic material with high efficiency and recyclability for the photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants in aqueous solution under visible-light irradiation.展开更多
基金The authors would like to acknowledge the support of VFSTR(Deemed to be University),Guntur,India.
文摘The energy resources mainly petroleum and petroleum hydrocarbons are major pollutants of the environment.The oil and oil products contamination may cause severe harm and hence,the attention has been remunerated in the development of alternative technologies for elimination of these contaminants.Biosurfactants were used in the remediation of oil pollution due to advantages such as biodegradability and low toxicity.The biosurfactants are produced from low cost substrates like agro-industrial wastes which reduce the cost of production.Biosurfactants and bioemulsifiers are amphiphilic compounds and are produced as extracellular or a part of the cell membrane by bacteria.The insight view,how hydrocarbons are degraded by microorganisms and thereby reduce the damage of ecosystem is highly essential to target the problem.Biofilms are the bacterial communities which protects the bacterial cells from various adverse conditions.The present review describes the biosurfactants and its synthesis from bacteria and also emphases on the role of surfactants in oil remediation.
基金Supported by (in part) the Taiwan Ministry of Health and Welfare Clinical Trial and Research Center of Excellence,No.MOHW105-TDU-B-212-133019
文摘AIM To identify potential anti-cancer constituents in natural extracts that inhibit cancer cell growth and migration. METHODS Our experiments used high dose thymoquinone (TQ) as an inhibitor to arrest LoVo (a human colon adenocarcinoma cell line) cancer cell growth, which was detected by cell proliferation assay and immunoblotting assay. Low dose TQ did not significantly reduce LoVo cancer cell growth. Cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) is an enzyme that is involved in the conversion of arachidonic acid into prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in humans. PGE2 can promote COX-2 protein expression and tumor cell proliferation and was used as a control. RESULTS Our results showed that 20 mu mol/L TQ significantly reduced human LoVo colon cancer cell proliferation. TQ treatment reduced the levels of p-PI3K, p-Akt, p-GSK3 beta, and beta-catenin and thereby inhibited the downstream COX-2 expression. Results also showed that the reduction in COX-2 expression resulted in a reduction in PGE2 levels and the suppression of EP2 and EP4 activation. Further analysis showed that TG treatment inhibited the nuclear translocation of beta-catenin in LoVo cancer cells. The levels of the cofactors LEF-1 and TCF-4 were also decreased in the nucleus following TQ treatment in a dose-dependent manner. Treatment with low dose TQ inhibited the COX-2 expression at the transcriptional level and the regulation of COX-2 expression efficiently reduced LoVo cell migration. The results were further verified in vivo by confirming the effects of TQ and/or PGE2 using tumor xenografts in nude mice. CONCLUSION TQ inhibits LoVo cancer cell growth and migration, and this result highlights the therapeutic advantage of using TQ in combination therapy against colorectal cancer.
基金the UGC SAP DRS(Under Graduate students research orientation programme) sponsored by the University Grants Commission,New Delhiwhich supported the present work
文摘Objective:To assess the effect of quercetin(flavonoid) against lindane induced alterations in lipid profile of wistar rats.Methods:Rats were administered orally with lindane(100 mg/kg body weight) and quercetin(10 mg/kg body weight) for 30 days.After the end of treatment period lipid profile was estimated in serum and tissue.Results:Elevated levels of serum cholesterol, triglycerides,low density lipoprotein(LDL),very Low Density Lipoprotein(VLDL) and tissue triglycerides,cholesterol with concomitant decrease in serum HDL and tissue phospholipids were decreased in lindane treated rats were found to be significantly decreased in the quercetin and lindane co-treated rats.Conclusions:Our study suggests that quercetin has hypolipidemic effect and offers protection against lindane induced toxicity in liver by restoring the altered levels of lipids.The quercetin cotreatment along with lindane for 30 days reversed these biochemical alterations in lipids induced by lindane.
文摘A low grade graphite ore from eastern India was beneficiated by flotation to improve its quality. The ore was composed of 87.80%ash and 8.59%fixed carbon. Primary coarse wet grinding （d80：186 μm） followed by rougher flotation in Denver flotation cell using diesel as collector and pine oil as frother yielded a rougher concentrate. Regrinding （d80：144 μm） of this rougher concentrate was opted for further libera-tion of graphite. It was followed by cleaning in laboratory flotation column. This combined process of relatively coarse primary grinding followed by regrinding and cleaning in flotation column resulted in final concentrate of 7.44% yield with 89.65% fixed carbon and 6.00% ash. This approach of two-stage grinding to recover the flake graphite at the coarsest possible grind can help to minimize grinding energy costs. A conceptual flow sheet which is cost effective was developed based on this methodology.
基金Y.X.acknowledges the financial support of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council(EP/X000087/1,EP/V000152/1)Leverhulme Trust(RPG-2021-138)Royal Society(IEC\NSFC\223016).
文摘With graphite currently leading as the most viable anode for potassium-ion batteries(KIBs),other materials have been left relatively underexamined.Transition metal oxides are among these,with many positive attributes such as synthetic maturity,longterm cycling stability and fast redox kinetics.Therefore,to address this research deficiency we report herein a layered potassium titanium niobate KTiNbO5(KTNO)and its rGO nanocomposite(KTNO/rGO)synthesised via solvothermal methods as a high-performance anode for KIBs.Through effective distribution across the electrically conductive rGO,the electrochemical performance of the KTNO nanoparticles was enhanced.The potassium storage performance of the KTNO/rGO was demonstrated by its first charge capacity of 128.1 mAh g^(−1) and reversible capacity of 97.5 mAh g^(−1) after 500 cycles at 20 mA g^(−1),retaining 76.1%of the initial capacity,with an exceptional rate performance of 54.2 mAh g^(−1)at 1 A g^(−1).Furthermore,to investigate the attributes of KTNO in-situ XRD was performed,indicating a low-strain material.Ex-situ X-ray photoelectron spectra further investigated the mechanism of charge storage,with the titanium showing greater redox reversibility than the niobium.This work suggests this lowstrain nature is a highly advantageous property and well worth regarding KTNO as a promising anode for future high-performance KIBs.
文摘A simple and rapid liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric(LC-MS/MS) assay method has been developed and fully validated for simultaneous quantification of pioglitazone and candesartan in human plasma.Irbesartan was used as an internal standard.The analytes were extracted from human plasma samples by solid-phase extraction technique using a Strata-X 33 mm polymeric sorbent.The reconstituted samples were chromatographed on a C18 column by using a 80:20(v/v) mixture of acetonitrile and 0.1% formic acid as the mobile phase at a flow rate of 0.8 mL/min.The calibration curves obtained were linear(rZ0.99) over the concentration range of 15-3000 ng/mL for pioglitazone and 5-608 ng/mL for candesartan.The results of the intra-and inter-day precision and accuracy studies were well within the acceptable limits.A run time of 2.7 min for each sample made it possible to analyze more than 300 plasma samples per day.The proposed method was found to be applicable to clinical studies.
文摘Beneficiation of non-coking coal is gaining ground in India. It not only reduces the volume of inert content to be transported to the power plant and also lowers the wear in the boiler houses. For special applications such as the fuel for integrated gasification combined cycle plant （IGCC）, the ash content in the coal should preferably be below 15 %. Indian coals are characterized by high inter-grown ash content mainly due to ＇drift origin＇ of Gondwana formation in Permian age. This warrants fine grinding of non-coking coal in order to liberate the ash forming minerals from coal macerals. A non- coking coal sample of vitrinite type from India was ground to 44 ~tm （dso） and subjected to column flotation to improve its quality. The non-coking coal analyzing 34.6 % ash, 26.2 % volatile matter, 1.3 % moisture and 37.9 % fixed carbon could be upgraded to a concentrate/froth of 14.83 % ash at 72.18 % yield by optimizing collector and frother dosages and flotation column operating parameters, namely, froth depth, superficial feed velocity and superficial air velocity. The concentrate produced by this process is suitable as fuel for IGCC in coal-to-electricity route.
基金Supported by University Grants Commission.(No.Fdb/Pharmacy/C6102/2008-2010/5162)
文摘Objective:To investigate the hepatoprotective activity of methanolic leaf extract of Cyathea gigantea(C.gigantea)against paracetamol induced liver damage in rats.Methods:The hepatoprotective activity for plant extract was investigated for paracetamol induced hepatoxicity in rats.Wislar albino rats of either sex were divided into five groups of 6 animals each and are given orally the following treatment for seven days.The normal control group was given 1%Na.CMC 1mL/kg bw,p.o.Paracetamol at dose of 1g/kg bw,p.o.was given as toxic dose for inducing hepatoloxicity.Silymarin(50mg/kg.p.o.) was given as reference standard.Two doses of C. gigantea extract i.e.,100 mg/kg.p.o.and 200 mg/kg,p.o.were tested for hepatoprotective activity. The treatment was given for seven days and after 24 h of last treatment blood was collected from retro-orbital plexus and analysed for various serum parameters like serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase(SGOT),serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase(SGPT),alkaline phosphatase(ALP),total bilirubin(TB)and total protein(TP)in different groups.Results:The paracetamol intoxication lead to histological and biochemical deteriorations.The treatment with methanolic leaf extract of C.gigantea reduced the elevated levels of SCOT,SGPT,ALP,TB and also reversed the hepatic damage towards normal which further supports the hepatoprotective activity of leaf extract of C.gigantea.Conclusions:The methanolic extract of leaves of C.gigantea at doses of 100 mg/kg bw and 200 mg/kg bw have significant effect on liver of paracetamol induced hepatotoxicity model in rats.
基金the financial support rendered by University Grants Commission(UGC)(Ref.F.No.38-118/2009(SR)),New Delhi
文摘A novel self-assembled pure and Mg doped ZnO nano-particles （NPs） were successfully synthesized by a simple low temperature co-precipitation method. The prepared photocatalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction, high resolution scanning electron mi- croscopy, high resolution transmission electron microscopy, diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and photoluminescence （PL） spectroscopy. The results indicated that the prepared photocatalysts showed high crystallinity with a uniform size distribution of the NPs. The degradation of cholorphenols is highly mandatory in today＇s scenario as they are affecting the environment adversely. Thus, the photocatalytic degradation of 4-chlorophenol （4-CP）, a potent endocrine disrupting chemical in aqueous medium was investigated by both pure and Mg-doped ZnO NPs under UV-light irradiation in the present study. The influence of the Mg content on the structure, morphology, PL character and photocatalytic activity of ZnO NPs were investigated systematically. Furthermore,the effect of different parameters such as 4-CP concentration, photocatalyst amount, pH and UV-light wavelength on the resulting photocatalytic activity was investigated.
文摘Based on μ-, T- and H-dependent pairing and number equations and the premise that μ(T) is predominantly the cause of the variation of the upper critical field H<sub>c</sub><sub>2</sub>(T), where μ, T and H denote the chemical potential, temperature and the applied field, respectively, we provide in this paper fits to the empirical H<sub>c</sub><sub>2</sub>(T) data of H<sub>3</sub>S reported by Mozaffari, et al. (2019) and deal with the issue of whether or not H<sub>3</sub>S exhibits the Meissner effect. Employing a variant of the template given by Dogan and Cohen (2021), we examine in detail the results of Hirsch and Marsiglio (2022) who have claimed that H<sub>3</sub>S does not exhibit the Meissner effect and Minkov, et al. (2023) who have claimed that it does. We are thus led to suggest that monitoring the chemical potential (equivalently, the number density of Cooper pairs N<sub>s</sub> at T = T<sub>c</sub>) should shed new light on the issue being addressed.
文摘Excellent fits were obtained by Talantsev (MPLB 33, 1950195, 2019) to the temperature (T)-dependent upper critical field (H<sub>c</sub><sub>2</sub>(T)) data of H<sub>3</sub>S reported by Mozaffari et al. [Nature Communications 10, 2522 (2019)] by employing four alternative phenomenological models, each of which invoked two or more properties from its sample-specific set S<sub>1</sub> = {T<sub>c</sub>, gap, coherence length, penetration depth, jump in sp.ht.} and a single value of the effective mass (m*) of an electron. Based on the premise that the variation of H<sub>c</sub><sub>2</sub>(T) is due to the variation of the chemical potential μ(T), we report here fits to the same data by employing a T-, μ- and m*-dependent equation for H<sub>c</sub><sub>2</sub>(T) and three models of μ(T), viz. the linear, the parabolic and the concave-upward model. For temperatures up to which the data are available, each of these provides a good fit. However, for lower values of T, their predictions differ. Notably, the predicted values of H<sub>c</sub><sub>2</sub>(0) are much higher than in any of the models dealt with by Talantsev. In sum, we show here that the addressed data are explicable in a framework comprising the set S<sub>2</sub> = {μ, m*, interaction parameter λ<sub>m</sub>, Landau index N<sub>L</sub>}, which is altogether different from S<sub>1</sub>.
文摘Objective: The main aim of the survey was to assess diabetes treatment-related myths prevalent in the Indian population and if COVID-19 pandemic improved their knowledge about diabetes. Results: The survey was completed by 309 participants;66% did not have diabetes. The responses of people with diabetes and those without diabetes were similar. Survey results of the total population showed that the majority believed that diabetes treatment should start early (92.6%);87.4% believed that the treatment should start within three months of diagnosis with modern medicines;67.3% of the participants felt that allopathic medicines for diabetes were safe, 69.6% believed that if started these medications continue lifelong, and 40.5% thought they damaged all major organs. Insulin was thought to be safe by 65% of the surveyed population;60.8% believed that if they started insulin, they would need it life-long;51.5% thought that insulin was started at the last stage of diabetes;and 58.6% believed that insulin caused kidney damage. A total of 58.6% believed that herbal medicines for diabetes were safer than allopathic;76.4% did not believe that the “diabetic cure” shown through television/newspapers was safe and effective;67.3% did not believe that ayurvedic medicines cured diabetes. Of the surveyed population, 67% felt that their knowledge about diabetes improved during the pandemic and 89.3% knew that PWDs have more serious problems with covid infection. Conclusions: Our survey shows that many diabetes treatment-related myths are prevalent in the Indian population even though the COVID-19 pandemic improved their knowledge about diabetes.
基金the financial supporting by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(2022YFF1102400)National Natural Science Foundation of China(32102093)the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province(BK20210226)。
文摘Food allergy is a significant public health concern globally.Certain probiotics have been found to enhance food allergy by regulating immune-microbe interactions in animal models and patients.However,the effects of Bifidobacterium lactis Probio-M8 on food allergy have not been thoroughly investigated.The present study examined the anti-allergic properties of Probio-M8,particularly in relation to immune response and gut microbiota composition.Results demonstrate that oral administration of Probio-M8 effectively mitigated the allergy symptoms triggered by ovalbumin(OVA)by ameliorating the morphological damage in the jejunum,reducing OVA-specific IgE and histamine levels in the serum,and suppressing Th2 cytokines(interleukin(IL)4 and IL-13)while increasing Th1 cytokines(interferon(IFN)γ)and regulatory T(Treg)cytokines(IL-10 and transforming growth factor(TGF)β1)in the culture supernatants of splenic cells.Furthermore,Probio-M8 effectively altered the diversity and composition of gut microbiota,particularly the relative abundances of Akkermansia_muciniphila in OVA-induced mice.Compared to the OVA group,the Probio-M8 group showed a decrease in the relative abundance of Akkermansia_muciniphila.In conclusion,Probio-M8 demonstrates the potential to alleviate food allergy by regulating the Th1/Th2 response and modulating gut microbiota,thereby offering a novel therapeutic strategy for patients with food allergy.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(21172181,21372186,81450110094, 81250110089,81350110338)the Key Program from Natural Science Foundation of Chongqing(CSTC2012jjB10026)the Specialized Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education of China(SRFDP 20110182110007)
文摘A series of coumarin-derived azolyl ethanols including imidazolyl,triazolyl,tetrazolyl,benzotriazolyl,thiol-imidazolyl and thiol-triazolyl ones were conveniently synthesized and characterized by IR,~1H NMR,^(13)C NMR and high-resolution mass spectra(HRMS) spectra.Some of the prepared compounds showed appropriate logP_(ow) values and effective antibacterial and antifungal activities.Noticeably,compound 14 with bis-triazolyl ethanol group exhibited low minimal inhibitory concentration(MIC)value of 8 μg/mL against MRSA,which was comparable or even superior to reference drugs Norfloxacin(MIC=8μg/mL)and Chloramphenicol(MIC=16μg/mL).It could also effectively inhibit the growth of the tested fungal strains compared to Fluconazole.Further binding studies of coumarin 14 with calf thymus DNA were investigated by UV-Vis absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy.It was found that compound 14 could interact with calf thymus DNA by groove binding to form14-DNA complex via both hydrogen bonds and van der Waals force,which might be the factor to exert the powerful antimicrobial activity.
文摘In the urban atmosphere of Bengaluru, various volatile organic compounds(VOCs), particularly Benzene,Toluene, Ethylbenzene, and Xylene(BTEX), have shown an increasing trend in concentration. The present research was conducted during summer and monsoon seasons, focusing on Kadubeesanahalli, a high-traffic area within the Bengaluru Metropolitan City. Hourly sample data was collected using a BTEX analyzer(Model GC955-600) and subsequently transformed into daily, monthly, and seasonal values. The study revealed distinct patterns in benzene concentrations. Benzene levels were lowest during the early morning hours, specifically from 1:00 a.m.to 7:00 a.m.. Concentrations then increased from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and again from 4:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.,corresponding to the morning and evening peak traffic hours. However, between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., the concentration decreased due to reduced traffic levels. These diurnal variations in benzene concentration are influenced by meteorological parameters. Comparing the two seasons, higher concentrations of Benzene, EthylBenzene, and MP-xylene were observed during the summer season. This increase is attributed to the elevated temperatures during summer, which promote the vaporization of BTEX compounds. Conversely, lower BTEX concentrations were recorded during the monsoon season due to the wet deposition process. The observed positive correlation(r > 0.5) among BTEX parameters strongly suggests a common source, most likely originating from vehicular emissions.
文摘Effective waste management is a major challenge for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) like Maldives due to limited land availability. Maldives exemplifies these issues as one of the most geographically dispersed countries, with a population unevenly distributed across numerous islands varying greatly in size and population density. This study provides an in-depth analysis of the unique waste management practices across different regions of Maldives in relation to its natural and socioeconomic context. Data shows Maldives has one of the highest population density and per capita waste generation among SIDS, despite its small land area and medium GDP per capita. Large disparities exist between the densely populated capital Male’ with only 5.8 km2 area generating 63% of waste and the ~194 scattered outer islands with ad hoc waste management practices. Given Male’s dense population and high calorific waste, incineration could generate up to ~30 GW/a energy and even increase Maldives’ renewable energy supply by 200%. In contrast, decentralized anaerobic digestion presents an optimal solution for outer islands to reduce waste volume while providing over 40%–100% energy supply for daily cooking in local families. This timely study delivers valuable insights into designing context-specific waste-to-energy systems and integrated waste policies tailored to Maldives’ distinct regions. The framework presented can also guide other SIDS facing similar challenges as Maldives in establishing sustainable, ecologically sound waste management strategies.
基金support from the SRF INSPIRE(IF 170314)fellowship program,Government of Indiafinancial support from the SERB Core Research Grant project,the Government of India。
文摘Contact binaries at various stages of evolution unveil various operating mechanisms that drive them.We report the photometric and period variation analysis of two contact binaries EV Cnc and AH Cnc in open cluster M67.We observed the cluster from the JCBT 1.3 m telescope and utilized TESS and Kepler observations.The photometric solutions of EV Cnc and AH Cnc revealed a mass ratio of q~0.41 and~0.15 with an inclination of i=42°and87°respectively.These solutions suggest that EV Cnc is probably a semi-detached and AH Cnc is a deep low-mass ratio contact binary.The study of O-C variation analysis indicates that for both systems,the period is increasing which suggests the mass transfer is occurring from secondary to primary.In the case of AH Cnc and based on simulations by randomly varying the time of minima to fit the LITE solution,we noted the third body orbital period to be around P_(3)=26.82±2.54 yr,which is different from earlier reported values and conclude that future observations are required to confirm this scenario.We compare these two systems with other similar contact binaries to get an estimate of the final configuration of the respective systems.
基金financial support rendered by the Salesians of Don BoscoDimapur Province+1 种基金NagalandNorth East India
文摘The novel zirconium oxide, nickel oxide and zinc oxide nanoparticles supported activated carbons（Zr-AC, Ni-AC, Zn-AC） were successfully fabricated through microwave irradiation method. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized using XRD, HR-SEM, XPS and BET. The optical properties of Zr-AC, Ni-AC and Zn-AC composites were investigated using UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The photocatalytic efficiency was verified in the degradation of textile dyeing wastewater（TDW） in UV light irradiation. The chemical oxygen demand（COD） of TDW was observed at regular intervals to calculate the removal rate of COD. Zn-AC composites showed impressive photocatalytic enrichment, which can be ascribed to the enhanced absorbance in the UV light region, the effective adsorptive capacity to dye molecules, the assisted charge transfer and the inhibited recombination of electron-hole pairs. The maximum TDW degradation（82% COD removal） was achieved with Zn-AC. A possible synergy mechanism on the surface of Zn-AC was also designed. Zn-AC could be reused five times without exceptional loss of its activity.
文摘Nanostructured ZnO and CuO, and coupled oxides, i.e., ZnCu, Zn2Cu, and ZnCu2, with ZnO:CuO molar ratios of 1:1, 2:1, and 1:2, respectively, were successfully prepared through a simple, one-step, microwave-assisted urea–nitrate combustion synthesis, without the use of organic solvents or surfactants. The prepared samples were characterized using X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The optical absorption of Zn O extended into the visible region after CuO loading. The photocatalytic activities of ZnO, CuO, and the coupled oxides were evaluated based on photodegradation of 2,4-dichlorophenol under visible-light irradiation. The coupled metal oxide Zn2Cu showed the best photocatalytic activity; this was mainly attributed to the extended photoresponsive range and the increased charge separation rate in the nanocomposite. The photocatalytic degradation process obeyed pseudo-first-order kinetics. The results suggest that the coupled metal oxide Zn2Cu has potential applications as an efficient catalytic material with high efficiency and recyclability for the photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants in aqueous solution under visible-light irradiation.
