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•Visible light driven metals doped ZnO/g-C3N4 composites were successfully designed.•The catalysts showed efficient photocatalytic performances for EBT degradation.•Surface area and ...synergic effect increase the charge carrier’s separation.•Remarkable stability and reusability towards EBT degradation.•The effect of operational parameters has been studied.
In present work comparative photocatalytic activity of M doped ZnO/g-C3N4 (M = Al, Mg, Ni, Cu and Ag) composites synthesized via one-pot pyrolysis technique have been addressed in the degradation of EBT dye. XRD results revealed that metals ions were successfully introduced into the framework of ZnO/g-C3N4. Optical properties of the composites showed red shift in the light absorption and inhibited charge carriers’ recombination rate. Cu doped ZnO/g-C3N4 catalyst showed the maximum photocatalytic EBT degradation of 99% after 90 min of visible light illumination. The effect of operational parameters (catalyst dose and initial dye concentration) on the extent of the photocatalytic performance was also been studied. The significant improvement in the photocatalytic EBT degradation efficiency was assigned to decrease in the optical band gap, high surface area and inhibited electron-hole recombination rate, identifying the significance of dopnats into ZnO/g-C3N4. The catalysts revealed excellent photostability of 99% after 15 successive cycles. Photoelectrochemical (PEC) measurements showed that metal doped ZnO/g-C3N4 composites have effectively increased the charge separation and declined the electron-hole recombination rate. A physical mechanism was proposed to explain the observed increase in the photocatalytic activity. At the end, photocatalytic test for the Basic Red 51 degradation was also studied to determine the effectiveness of the synthesized catalysts.
CRISPR-based targeted genome editing is bringing revolutionary changes in the research arena of biological sciences. CRISPR/Cas9 has been explored as an efficient therapeutic tool for the treatment ...of genetic diseases. It has been widely used in ophthalmology research by using mouse models to correct pathogenic mutations in the eye stem cells. In recent studies, CRISPR/Cas9 has been used to correct a large number of mutations related to inherited retinal disorders. In vivo therapeutic advantages for retinal diseases have been successfully achieved in some rodents. Current advances in the CRISPR-based gene-editing domain, such as modified Cas variants and delivery approaches have optimized its application to treat blindness. In this review, recent progress and challenges of the CRISPR-Cas system have been discussed to cure blindness and its prospects.
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are considered as import contaminants portraying diverse ecological and public health apprehension due to their properties such as water solubility, toxicity, ...bioaccumulation potential and recalcitrant nature. Due to their contrary impact on the human wellbeing and other organisms in the biosphere, research is in progress to remove PAHs from the environment. Several physicochemical methods can be used for the removal of PAHs; however, its bioremediation using microorganisms is a benign and ecofriendly approach. Various strains of bacteria and microalgae are capable to potentially degrade or transform PAHs through their indigenous metabolic pathways. However, their biodegradability potential hindered by the cytotoxic effect of petroleum hydrocarbons, unfavorable environmental conditions, metabolic constrains, hydrocarbon composition, concentration, type and number of microorganisms. During the last decade, different microalgae species have been reported capable of biodegrading PAHs. Moreover, the interaction between microalgae and bacteria PAH metabolic pathways overcomes some rate limiting step(s) observed in single species. Thus, an alternative paradigm “Microalgae–Bacteria Consortia” is emerging as a new strategy to be adopted for the efficient detoxification and removal of the PAH pollutants. This review article aimed to provide an update of the current knowledge on the toxic effects of PAHs in various organisms as well as the symbiotic interactions between different bacteria and microalgae species in the degradation/transformation of PAHs. In addition, environmental factors are highlighted to elucidate how PAHs influence the growth of microalgae within a symbiotic framework with bacteria counterpart. The ultimate outcome of this paper can be beneficial to expedite the progress of new research into the bioremediation of PAHs from the contaminated environments.
Gene editing that makes target gene modification in the genome by deletion or addition has revolutionized the era of biomedicine. Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats ...(CRISPR)/Cas9 emerged as a substantial tool due to its simplicity in use, less cost and extraordinary efficiency than the conventional gene-editing tools, including zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs) and Transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs). However, potential off-target activities are crucial shortcomings in the CRISPR system. Numerous types of approaches have been developed to reduce off-target effects. Here, we review several latest approaches to reduce the off-target effects, including biased or unbiased off-target detection, cytosine or adenine base editors, prime editing, dCas9, Cas9 paired nickase, ribonucleoprotein (RNP) delivery and truncated gRNAs. This review article provides extensive information to cautiously interpret off-target effects to assist the basic and clinical applications in biomedicine.
During the last decade, metal nanoparticles (MtNPs) have gained immense popularity due to their characteristic physicochemical properties, as well as containing antimicrobial, anti-cancer, ...catalyzing, optical, electronic and magnetic properties. Primarily, these MtNPs have been synthesized through different physical and chemical methods. However, these conventional methods have various drawbacks, such as high energy consumption, high cost and the involvement of toxic chemical substances. Microbial flora has provided an alternative platform for the biological synthesis of MtNPs in an eco-friendly and cost effective way. In this article we have focused on various microorganisms used for the synthesis of different MtNPs. We also have elaborated on the intracellular and extracellular mechanisms of MtNP synthesis in microorganisms, and have highlighted their advantages along with their challenges. Moreover, due to several advantages over chemically synthesized nanoparticles, the microbial MtNPs, with their exclusive and dynamic characteristics, can be used in different sectors like the agriculture, medicine, cosmetics and biotechnology industries in the near future.
ABSTRACT Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L) is an essential fruit crop that is widely grown since ancient times in the desert areas of the world comprising the Southwest Asia, North Africa besides ...Mexico, Australia, South America, and United States. A number of insect pests including red palm weevil (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus Olivier) that is a devastating insect attacking palm trees. It is very difficult to control as its entire lifecycle is hidden inside the host trunk. To overcome this pest, integrated pest management program (IPM) strategy can be adopted that includes visual inspection, behavior management through pheromones, sanitation of the crop and field, removal of the infested frond and offshoot, eradicating the concealed breeding sites of the pest. IPM also include cultural techniques comprising in-groove humidity and palm density, judicious use of insecticides, using biological control agents including entomopathogenic fungi, nematodes as well as adopting the regulatory methods of domestic and international quarantine. This paper provides updated information about IPM, which look like a promising paradigm that can be adopted for the control of red palm weevil.
ABSTRACT Aquaculture is a fast-growing industry mainly depends on the key feedstuffs, fishmeal (FM) and fish oil (FO) that will be limited with the passage of time due to the insubstantial resources ...available for wild fish harvesting. Therefore, other sources of feedstuffs need to be investigated to substitute FM and FO in aquafeeds. Terrestrial crops can be used to substitutes a portion of the FM however; they can result in changes in the nutritional quality of the fish produced. Microalgae can be considered as a favorable alternative that can substitute FM and FO ensuring the principles of sustainability in aquaculture. Microalgae are reasonably rich in proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, pigments, etc., which are essential for not only sustaining fish health but also its unique array of bioactive compounds can improve coloration and quality of fillet. The aim of this review is to provide an update of the current knowledge of microalgae as a supplement or feed additive to substitute FM and FO in aquafeeds. This review will provide a platform to highlight the potential of microalgae-based aquafeeds for a sustainable aquaculture industry.
Experiments were conducted to investigate the health of fish Channa punctatus inhabiting heavy metal-loaded waste water. Heavy metals in the order of Fe > Mn > Zn > Co > Ni > Cu = Cr were present in ...the waste water. Gills had high metal load followed by liver and then kidney. Albumin, albumin to globulin (A:G) ratio, triglyceride, high density lipoprotein (HDL) and very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) were found to be lower but phospholipid, low density lipoprotein (LDL), total protein, lipid and cholesterol were higher as compared to the reference. Oxidative stress markers such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione S transferase (GST) and lipid peroxidation (LPO) were significantly higher in all tissues, whereas reduced glutathione (GSH) levels were comparatively low. Damage to DNA was observed with significantly higher mean tail length of comets in the exposed fish gill cells (30.9 µm) followed by liver (24.3 µm) and kidney (20.6 µm) as compared to reference fish (5.2, 4.8 and 5.9 µm respectively). Histopathology in gill, liver and kidney also showed marked damage. Integrated biochemical, oxidative stress, genotoxicity and histopathological findings are valuable biomarkers for native fish adaptive patterns, and monitoring of water quality/pollution of freshwater ecosystems.
Melatonin is an important biologically active hormone that plays a vital role in plant growth and development. In particular, it has been investigated for its roles in abiotic stress management. The ...current experiment was carried out to investigate the protective role of melatonin in photosynthetic traits and the antioxidant defense system of maize seedling under drought stress. Maize seedlings were subjected to drought stress (40–45% FC) after two weeks of seedling emergence, followed by a foliar spray (0, 25, 50, 75 and 100 µM) and soil drench of melatonin (0, 25, 50, 75 and 100 µM). Our results indicated that drought stress negatively affected maize seedling and decreased plant growth and development, biomass accumulation, reduced chlorophyll, and carotenoid content, and significantly declined photosynthetic rate and stomatal conductance. On the other hand, reactive oxygen species, soluble protein, and proline content increased under drought stress. However, the application of exogenous melatonin reduced the reactive oxygen species burst and enhanced the photosynthetic activity by protecting from damages through activation of various antioxidant enzymes under drought stress. Foliar application of 100 µM and soil drench of 50 µM melatonin was the most effective treatment concentrations under drought stress. Our current findings hereby confirmed the mitigating potential of melatonin application for drought stress by maintaining plant growth, improving the photosynthetic characteristics and activities of antioxidants enzymes.
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a severe sleep-associated respiratory disorder, caused due to periodic disruption of breath during sleep. It may cause a number of serious cardiovascular ...complications, including stroke. Generally, OSA is detected by polysomnography (PSG), a costly procedure, and may cause discomfort to the patient. Nowadays, electrocardiogram (ECG) signal-based detection techniques have been explored as an alternative to PSG for OSA detection. Usual linear and nonlinear machine learning techniques are mainly focused on handcrafted feature extraction and classification that are time-consuming and may not be suitable for huge data. Therefore, in this work, a deep learning model (DLM) using smoothed Gabor spectrogram (SGS) of ECG signals is proposed for automated OSA detection to obtain high performance. The proposed framework fed Gabor spectrogram and SGS of ECG signals as input to the pretrained Squeeze-Net, Res-Net50, and developed DLM called obstructive sleep apnea convolutional neural network (OSACN-Net). The proposed OSACN-Net achieved an average classification accuracy of 94.81% with SGS using a tenfold cross-validation strategy. Compared to Squeeze-Net and Res-Net50, developed OSACN-Net is more accurate and lightweight as it requires few learnable parameters, which makes it computationally fast and efficient. The comparison results showed that the proposed framework outperformed all existing state-of-the-art methodologies.
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