The effluent water of many industries, such as textiles, leather, paper, printing, cosmetics, etc., contains large amount of hazardous dyes. There is huge number of treatment processes as well as ...adsorbent which are available for the processing of this effluent water-containing dye content. The applicability of naturally available low cast and eco-friendly adsorbents, for the removal of hazardous dyes from aqueous waste by adsorption treatment, has been reviewed. In this review paper, we have provided a compiled list of low-cost, easily available, safe to handle, and easy-to-dispose-off adsorbents. These adsorbents have been classified into five different categories on the basis of their state of availability: (1) waste materials from agriculture and industry, (2) fruit waste, (3) plant waste, (4) natural inorganic materials, and (5) bioadsorbents. Some of the treated adsorbents have shown good adsorption capacities for methylene blue, congo red, crystal violet, rhodamine B, basic red, etc., but this adsorption process is highly pH dependent, and the pH of the medium plays an important role in the treatment process. Thus, in this review paper, we have made some efforts to discuss the role of pH in the treatment of wastewater.
Pt-based multistructured nanocatalysts such as alloy, core–shell, and surface Pt-rich nanoparticles have been extensively studied for hydrogen fuel cell applications, and their catalytic performances ...for oxygen reduction reactions have been significantly upgraded for decades. Due to these technical enhancements, Pt-based nanoarchitectures have turned out to be compatible with commercially accessible fuel cell systems. In addition, based on physical and electrochemical backgrounds for the basic catalyst nanoarchitectures, novel catalyst designs with organic–inorganic hybrid concepts have been recently developed to more effectively improve the electrochemical reaction activities and durabilities. In this review, the typical class of Pt-based nanocatalysts are systematically explained according to their compositions and structures, and the emerging class of organic–inorganic hybrid catalyst designs are then thoroughly introduced. It is expected that the most recent improvements of Pt-based nanoarchitectures will have great effects on the future works for the commercialization of fuel cell catalysts.
Overexpression of the CaCDR1-encoded multidrug efflux pump protein CaCdr1p (Candida drug resistance protein 1), belonging to the ATP binding cassette (ABC) superfamily of transporters, is one of the ...most prominent contributors of multidrug resistance (MDR) in Candida albicans. Thus, blocking or modulating the function of the drug efflux pumps represents an attractive approach in combating MDR. In the present study, we provide first evidence that the quorum-sensing molecule farnesol (FAR) is a specific modulator of efflux mediated by ABC multidrug transporters, such as CaCdr1p and CaCdr2p of C. albicans and ScPdr5p of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Interestingly, FAR did not modulate the efflux mediated by the multidrug extrusion pump protein CaMdr1p, belonging to the major facilitator superfamily (MFS). Kinetic data revealed that FAR competitively inhibited rhodamine 6G efflux in CaCdr1p-overexpressing cells, with a simultaneous increase in an apparent Km without affecting the Vmax values and the ATPase activity. We also observed that when used in combination, FAR at a nontoxic concentration synergized with the drugs at their respective nonlethal concentrations, as was evident from their <0.5 fractional inhibitory concentration index (FICI) values and from the drop of 14- to 64-fold in the MIC80 values in the wild-type strain and in azole-resistant clinical isolates of C. albicans. Our biochemical experiments revealed that the synergistic interaction of FAR with the drugs led to reactive oxygen species accumulation, which triggered early apoptosis, and that both could be partly reversed by the addition of an antioxidant. Collectively, FAR modulates drug extrusion mediated exclusively by ABC proteins and is synergistic to fluconazole (FLC), ketoconazole (KTC), miconazole (MCZ), and amphotericin (AMB).
Display omitted
In this study, we have demonstrated that boron doping of Ni-rich LiNixCoyAl1−x−yO2 dramatically alters the microstructure of the material. LiNi0.885Co0.1Al0.015O2 is composed of large ...equiaxed primary particles, whereas a boron-doped LiNi0.878Co0.097Al0.015B0.01O2 cathode consists of elongated particles that are highly oriented to produce a strong, crystallographic texture. Boron reduces the surface energy of the (0 0 3) planes, resulting in a preferential growth mode that maximizes the (0 0 3) facet. This microstructure modification greatly improves the cycling stability; the LiNi0.878Co0.097Al0.015B0.01O2 cathode maintains a remarkable 83% of the initial capacity after 1000 cycles even when it is cycled at 100% depth of discharge. By contrast, the LiNi0.885Co0.1Al0.015O2 cathode retains only 49% of its initial capacity. The superior cycling stability clearly indicates the importance of the particle microstructure (i.e., particle size, particle shape, and crystallographic orientation) in mitigating the abrupt internal strain caused by phase transitions in the deeply charged state, which occurs in all Ni-rich layered cathodes. Microstructure engineering by surface energy modification, when combined with protective coatings and composition modification, may provide a long-sought method of harnessing the high capacity of Ni-rich layered cathodes without sacrificing the cycling stability.
Non-dairy probiotic drink (PD) was developed utilizing sprouted wheat, barley, pearl millet and green gram separately with oat, stabilizer and sugar using Lactobacillus acidophilus- NCDC14; with ...soymilk and distilled water as liquid portion. Acidity (in terms of lactic acid) and pH in different PD samples ranged from 0.45 to 1.02% and 4.11 to 4.49 with higher in green gram based PD. Probiotic count ranged from 9.10 to 11.06, 10.36 to 11.17, 10.36 to 11.51 and 10.36 to 11.32 log cfu/mL in wheat, barley, pearl millet and green gram based PD samples, respectively, which increased with increasing level of grain flour. Sensory acceptability of all four PD with soymilk was higher up to 6 g of wheat, barley and green gram, and 4 g pearl millet flour per 100 mL liquid portion. In view of sensory acceptability score >7 and good probiotic count; wheat, barley and green gram at 6 g while pearl millet at 4 g level with 50:50 mL of soymilk and distilled water, may be considered for development of non dairy PD. Total solids and in vitro protein digestibility in standardized wheat, barley, pearl millet and green gram based PD samples varied between 19.88 to 22.03% and 68.91–71.98%, respectively.
•4 Non dairy probiotic drinks from sprouted cereals and legume were developed.•Probiotic count (Lactobacillus acidophilus- NCDC14) increased with increasing grain flour.•Probiotic drinks with soymilk had higher probiotic count.•Probiotic count was more than 107 cfu/mL in probiotic drinks up to 90 days.
To dramatically improve the performance of non-precious catalyst-based anion exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs), a conceptual change in the structure of conventional electrocatalysts is needed. ...Here we report a novel work function tailoring of graphene via adopting a graphene shell-encapsulated Co nanoarchitecture to efficiently activate the graphitic carbon shell as an exclusive and main active site for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Theoretical calculations and electrochemical analysis suggest that the charge transfer from core Co nanoparticles to the outer graphene shell results in a significant change in the electronic structure of the graphene shell and reduces its work function. The present catalyst shows high ORR catalytic activity but exceptionally enhanced durability compared to a Pt catalyst in alkaline media, which is attributed mainly to the reduced work function of the outer graphene shell and the 3D nanographene structure providing a large number of active carbon sites. The single cell using the graphene shell-encapsulated Co nanoparticles as a cathode catalyst produces a high maximum power density of 412 mW cm −2 , making this among the best non-precious catalysts for the ORR reported so far. Therefore, our results demonstrate a promising strategy to rationally design inexpensive and durable oxygen reduction catalysts, and this hybrid concept will provide a new perspective for catalyst structures which can practically be used in AEMFCs.
Flow diagram of the impact of flooding, herbivory, and management practices on vegetation and soil characteristics of riverine grasslands of Kaziranga Tiger Reserve, Assam, India.
Display omitted
...•Assessing the impact of flooding, herbivory, and management practices on riverine grasslands.•Inundation period defines the extent of short & tall grasslands.•Grazing exclusion promoted heterogeneity, woody and invasive growth & soil nutrients.•Burning & invasive removal reduce woody and invasive growth & promote soil nutrients.•For management, we recommended rotational grazing, burning & invasive removal.
Globally, the conservation value of tropical grasslands, unlike tropical forests, is underappreciated, and their degradation is widespread. Conservation of this vulnerable ecosystem requires scientifically validated management strategies. The present study examines the impact of flooding, herbivory, and other management practices on the riverine grasslands of Brahmaputra floodplains of Assam, India, for devising effective conservation strategies. Inundation period-based unsupervised classification was used to derive the types and extent of grasslands viz., short (SG) and tall (TG). Subsequently, the data on vegetation composition and nutrient status viz., soil carbon (C), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K), was collected from inside and outside of 15 exclosures that were subjected to different management regimes, including grazing (freely accessed by mega- and meso-herbivores), ungrazed (not accessed by mega- and meso-herbivores), ungrazed with controlled burning and ungrazed with invasive removal. A total of 1152 plots were monitored for two-year, from January 2014 to December 2015. The results of the study revealed that the areas inundated for a longer duration were dominated by SG and had higher species diversity, while areas inundated for the shorter duration were dominated by TG and had low species diversity. We further observed that grazing exclusion promoted heterogeneity, woody and invasive growth, and soil nutrient content. Burning and invasive removal reduced woody and invasive growth and enhanced soil nutrient conditions. Grazing and burning decreased heterogeneity, while invasive removal increased heterogeneity. Alteration of the flooding regime due to reduced water availability may affect the ratio of SG and TG extent in the long run, which may alter the vegetation composition and the productivity of these grasslands. We recommend short-term rotational grazing for SG and long-term for TG to promote heterogeneity and soil quality. Controlled burning can be carried out in dry and invaded areas post uprooting of invasives to mitigate the effect of succession.
PDF
