The enormous numbers of applications of TiO
2
nanoparticles (NPs) cause concern about their risk to the environment and human health. Consequently, motivated by the necessity of searching for new ...sources of TiO
2
NPs of low cytotoxicity with antibacterial activity, we synthesized TiO
2
NPs by a green route using a solution of titanium(
iv
) isopropoxide as a precursor and an aqueous extract of
Artocarpus heterophyllus
leaf as a reducing and surface modifying agent. We investigated their structure, shape, size, and magnetic properties, and evaluated their antibiotic application and cytotoxicity. The synthesized TiO
2
NPs were applied against two Gram-negative bacteria (
E. coli
and
S. typhimurium
) and two Gram-positive bacteria (
S. aureus
and
B. subtilis
) to observe their antibacterial activity; and eventually clear zones of inhibition formed by the TiO
2
NPs were obtained. Moreover, after exposing the synthesized TiO
2
NPs to HeLa cells (carcinoma cells) and Vero cells (normal cells), no toxic effect was found up to a dose of 1000 mg L
−1
, indicating the safe use of the samples up to at least 1000 mg L
−1
. However, toxic effects on HeLa cells and Vero cells were observed at doses of 2000 mg L
−1
and 3000 mg L
−1
, respectively. These results indicate the safe use of
Artocarpus heterophyllus
leaf extract mediated synthesized TiO
2
NPs in their potential applications.
Artocarpus heterophyllus
leaf extract mediated green synthesized TiO
2
nanoparticles exhibit less toxicity with high antibacterial activity.
Persuaded by the necessity of finding new sources of antibiotics, silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) were synthesized by adopting a newly developed green synthesis technique and subsequently, their ...antibacterial activity against different pathogenic bacteria was evaluated. We have successfully synthesized bio-molecule capped ferromagnetic Ag NPs with an average crystallite size of 13 nm using AgNO
3
solution as a precursor and
Artocarpus heterophyllus
leaf extract as a reducing and capping agent. The characterization of the synthesized Ag NPs was carried out using various techniques such as UV-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), thermogravimetry (TG), and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) analyses. After exposing the synthesized Ag NPs to two Gram-positive bacteria -
Staphylococcus aureus
and
Bacillus cereus
and two Gram-negative bacteria -
Escherichia coli
and
Salmonella typhimurium
, the zones of inhibition were found to be 15, 16, 19, and 18 mm, respectively. These results imply that the
Artocarpus heterophyllus
leaf extract mediated green synthesized bio-molecules encapsulated Ag NPs can be considered as a potential antibiotic against human pathogens which is very encouraging.
Persuaded by the necessity of finding new sources of antibiotics, Ag NPs were synthesized by adopting a newly developed green synthesis technique and subsequently, their antibacterial activity against different pathogenic bacteria was evaluated.
A key task in the emerging field of bioelectronics is the transduction between ionic/protonic and electronic signals at high fidelity. This is a considerable challenge since the two carrier types ...exhibit intrinsically different physics and are best supported by very different materials typeselectronic signals in inorganic semiconductors and ionic/protonic signals in organic or bio-organic polymers, gels, or electrolytes. Here we demonstrate a new class of organic–inorganic transducing interface featuring semiconducting nanowires electrostatically gated using a solid proton-transporting hygroscopic polymer. This model platform allows us to study the basic transducing mechanisms as well as deliver high fidelity signal conversion by tapping into and drawing together the best candidates from traditionally disparate realms of electronic materials research. By combining complementary n- and p-type transducers we demonstrate functional logic with significant potential for scaling toward high-density integrated bioelectronic circuitry.
A suite of Nb-based piezoelectric ceramics of 0.99Bi0.5(Na0.4K0.1)(Ti1−xNbx)O3–0.01(Ba0.7Sr0.3)TiO3(BNKTN-BST), with x ranging from 0 to 0.030, was prepared by a conventional solid-state reaction ...method. X-ray diffraction patterns confirmed a single perovskite phase and the tetragonality was found to decrease with increasing Nb ratio. The BNKTN-BST ceramic had a high field-induced normalized strain coefficient of 634pm/V at 2mol% Nb content with a relatively small hysteresis compared with existing lead-free Bi-perovskite ceramics. An electric-field-dependent X-ray study was conducted to identify the main source of the high strain and ascertain the effect of electric fields on the crystal structure. The temperature-dependent P−E hysteresis loops of the BNKTN-BST ceramics were measured under an electric field of 60kV/cm at various temperatures, and the effect of temperature on the ferroelectricity is discussed.
The presence of microplastics in aquatic environments has raised concerns about their abundance and potential hazards to aquatic organisms. This review provides insight into the problem that may be ...of alarm for freshwater fish. Plastic pollution is not confined to marine ecosystems; freshwater also comprises plastic bits, as the most of plastic fragments enter oceans via rivers. Microplastics (MPs) can be consumed by fish and accumulated due to their size and poor biodegradability. Furthermore, it has the potential to enter the food chain and cause health problems. Evidence of MPs s ingestion has been reported in >150 fish species from both freshwater and marine systems. However, microplastic quantification and toxicity in freshwater ecosystems have been underestimated, ignored, and not reported as much as compared to the marine ecosystem. However, their abundance, influence, and toxicity in freshwater biota are not less than in marine ecosystems. The interaction of MPs with freshwater fish, as well as the risk of human consumption, remains a mystery. Nevertheless, our knowledge of the impacts of MPs on freshwater fish is still very limited. This study detailed the status of the toxicity of MPs in freshwater fish. This review will add to our understanding of the ecotoxicology of microplastics on freshwater fish and give subsequent research directions.
We compare the characteristics of phase-pure MOCVD grown ZB and WZ InAs nanowire transistors in several atmospheres: air, dry pure N2 and O2, and N2 bubbled through liquid H2O and alcohols to ...identify whether phase-related structural/surface differences affect their response. Both WZ and ZB give poor gate characteristics in dry state. Adsorption of polar species reduces off-current by 2-3 orders of magnitude, increases on-off ratio and significantly reduces sub-threshold slope. The key difference is the greater sensitivity of WZ to low adsorbate level. We attribute this to facet structure and its influence on the separation between conduction electrons and surface adsorption sites. We highlight the important role adsorbed species play in nanowire device characterisation. WZ is commonly thought superior to ZB in InAs nanowire transistors. We show this is an artefact of the moderate humidity found in ambient laboratory conditions: WZ and ZB perform equally poorly in the dry gas limit yet equally well in the wet gas limit. We also highlight the vital role density-lowering disorder has in improving gate characteristics, be it stacking faults in mixed-phase WZ or surface adsorbates in pure-phase nanowires.
This research was carried out in order to demonstrate that mulching the ground helps to conserve water, because agricultural sustainability in dryland contexts is threatened by drought, heat stress, ...and the injudicious use of scarce water during the cropping season by minimizing surface evaporation. Improving soil moisture conservation is an ongoing priority in crop outputs where water resources are restricted and controlled. One of the reasons for the desire to use less water in agriculture is the rising demand brought on by the world’s growing population. In this study, the use of organic or biodegradable mulches was dominated by organic materials, while inorganic mulches are mostly comprised of plastic-based components. Plastic film, crop straw, gravel, volcanic ash, rock pieces, sand, concrete, paper pellets, and livestock manures are among the materials put on the soil surface. Mulching has several essential applications, including reducing soil water loss and soil erosion, enriching soil fauna, and improving soil properties and nutrient cycling in the soil. It also reduces the pH of the soil, which improves nutrient availability. Mulching reduces soil deterioration by limiting runoff and soil loss, and it increases soil water availability by reducing evaporation, managing soil temperature, or reducing crop irrigation requirements. This review paper extensively discusses the benefits of organic or synthetic mulches for crop production, as well as the uses of mulching in soil and water conservation. As a result, it is very important for farmers to choose mulching rather than synthetic applications.
Mn
3
O
4
nanoparticles were synthesized from one-step reduction of KMnO
4
with glycerol at 80 °C. The structural and surface morphological characterizations were carried out using FT-IR, XRD, and ...FESEM analyses. The elemental composition was evidenced from EDX analysis. XRD analysis showed the tetragonal crystal geometry of Mn
3
O
4
nanoparticles with an average crystallite size of ∼20 nm. The surface morphology of the Mn
3
O
4
nanoparticles was found to be spherical from the FESEM image. The Mn
3
O
4
nanoparticles were then tested as a potential oxidant for the decolorization of methylene blue (MB) and found to be capable of N-demethylation of MB forming thionine as the final product, and removing 80% of the dye in approximately 1 h. The decolorization of MB by Mn
3
O
4
occurred through a surface mechanism, i.e., formation of surface precursor complex between MB and surface-bound Mn (II, III), where, electron transfer occurs within the surface complex. The effect of suspension pH (3–4 < pH
pzc
; 5–10 > pH
pzc
) on MB decolorization was assessed. Suspension pH exerted double-edged effects on MB decolorization by influencing the formation of surface precursor complex, and reducing potential of the system.
Difficulties in obtaining high-performance p-type transistors and gate insulator charge-trapping effects present two major challenges for III–V complementary metal–oxide semiconductor (CMOS) ...electronics. We report a p-GaAs nanowire metal–semiconductor field-effect transistor (MESFET) that eliminates the need for a gate insulator by exploiting the Schottky barrier at the metal–GaAs interface. Our device beats the best-performing p-GaSb nanowire metal–oxide−semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET), giving a typical subthreshold swing of 62 mV/dec, within 4% of the thermal limit, on–off ratio ∼105, on-resistance ∼700 kΩ, contact resistance ∼30 kΩ, peak transconductance 1.2 μS/μm, and high-fidelity ac operation at frequencies up to 10 kHz. The device consists of a GaAs nanowire with an undoped core and heavily Be-doped shell. We carefully etch back the nanowire at the gate locations to obtain Schottky-barrier insulated gates while leaving the doped shell intact at the contacts to obtain low contact resistance. Our device opens a path to all-GaAs nanowire MESFET complementary circuits with simplified fabrication and improved performance.
Werder et al discuss their study which aims to determine whether P2Y13-R (P2Y13 receptor), a purinergic GPCR (G protein-coupled receptor) and risk allele for asthma, regulates the release of IL-33 ...and HMGB1 (high mobility group box 1). The role of P2Y13-R in AEC function and in the onset, progression, and exacerbation of experimental asthma was assessed by using pharmacological antagonists and mice with P2Y13-R gene deletion. They identify P2Y13-R as a novel gatekeeper of the nuclear alarmins IL-33 and HMGB1 and demonstrate that the targeting of this GPCR via genetic deletion or treatment with a small-molecule antagonist protects against the onset and exacerbations of experimental asthma.
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