Deltamethrin is a widely used insecticide that kills a wide variety of insects and ticks. Deltamethrin resistance develops as a result of intensive, repeated use, as well as increased environmental ...contamination and a negative impact on public health. Its negative impact on aquatic ecology and human health necessitated the development of a new technique for environmental remediation and wastewater treatment, such as the use of nanotechnology. The co-precipitation method was used to create Zn-Fe/LDH, Zn-AL-GA/LDH, and Fe-oxide nanoparticles (NPs), which were then characterized using XRD, FT-IR, FE-SEM, and HR-TEM. The kinetic study of adsorption test revealed that these NPs were effective at removing deltamethrin from wastewater. The larval packet test, which involved applying freshly adsorbed deltamethrin nanocomposites (48 hours after adsorption), and the comet assay test were used to confirm that deltamethrin had lost its acaricidal efficacy. The kinetics of the deltamethrin adsorption process was investigated using several kinetic models at pH 7, initial concentration of deltamethrin 40 ppm and temperature 25°C. Within the first 60 min, the results indicated efficient adsorption performance in deltamethrin removal, the maximum adsorption capacity was 27.56 mg/L, 17.60 mg/L, and 3.06 mg/L with the Zn-Al LDH/GA, Zn-Fe LDH, and Fe Oxide, respectively. On tick larvae, the results of the freshly adsorbed DNC bioassay revealed larval mortality. This suggests that deltamethrin's acaricidal activity is still active. However, applying DNCs to tick larvae 48 hours after adsorption had no lethal effect, indicating that deltamethrin had lost its acaricidal activity. The latter result corroborated the results of the adsorption test's kinetic study. Furthermore, the comet assay revealed that commercial deltamethrin caused 28.51% DNA damage in tick cells, which was significantly higher than any DNC. In conclusion, the NPs used play an important role in deltamethrin decontamination in water, resulting in reduced public health risk. As a result, these NPs could be used as a method of environmental remediation.
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•Capacitive deionization (CDI) has emerged as a promising way to obtain freshwater.•Nitrogen-doped mesostructured carbon nanocrystals (NMCs) are useful for CDI.•NMCs show a high ...nitrogen content and large accessible surface area.•NMCs exhibit a high salt adsorption capacity of 20.63 mg g−1.•The salt adsorption capacity is much higher than for the typical AC benchmarks.
Capacitive deionization (CDI) has emerged as a promising way to obtain freshwater from saline water, but its implementation is in its infancy and remains challenging due to the low salt adsorption capacity (SAC) of commonly used activated carbons (ACs). It is thus desirable to develop carbon electrodes that can exceed the performance of ACs benchmarks. In this work, nitrogen-doped mesostructured carbon nanocrystals (NMCs) have been developed by direct carbonization of highly ordered mesostructured polymers. Due to their mesoporous structure, high N content and large surface area, NMCs exhibit a maximum SAC of 20.63 mg g−1. This state-of-the-art carbon electrode largely surpasses common ACs. This work demonstrates the significance of the material synthetic chemistry and the importance of nanostructuring carbon materials for CDI applications.
Novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2. The virus causes an exaggerated immune response, resulting in a cytokine storm and acute ...respiratory distress syndrome, the leading cause of COVID-19-related mortality and morbidity. So far, no therapies have succeeded in circumventing the exacerbated immune response or cytokine storm associated with COVID-19. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), through their immunomodulatory and regenerative activities, mostly mediated by their paracrine effect and extracellular vesicle production, have therapeutic potential in many autoimmune, inflammatory, and degenerative diseases. In this paper, we review clinical studies on the use of MSCs for COVID-19 treatment, including the salutary effects of MSCs on the pathophysiology of COVID-19 and the immunomodulation of the cytokine storm. Ongoing clinical trial designs, cell sources, dose and administration, and populations are summarized, and the paracrine mode of benefit is discussed. We also offer suggestions for optimizing MSC-based therapies, including genetic engineering, strategies for cell surface modification, nanotechnology applications, and combination therapies.
This investigation presents the influence of various types of nanoparticles on the performance of ultra high performance concrete (UHPC). Three nanoparticles from waste materials include nano-crushed ...glass, nano-metakaolin, nano-rice husk ash were prepared using the milling technique. In addition, nano-silica prepared using chemical method at the laboratory is implemented to compare the performance. Several UHPC mixes incorporating different dosages of nanoparticles up to 5% are prepared and tested. Mechanical properties, durability as well as the microstructure of UHPC mixes have been evaluated in order to study the influence of nanoparticles on the hardened characteristics of UHPC. The experimental results showed that early strength is increased by the incorporation of nanomaterials, as compared to the reference UHPC mix. The incorporation of 3% nano-rice husk ash produced the highest compressive strength at 91 day. Microstructural measurements using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray Analysis (EDX), and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) confirm the role of nanomaterials in densifying the microstructure, reducing calcium hydroxide content as well as producing more C-S-H, which improves the strength and reduces the absorption of UHPC. Nanoparticles prepared from waste materials by the milling technique are comparable to chemically prepared nanosilica in improving mechanical properties, refining the microstructure and reducing the absorption of UHPC.
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•Composite of tubular g-C3N4/α-Fe2O3 was prepared for improved photocatalytic performance.•Composites show a higher charge separation of the photo-generated electron-hole pairs.•The ...band structures were determined by Mott-Schottky measurements.•The photo-current was enhanced after the incorporation of α-Fe2O3 NTs with RT g-C3N4.
A composite of tubular g-C3N4 with α-Fe2O3 has been synthesized to improve the photocatalytic performance of tubular g-C3N4 by the formation of a Z-scheme heterostructure. The composites were fabricated by the combination of varying amounts of hydrothermally synthesized α-Fe2O3 nanotubes (NTs) and protonated ruptured tubular (RT) g-C3N4, by the electrostatic self-assembly method. The obtained composites were characterized by zeta potential, powdered-X-ray diffraction (p-XRD), scanning/transmission electron microscopy (S/TEM), photoluminescence (PL), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). PL and photocurrent measurements indicates a higher charge separation of the photo-generated electron-hole pair for Fe2O3 NTs/RT g-C3N4 composite with higher concentration of α-Fe2O3 NTs. UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV–Vis/DRS) shows the band gaps of pristine α-Fe2O3 NTs and RT g-C3N4 to be 1.86 eV and 2.72 eV respectively, while the band structures were determined by Mott-Schottky measurements. I-V curves obtained from photoelectrochemical water splitting shows that the formation of the composite decreased the oxidation overpotential as compared to pristine α-Fe2O3 NTs and pristine RT g-C3N4. Bode plots showed that the composite was able to increase the lifetime of the photo-generated electrons as compared to both RT g-C3N4 and α-Fe2O3 NTs.
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to evaluate in vitro and in vivo the acaricidal activity of two forms of geranium (
Pelargonium graveolens
) (PG). These two forms were the
P. graveolens
...essential oil nanoemulsion (PGN), and the PG in combination with the sesame oil (SO), PGSO). These forms were first evaluated in vitro for their adulticidal, ovicidal, and larvicidal activities against the different stages of acaricide-resistant
Rhipicephalus annulatus
(Say). Geranium nanoemulsion was prepared and then characterized by UV–Vis spectrophotometer, and zeta droplet size measurement. The results revealed that LC
50
of the PG against the adult ticks was attained at concentration of 7.53% while it was decreased to 1.91% and 5.60% for PGSO and PGN, respectively. Also, the LC
50
of PGN and PGSO were reached at concentrations of 1.688 and 0.944%, respectively against the larvae while the LC
50
of the PG was reached at concentration of 3.435% for. The combination of PGN with PG exhibited non-significant ovicidal effect meanwhile PGSO showed significant ovicidal effect even at the low concentration (2.5%). The PGSO and PGN formulations were applied in a field trial to control the ticks of the naturally infested cattle. PGSO and PGN significantly reduced the tick burden to 74.83% and 87.97%, respectively at 3 weeks post-application with performance better than the deltamethrin (29.88%). In conclusion, the two PG forms can be used as suitable alternatives to control
R. annulatus
tick and they need further modifications for effective field application.
Abstract
Investigation of a unique and fast method for the determination and separation of a mixture of three drugs viz
.,
ciprofloxacin (CIP), Ibuprofen (IBU), and diclofenac sodium (DIC) in actual ...samples of human plasma. Also, the technique was used to look at their pharmacokinetics study. Hydrocortisone was chosen as the internal standard (IS). The drugs were chromatographically separated using an Acquity ultra-performance liquid chromatography UPLC ® BEH C18 1.7 µm (2.1 × 150 mm) column with a mobile phase composed of acetonitrile: water (65:35, v/v) adjusted to pH 3 with diluted acetic acid. Plasma proteins were precipitated with acetonitrile. The separated drugs ranged from 0.3 to 10, 0.2–11, and 1–25 µg/mL for CIP, IBU, and DIC, respectively. Calibration curves were discovered to achieve linearity with acceptable correlation coefficients (0.99%). Examination of quality assurance samples showed exceptional precision and accuracy. Following the successful application of this improved technique to plasma samples, the pharmacokinetic characteristics of each selected drug were evaluated using (UPLC) with UV detection at 210 nm. Two green metrics were applied, the Analytical Eco-scale and the Analytical GREEnness Calculator (AGREE). Separation was achieved in only 4-min analysis time. The method's validation agreed with the requirements of the FDA, and the results were sufficient.
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•Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) provoke ROS formation.•MSNs suppress antioxidant defense enzymes.•MSNs induce inflammation, cardiotoxicity and pulmonary toxicity.
Mesoporous ...silica nanoparticles (MSNs) represent one of the most promising drug delivery systems. MSNs have attracted considerable attention in recent years both in industry and biomedicine due to their unique properties. Thus, evaluation of the toxic effects of MSNs is necessary before the biomedical and clinical applications. We investigated the in vivo effect of MSNs on the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), antioxidant defenses and histology of the heart and lung. Rats received 25, 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg body weight of synthesized MSNs intraperitoneally for 30 days and samples were collected for analysis. MSNs induced significant increase in serum cardiac function markers, tumor necrosis factor alpha and lipids. MSNs-induced rats exhibited anemia, thrombocytopenia, leukocytosis, significantly increased ROS, malondialdehyde and nitric oxide, and declined antioxidant defenses in the heart and lung of rats. In addition, MSNs induced histological alterations in the heart and lung of rats. In conclusion, our results demonstrated that MSNs induce cardiotoxicity and pulmonary toxicity via excessive generation of ROS, suppressed antioxidants, inflammation and histological alterations. Further investigations are recommended to understand the molecular mechanism underlying the toxic effects of MSNs and to improve the performance of nanomedicine.
Novel modified Ni/Fe layered double hydroxides with different morphology of spherical - like shape were fabricated via using urea as a ligand and glycerol (Ni/Fe LDH/GL) with Ni:Fe molar ratios of ...2:1 by the simplest co -precipitation method. Also, for comparison purposes, Ni/Fe LDH was synthesized to be used as a control one. A suggested interpretation for the morphology change was also given. The materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), The Fourier transform infrared (FT - IR) spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), EDX for elemental analysis, high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), Brunauer, Emmett, and Teller (BET) equation, particle size distributions and Zeta potential measurements. In addition, the synthesized materials were used as adsorbents for removal of potassium dichromate from aqueous solutions under various experimental conditions. The adsorption of Cr (VI) was strongly pH dependant and the pH
was studied. Kinetic studies were evaluated through different models including, pseudo first and second orders, mixed 1, 2 orders, intra particle diffusion and Avrami models. For adsorption isotherms, two-parameter models (Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin) and three parameter models (Sips, Langmuir-Freundlich and Tooth) were investigated showing maximum adsorption capacity of 50.43 mg/g and 136.05 mg/g for Ni/Fe LDH and Ni/Fe LDH/GL, respectively. Also, the effect of temperature was investigated at (23, 35, 45, 55 °C) and the thermodynamic parameters (∆H°, ∆S° and ∆G°) were calculated showing exothermic and spontaneous adsorption process. The effect of coexisting anions (Cl
, SO
and HPO
) and humic acid at different concentrations on the removal efficiency of dichromate ions was investigated. Chemical stability and recyclability of these adsorbents were also studied. The intermolecular hydrogen bonds formation between dichromate ion, urea, glycerol, LDH was explored by Monte Carlo simulation This study suggested that the modified Ni/Fe LDH/GL materials were promising nanoadsorbents for efficient potassium dichromate removal.
A new strategy regarding the fabrication of chitosan (CS) or ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) on graphene oxide (GO) was performed. The nematocidal potential against Meloidogyne incognita ...causing root-knot infection in eggplant was tested. The plant immune response was investigated through measuring the photosynthetic pigments, phenols and proline contents, oxidative stress, and antioxidant enzymes activity. Results indicating that, the treatment by pure GO recorded the most mortality percentages of M. incognita 2nd juveniles followed by GO-CS then GO-EDTA. In vivo greenhouse experiments reveals that, the most potent treatment in reducing nematodes was GO-CS which recorded 85.42%, 75.3%, 55.5%, 87.81%, and 81.32% in numbers of 2nd juveniles, galls, females, egg masses and the developmental stage, respectively. The highest chlorophyll a (104%), chlorophyll b (46%), total phenols (137.5%), and free proline (145.2%) were recorded in GO-CS. The highest malondialdehyde (MDA) value was achieved by GO-EDTA (7.22%), and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) content by 47.51% after the treatment with pure GO. Treatment with GO-CS increased the activities of catalase (CAT) by 98.3%, peroxidase (POD) by 97.52%, polyphenol oxidase (PPO) by 113.8%, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) by 42.43%. The synthesized nanocomposites increases not only the nematocidal activity but also the plant systematic immune response.
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