This work presents the synthesis, characterization and photocatalytic activity of the Ag3PO4/UMOFNs(x) heterojunction (where x = 5, 10 and 20 wt%) in the degradation of the antibiotic levofloxacin ...(LVX) under white light-emitting diodes (WLEDs). MOFs, UMOFNs (ultrafine metal-organic structure nanosheets) bimetallic Co-Ni and Ag3PO4 were synthesized via hydrothermal, sonication-exfoliation and precipitation methods, respectively. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) standards, as well as the structural refinement methods, showed that MOFs and Ag3PO4 have triclinic crystalline phases with P 1¯ (2) space group and cubic centered body with space group P43¯n (218) space group, respectively. The results of micro-Raman and FT-IR, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), thermogravimetric analyses (TGA), SEM/EDS, and Zeta potential (ζº) indicated the chemical composition, hydration degree, and that samples have spherical, tabular and lamellar morphology respectively for the Ag3PO4, MOF and UMOFNs, with a specific surface charge in the range of −19.8 mV to −45.1 mV. UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) revealed that the band-gap energy of the UMOFNs was ≈ 3.14 eV, while the Ag3PO4 sample showed a band-gap energy (Eg) ≈ of 2.50 eV, with no significant variation of the Eg values for the synthesized heterojunctions. The Ag3PO4 and Ag3PO4/UMOFNs(x) heterojunctions (x = 5, 10 and 20 wt%) showed LVX degradation efficiency under WLEDs irradiation of 92.5, 81.0, 75.0 % and 70.0 %, respectively, under power density 11.0 mW.cm−2 at 60 min. In the third photocatalytic cycle, the catalytic efficiency of Ag3PO4 dropped to ≈ 6 %, while Ag3PO4/UMOFNs(x) remained at ≈ 36 %, which shows the inhibitory effect of UMOFNs on the photocorrosion of Ag3PO4. In addition, the radical scavenging experiment showed that *OH and *O2- were the most reactive species in the photocatalytic process.
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•Ag3PO4/UMOFNs(x) heterojunctions (where x = 5, 10, and 20 wt%) were synthesized.•Levofloxacin was photodegradated (yield 81 %) on Ag3PO4/UMOFNs 5 % at 60 min.•Ag3PO4/UMOFNs heterojunctions were more photostable than Ag3PO4 in catalytic cycles.
The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of aerobic and resistance training on BDNF and IGF-I expression in a 3xTg-AD mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease. Twenty-four 3xTg-AD ...mice were randomly assigned to either an aerobic (AT, n=8), resistance (RT, n=8), or control (CNT, n=8) group. Intervention groups underwent 9 weeks of exercise training. Motor behavior and grip strength were measured pre- and post- intervention. Our results showed a significant increase in hippocampal BDNF expression in AT mice after a 9-week intervention. Further, AT mice were found to have higher concentrations of IGF-I, and improved motor behavior when compared to RT and CNT. No significant differences were observed in IGF-I concentration between RT and other groups. RT improved grip strength after nine weeks of training. These findings support the use of AT and RT as a tool to improve comorbidities found in Alzheimer’s disease.
Microscopic enteritis(ME) is an inflammatory condition of the small bowel that leads to gastrointestinal symptoms,nutrient and micronutrient deficiency.It is characterised by microscopic or ...sub-microscopic abnormalities such as microvillus changes and enterocytic alterations in the absence of definite macroscopic changes using standard modern endoscopy.This work recognises a need to characterize disorders with microscopic and submicroscopic features,currently regarded as functional or non-specific entities,to obtain further understanding of their clinical relevance.The consensus working party reviewed statements about the aetiology,diagnosis and symptoms associated with ME and proposes an algorithm for its investigation and treatment.Following the 5th International Course in Digestive Pathology in Bucharest in November 2012,an international group of 21 interested pathologists and gastroenterologists formed a working party with a view to formulating a consensus statement on ME.A five-step agreement scale(from strong agreement to strong disagreement) was used to score 21 statements,independently.There was strong agreement on all statements about ME histology(95%-100%).Statements concerning diagnosis achieved 85% to 100% agreement.A statement on the management of ME elicited agreement from the lowest rate(60%) up to 100%.The remaining two categories showed general agreement between experts on clinical presentation(75%-95%) and pathogenesis(80%-90%) of ME.There was strong agreement on the histological definition of ME.Weaker agreement on management indicates a need for further investigations,better definitions and clinical trials to produce quality guidelines for management.This ME consensus is a step toward greater recognition of a significant entity affecting symptomatic patients previously labelled as non-specific or functional enteropathy.
Abstract Dental caries is a worldwide public health problem for which Streptococcus mutans has been identified as the possible infectious etiology. In recent years nanotechnology has permitted the ...development of new properties of materials. The objective of this study was to compare the bactericidal and bacteriostatic effects of nanoparticles of silver, zinc oxide, and gold on S. mutans. We used the liquid dilution method to find the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and with subcultures obtained the minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBCs). For silver the results showed an average MIC of 4.86 ± 2.71 μg/mL and MBC of 6.25 μg/mL; for zinc the MIC was 500 ± 306.18 μg/mL and MBC of 500 μg/mL; the gold nanoparticles demonstrated an effect only at an initial concentration of 197 μg/mL. We established a higher antimicrobial effect against S. mutans of silver nanoparticles at lower concentrations than gold or zinc, which would allow achieving important clinical effects with a reduced toxicity.
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