•Studied the effect of silver nanoparticles exposure in rice seedlings.•AgNPs stress affected different physiological parameters.•Caused excessive reactive oxygen species generation and cell ...death.•Resulted in the modulation of genes related to antioxidative defense.
The physiological and molecular level changes of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) exposure were investigated in rice (Oryza sativa L.) seedlings. The seedlings were exposed to different concentrations of (0, 0.2, 0.5 and 1mgL−1) AgNPs for one week. Significant reduction in root elongation, shoot and root fresh weights, total chlorophyll and carotenoids contents were observed. Exposure to 0.5 and 1mgL−1 of AgNPs caused significant increase in hydrogen peroxide formation and lipid peroxidation in shoots and roots, increased foliar proline accumulation and decreased sugar contents. AgNPs exposure resulted in a dose dependant increase in reactive oxygen species generation and also caused cytotoxicity as evidenced by increased dihydroethidium, 3′-(p-hydroxyphenyl) fluorescein and propidium iodide fluorescence. Tetramethylrhodamine methyl ester assay showed decreased mitochondrial membrane potential with increasing concentrations of AgNPs exposure in roots. Real Time PCR analysis showed differential transcription of genes related to oxidative stress tolerance viz. FSD1, MSD1, CSD1, CSD2, CATa, CATb, CATc, APXa and APXb in shoots and roots of rice seedlings. The overall results suggest that exposure to AgNPs caused significant physiological and molecular level changes, oxidative stress and also resulted in the induction oxidative stress tolerance mechanisms in rice seedlings.
Technological growth in advanced ammunition and weapons has led to development of protective antiballistic composites, which are mostly based on aramid fibers, as they absorb high impact energy, ...arising from penetrators. Enhanced performance of aramid fibers (modulus ∼ 112,400 MPa) is attributed to their compact molecular structure, hydrogen-bonding, high crystallinity, and high density (∼1.44 g/cm3). Methodologies such as layer-by-layer, shear thickening, yarn pull-out, and surface functionalization via nanomaterials have been reported for modification of aramid fibers, which are widely used with thermosets like epoxy (due to process-friendliness). Recently, researchers are exploring thermoplastics with aramids, due to their higher toughness, chemical resistance, and thermal stability. Modification of aramid fibers is mostly performed using nanomaterials, e.g., carbon nanotubes, graphene, silk fibroins, SiO2, and ZnO, for enhancing their performance and minimizing fiber buckling under load. This Review presents advances in modification of aramid fibers using nanomaterials with emphasis on thermoplastics for protective applications, their stress transfer mechanisms, and life cycle analysis and concludes with their recycling/recovery methods.
In this study,
strain DHCU70 isolated from
, a fermented milk product and
strain DKP1 isolated from
, a fermented soybean food of India, respectively were evaluated for their bacteriocin production ...and probiotic properties. Both strains of
(DHCU70 and DKP1) were found to have potent antimicrobial activity against
ATCC 9341. Bacteriocin produced by
strains DHCU70 and DKP1 did not exhibit inhibition of cell wall, DNA and fatty acids biosynthesis mechanisms as evaluated by whole cell reporter assays. We characterized the bacteriocin encoding genes in
strains DHCU70 and DKP1 by whole genome sequence which consisted of a single and circular chromosome with genome size of 3.38 Mb (GC content of 44.3%) and 3.39 Mb, respectively and a GC content of 44.3%.
DHCU70 has 3252 number of protein encoding genes comprising 89 number of RNA genes (69tRNA, 16rRNA, 4nc RNA) whereas
DKP1 has total of 3277 number of protein encoding genes with 89 number. of RNA genes (69tRNA, 16S rRNA, 4nc RNA). Analysis revealed the presence of 20.5 kb long and 23 numbers of plantaricin encoding locus (
locus) for production of antimicrobial compound. BAGEL analysis has shown that the
locus of both the strains of
showed maximum sequence similarity with plantaricin NC8 of
NC8, originally isolated from grass silage. Annotated whole genome sequence of both strains DHCU70 and DKP1 was analyzed for the presence of probiotic marker genes. The probiotic properties of these strains of were also evaluated
. Due to the presence of genes responsible for antimicrobial activity and probiotic properties, both strains of
may be considered as a suitable probiotic candidate in food industry.
Natural language processing: an introduction Nadkarni, Prakash M; Ohno-Machado, Lucila; Chapman, Wendy W
Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association : JAMIA,
09/2011, Letnik:
18, Številka:
5
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
To provide an overview and tutorial of natural language processing (NLP) and modern NLP-system design.
This tutorial targets the medical informatics generalist who has limited acquaintance with the ...principles behind NLP and/or limited knowledge of the current state of the art.
We describe the historical evolution of NLP, and summarize common NLP sub-problems in this extensive field. We then provide a synopsis of selected highlights of medical NLP efforts. After providing a brief description of common machine-learning approaches that are being used for diverse NLP sub-problems, we discuss how modern NLP architectures are designed, with a summary of the Apache Foundation's Unstructured Information Management Architecture. We finally consider possible future directions for NLP, and reflect on the possible impact of IBM Watson on the medical field.
Copper oxide nanoparticles (CuONPs) are widely used in several products and their release into the environment can cause toxicity to major food crops. In this study, toxic responses as a result of ...CuONPs exposure were studied in soybean (
Glycine max
L.) seedlings. The plants were grown in 1/2 strength Murashige and Skoog medium containing 0, 50, 100, 200, 400, and 500 mg/L of CuONPs in a growth chamber at 26 ± 2 °C with 16/8 h light/dark photoperiod for 14 days. The toxic effects of CuONPs were tested on the shoot and root development, total chlorophyll content, hydrogen peroxide generation, peroxidase (POD) enzyme activity, and lignification of root cells. The mRNA expression of different genes involved in lignin biosynthesis viz. phenylalanine ammonia lyase (
PAL
), cinnamate 4-hydroxylase (
C4H
), cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (
CAD
), peroxidase 2 (
POD2
), peroxidase 4 (
POD4
), and peroxidase 7 (
POD7
) was studied using real-time polymerase chain reaction. Exposure to 500 mg/L of CuONPs significantly reduced the shoot growth, weight, and total chlorophyll content. However, the root length and fresh weights were significantly reduced at all concentrations of CuONPs exposure. Exposure to 100, 200, 400, and 500 mg/L of CuONPs significantly increased the hydrogen peroxide level, POD activity, and lignin contents of roots. Treatment with 2,7-dichlorofluorescein diacetate indicated a concentration-dependent increase in reactive oxygen species generation in roots. Staining with phloroglucinol-HCl revealed a concentration dependant increase in lignification of root cells. The expression levels of
PAL
,
C4H
, and
CAD
genes were significantly up-regulated upon exposure to 100, 200, and 400 mg/L of CuONPs. Significant up-regulation in the expression levels of
POD2
and
POD4
genes was observed upon exposure to 100, 200, 400, and 500 mg/L of CuONPs. Exposure to 200, 400, and 500 mg/L of CuONPs resulted in significant up-regulation of
POD7
gene. These results for the first time show that exposure to CuONPs causes enhanced lignification of root cells and thereby affect root development in soybean seedlings.
This study examined the mechanism of toxicity in Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings to zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) and zinc (Zn) ions. We subjected plants to different ZnO NPs and Zn ion ...concentrations (0, 20, 50, 100 and 200mg/L) and analyzed resulting morphological changes, transcriptional regulation of genes involved in Zn-homeostasis, macro- and microelement homeostasis, as well as auxin regulation. Except for 20mg/L, the fresh weight and primary root length was reduced after exposure to all other concentrations of Zn ion and ZnO NP concentrations. An increase in lateral root formation (19 and 32%) was observed after exposure to 20 and 50mg/L of Zn ions respectively; whereas 20mg/L ZnO NPs treatment triggered a 9% increase in lateral root formation. Both qualitative, using Zynpyr-1 fluorescent probe and quantitative analysis revealed Zn uptake and translocation from roots to shoots after Zn ion exposure. However, ZnO NPs-treated seedlings resulted in no root to shoot translocation and Zn accumulation was mainly located in root tips, primary-lateral root junctions and root- shoot junctions. The macronutrients viz. P (1.34mg/kg DW), K (13.29mg/kg DW), S (1.29mg/kg DW) and micronutrients Cu (0.004mg/kg DW) and Fe (0.345mg/kg DW) contents were highly decreased as a result of exposure to 200mg/L of Zn ions. Similarly, the highest reduction of P (2.30mg/kg DW), K (6.36mg/kg DW), S (2.63mg/kg DW) and Cu (0.004mg/kg DW) was observed after exposure to 200mg/L of ZnO NPs. Gene regulation studies indicated the transcriptional modulation of various genes involved in Zn, macro- and micro nutrient homeostasis as well as hormone regulation. Taken together, it was observed that the mechanism of toxicity of Zn ions and ZnO NPs were different. These findings will help to design safer strategies for the application of ZnO NPs as plant fertilizer without compromising the morphological and nutritional qualities as well as for the future phytoremediation purposes.
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•ZnO NPs and Zn ions induced morphological changes in Arabidopsis thaliana.•Changes in roots system architecture was observed.•Modulated the expression of metal homeostasis and hormone regulation genes•Changed macro- and micro-nutrient contents•Provides insights for future application of ZnO NPs as fertilizer.
In this study, the effect of silver nanoparticles and silver ions on Arabidopsis thaliana was investigated at physiological and molecular levels. The seedlings were grown in sublethal concentrations ...of silver nanoparticles and silver ions (0.2, 0.5, and 1 mg/L) in 1/4 Hoagland’s medium for 14 days under submerged hydroponic conditions. Significantly higher reduction in the total chlorophyll and increase in anthocyanin content were observed after exposure to 0.5 and 1 mg/L silver nanoparticles as compared to similar concentrations of silver ions. Lipid peroxidation increased significantly after exposure to 0.2, 0.5, and 1 mg/L of silver nanoparticles and 0.5 and 1 mg/L of silver ions. Qualitative analysis with dichloro-dihydro-fluorescein diacetate and rhodamine 123 fluorescence showed a dose-dependent increase in reactive oxygen species production and changes in mitochondrial membrane potential in the roots of seedlings exposed to different concentrations of silver nanoparticles. Real-time PCR analysis showed significant upregulation in the expression of sulfur assimilation, glutathione biosynthesis, glutathione S-transferase, and glutathione reductase genes upon exposure to silver nanoparticles as compared with silver ions. Overall, based on the physiological and molecular level responses, it was observed that exposure to silver nanoparticles exerted more toxic response than silver ions in A. thaliana.
Utilization of regenerated and functionalized silk materials for integrated water treatment applications.
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•Silk for water & wastewater treatments via physical/chemical ...functionalization.•Silk materials for removal of toxic ions, and heavy metal ions.•Silk for oil-water separation using superhydrophobicity/oleophilicity.•Silk for water harvesting, collection, and transportation.•Biodegradation of silk materials in an environment.
The oil-spill accidents in oceans, and discharge/percolation of polluted wastewater by industries in environment causes severe damage to environment and water sources. Release of hazardous chemicals in an environment causes infertility to agricultural lands and contamination of natural water sources. In this sense, researchers have developed advanced materials and technologies for oil/solvent-water separation, and for removal of toxic pollutants from contaminated wastewater, however, their disposal and non-degradation after service life is one of the major environment related issue. Considering environmental concerns and compatibility of materials towards nature during their service life has compelled the scientific community to shift the focus on utilization biopolymeric materials for water treatment applications. Considering various biopolymeric materials, Silk is a naturally available, biocompatible, biodegradable, yet mechanically strong material. On commercial scale, silk is mainly produced by silkworms (bombyx mori, Tasar etc.), which is widely used in textiles and biomedical applications, due to their excellent biocompatibility, mechanical strength, and non-toxic nature. Literature analysis shows that silk materials have been widely used for biomedical applications, however, they are not much explored for water treatment applications like oil-water separation, effluent treatments, and unidirectional water transportation, etc. In this sense, this review extensively discusses utilization of silk biomaterials for water treatment applications like removal of toxic ions from wastewater, oil-water separation, unidirectional water transportation, etc. The review discusses important physical & chemical methods utilized for functionalization of silk biomaterials for above mentioned applications. Finally, the review concludes with biodegradation of silk materials under in-vivo/-in-vitro conditions, and various microorganisms, for mitigating their disposal problem in an environment.
In recent times, the status of some fermented foods which are considered as functional foods that confer health benefits in certain disease conditions has grown rapidly. The health benefits of ...fermented foods are due to the presence of probiotic microbes and the bioactive compounds formed during fermentation. Microbes involved and metabolites produced by them are highly species specific and contribute to the authenticity of the fermented foods. Several studies pertaining to the effect of fermented foods on various disease conditions have been conducted in recent years using both animal models and clinical trials on humans. This review focuses on the impact of fermented foods on conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, gastrointestinal disorder, cancer and neurodegenerative disorders.
Controlling the wetting behaviour of liquids on surfaces is important for a variety of industrial applications such as water-repellent coatings and lubrication. Liquid behaviour on a surface can ...range from complete spreading, as in the 'tears of wine' effect, to minimal wetting as observed on a superhydrophobic lotus leaf. Controlling droplet movement is important in microfluidic liquid handling, on self-cleaning surfaces and in heat transfer. Droplet motion can be achieved by gradients of surface energy. However, existing techniques require either a large gradient or a carefully prepared surface to overcome the effects of contact line pinning, which usually limit droplet motion. Here we show that two-component droplets of well-chosen miscible liquids such as propylene glycol and water deposited on clean glass are not subject to pinning and cause the motion of neighbouring droplets over a distance. Unlike the canonical predictions for these liquids on a high-energy surface, these droplets do not spread completely but exhibit an apparent contact angle. We demonstrate experimentally and analytically that these droplets are stabilized by evaporation-induced surface tension gradients and that they move in response to the vapour emitted by neighbouring droplets. Our fundamental understanding of this robust system enabled us to construct a wide variety of autonomous fluidic machines out of everyday materials.
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