In the present work, we synthesized CoxZn1-xFe2O4 spinel ferrite nanoparticles (x= 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3 and 0.4) via the precipitation and hydrothermal-joint method. Structural parameters were ...cross-verified using X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) and electron microscopy-based techniques. The magnetic parameters were determined by means of vibrating sample magnetometry. The as-synthesized CoxZn1-xFe2O4 nanoparticles exhibit high phase purity with a single-phase cubic spinel-type structure of Zn-ferrite. The microstructural parameters of the samples were estimated by XRD line profile analysis using the Williamson–Hall approach. The calculated grain sizes from XRPD analysis for the synthesized samples ranged from 8.3 to 11.4 nm. The electron microscopy analysis revealed that the constituents of all powder samples are spherical nanoparticles with proportions highly dependent on the Co doping ratio. The CoxZn1-xFe2O4 spinel ferrite system exhibits paramagnetic, superparamagnetic and weak ferromagnetic behavior at room temperature depending on the Co2+ doping ratio, while ferromagnetic ordering with a clear hysteresis loop is observed at low temperatures (5K). We concluded that replacing Zn2+ ions with Co2+ ions changes both the structural and magnetic properties of ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles.
The complement system is implicated in synapse loss in the MS hippocampus, but the functional consequences of synapse loss remain poorly understood. Here, in post-mortem MS hippocampi with ...demyelination we find that deposits of the complement component C1q are enriched in the CA2 subfield, are linked to loss of inhibitory synapses and are significantly higher in MS patients with cognitive impairments compared to those with preserved cognitive functions. Using the cuprizone mouse model of demyelination, we corroborated that C1q deposits are highest within the demyelinated dorsal hippocampal CA2 pyramidal layer and co-localized with inhibitory synapses engulfed by microglia/macrophages. In agreement with the loss of inhibitory perisomatic synapses, we found that Schaffer collateral feedforward inhibition but not excitation was impaired in CA2 pyramidal neurons and accompanied by intrinsic changes and a reduced spike output. Finally, consistent with excitability deficits, we show that cuprizone-treated mice exhibit impaired encoding of social memories. Together, our findings identify CA2 as a critical circuit in demyelinated intrahippocampal lesions and memory dysfunctions in MS.
Camel trypanosomiasis or surra is of great concern in Somalia, since the country possesses the largest one-humped camel (Camelus dromedarius) population in the world. Civil war in Somalia has ...resulted in the destruction of educational, research, economic and social structures, making the country scores very low for most humanitarian indicators. Previous studies on detection of Trypanosoma species in Somali camels have only been performed during the 1990s using standard trypanosome detection methods (STDM). Considering the lack of state-of-the-art knowledge on camel trypanosomiasis in Somalia, the present study aimed to assess the prevalence of Trypanosoma spp. in three districts of Somalia.
A total of 182 blood samples from C. dromedarius from nomadic and dairy farms were evaluated using STDM, serological (CATT/T. evansi) and molecular (ITS1-PCR) methods.
All samples were negative for Trypanosoma spp. by STDM. A total of 125/182 (68.7%, 95% CI: 61.4-75.3%) camels were seropositive for T. evansi by CATT/T. evansi. Camels reared in nomadic system were more likely to be seropositive for T. evansi than those under dairy production system (OR: 5.6, 95% CI: 2.1-15.2, P = 0.0001). Five out of 182 (2.7%, 95% CI: 0.9-6.3%) camels tested positive for Trypanosoma sp. by ITS1-PCR. Sequencing of the ITS1 region of the Trypanosoma species detected herein revealed that camels were infected with T. evansi and T. simiae.
Trypanosoma evansi is highly prevalent in camels from the Banadir region of Somalia, particularly in nomadic herds. To our knowledge, this is the first study to confirm infections with T. evansi and T. simiae in Somali camels through DNA sequencing. Our data highlight the need for implementation of adequate control measures aiming to reduce the impact on camel production in the country.
Abstract
In this work, we demonstrated Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT: PSS) as a saturable absorber (SA) to produce mode-locking operation in different length of ...Erbium-doped fiber laser (EDFL). The PEDOT: PSS was embedded into polyvinyl alcohol to form a thin film that acts as an absorber into the laser setup. The three different mode-locked EDFL were successfully demonstrated with different cavity length and output coupler ratio. The pulse repetition rate/width of 3.417 MHz/710 fs, 4.831 MHz/510 fs, and 6.049 MHz/460 fs were obtained by utilizing optical coupler/ cavity length of 20:80/60.7 m, 10:90/42.7 m, and 5:95/33.7 m, respectively. All experiments generated a stable and mode-locked operation at a central wavelength of 1570.76 nm, 1570.3 nm, and 1569.95 nm with 3 dB bandwidth of 4.8 nm, 5.6 nm, and 6.5 nm, respectively. The long-time stability of the ultrafast fiber lasers was investigated for each setup via 120 min. The proposed PEDOT: PSS has proven as a promising material to induce mode-locking operation in different fiber laser setup.
In this study, Monoclinic bismuth oxide nanorods (α-Bi2O3 NRs) were successfully synthesized by a simple one-step hydrothermal route using (water: ethanol) (1:1) as a mixed solvents at optimum ...conditions. The Bi2O3 nano-powder was characterized in detail by different techniques in terms of their structural, morphological, compositional, optical and photocatalytic properties. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis indicated that the as-synthesized Bi2O3 NRs exhibited high purity with monoclinic structure (α-Bi2O3) and good crystallinity. The Transmission electron microscope (TEM), Energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDXS) and Field Emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) analysis clearly confirmed the high purity and the nanorod morphology of the as-synthesized Bi2O3 sample. The optical band gap of α-Bi2O3 NRs was estimated using the UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-Vis DRS) analysis according to the Kubelka-Munk theory. The optical band gap of α-Bi2O3 NRs was found to be 3.55 eV for an indirect allowed transition and 3.63 eV for a direct allowed transition. The Fourier transfer infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was employed to check the structure as well as to evaluate the phonon vibration modes corresponding to Bi2O3. Photocatalytic activity of α-Bi2O3 NRs was investigated using UV source lamp. The as-synthesized α-Bi2O3 NRs photocatalyst exhibited better performance for degradation and decolorization of Methylene blue (MB) under ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. MB was completely photodegraded after 210 min under UV irradiation using α-Bi2O3 NRs as photocatalyst.
Background
Bartonellosis, caused by bacteria of the genus Bartonella, is a zoonotic disease with several mammalian reservoir hosts. In Somalia, a country heavily reliant on livestock, zoonotic ...diseases pose significant public health and economic challenges. To the best of our knowledge, no study has been performed aiming to verify the occurrence of Bartonella spp. in Somalia. This study investigated the occurrence and molecular characterization of Bartonella in dromedary (Camelus dromedarius, Linnaeus, 1758), cattle, sheep, and goats from Somalia.
Materials and Methods
530 blood samples were collected from various animals (155 dromedary, 199 goat, 131 cattle, and 45 sheep) in Benadir and Lower Shabelle regions. DNA was extracted for molecular analysis, and a qPCR assay targeting the NADH dehydrogenase gamma subunit (nuoG) gene was used for Bartonella screening. Positive samples were also subjected to PCR assays targeting seven molecular markers including: nuoG, citrate synthase gene (gltA), RNA polymerase beta‐subunit gene (rpoB), riboflavin synthase gene (ribC), 60 kDa heat‐shock protein gene (groEL), cell division protein gene (ftsZ), and pap31 and qPCR targeting the 16‐23S rRNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) followed by Sanger sequencing, BLASTn and phylogenetic analysis.
Results
Out of 530 tested animals, 5.1% were positive for Bartonella spp. by the nuoG qPCR assay. Goats showed the highest Bartonella occurrence (17/199, 8.5%), followed by sheep (6/44, 6.8%), cattle (4/131, 3.1%), and dromedary (1/155, 1.9%). Goats, sheep, and cattle had higher odds of infection compared to dromedary. Among nuoG qPCR‐positive samples, 11.1%, 14.8%, 11.1%, and 25.9% were positive in PCR assays based on nuoG, gltA, and pap31 genes, and in the qPCR based on the ITS region, respectively. On the other hand, nuoG qPCR‐positive samples were negative in the PCR assays targeting the ribC, rpoB, ftsZ, and groEL genes. While Bartonella bovis sequences were detected in cattle (nuoG and ITS) and goats (gltA), Bartonella henselae ITS sequences were detected in dromedary, goat, and sheep. Phylogenetic analysis placed gltA Bartonella sequence from a goat in the same clade of B. bovis.
Conclusion
The present study showed, for the first time, molecular evidence of Bartonella spp. in dromedary and ruminants from Somalia and B. henselae in sheep and goats globally. These findings contribute valuable insights into Bartonella spp. occurrence in Somali livestock, highlighting the need for comprehensive surveillance and control measures under the One Health approach.
Backscatter communication is an energy-efficient communication technique for the Internet of things (IoT) devices. It enables data transmission by reflecting the incident radio signals. In this ...paper, we propose a communication mode selection scheme for IoT devices that can communicate using either active transmission or backscattering. In the active transmission mode, the IoT devices can transmit data over narrowband subcarriers using power-domain non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA). In the backscattering mode, which operates over shorter distance than active transmission, nearby user equipment (UE) devices are used as relays. The UEs receive the backscattered signals from the IoT devices and forward them to the base station. We formulate a connection density maximization problem to select the communication mode used by each IoT device. We determine the IoT device pairing for active transmission mode with NOMA and UE-IoT device association for backscattering mode. The formulated problem is a binary integer programming problem. Although it can be solved optimally, the optimal algorithm incurs exponential computational complexity. Hence, we propose a low-complexity suboptimal algorithm to solve this problem. Results show that our proposed algorithm can enhance the connection density of narrowband IoT systems by up to 64% when compared with using single communication mode.
Herein we study the activity and acidity relationship, Sulfamic acid (SA) has been incorporated with tin oxide (Sn). Acidity measurement confirmed the presence of dual-acidic sites. SA hinders the ...crystallization and inhibits SnO2 crystal growth. The particle size of SnO2 (2.1–8.2 nm) and the SBET values of samples were found to be dependent on the SA content and calcination temperatures. The increase in the surface acidity was found to occur with increasing the thermal treatment up to 450 °C, while further increasing of calcination temperature is accompanied by a decrease in the surface acidity. Lewis and Bronsted acid sites play important role in the catalytic activity, The SA-Sn nanoparticles are efficient for the synthesis of 14-aryl-14H-dibenzoa,j xanthene under solvent-free conditions in good to excellent yields and the sample contains 25 wt% SA has the highest activity than the others under the same reaction conditions.
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•Sulfamic acid incorporated Tin oxide has been studied as a solid acid Catalyst.•14-aryl-14H dibenzo a,j xanthene yield increases as the acid Strength and Bronsted/ Lewis ratio increases.•25% Sulphamic acid-Tin oxide gives the highest activity and highest yield.•The presence of sulfamic acid stabilize and keep the tetragonal phase of SnO2 in nanoscale even at 650 °C.
Correction for 'The role of PMA in enhancing the surface acidity and catalytic activity of a bimetallic Cr-Mg-MOF and its applications for synthesis of coumarin and dihydropyrimidinone derivatives' ...by Reda S. Salama
et al.
,
RSC Adv.
, 2020,
10
, 21115-21128,
https://doi.org/10.1039/D0RA03591B
.
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