Drinking water from copper vessels and aerobic exercise have been the known facts for cardioprotection. Our previous report explored the significant cardioprotective potential of copper and exercise ...training by increasing phosphorylation of GSK-3β and anti-oxidant potential.
Present study focuses the therapeutic potential of CuNP and exercise training through their molecular interaction with GSK-3β, inflammatory cytokinin, oxidative stress and necrosis.
The Myocardial damage was assessed by estimating the serum nitrite/nitrate concentration, increased CKMB, LDH, cTnI level, oxidative stress, inflammatory cytokinin and structural abnormalities in I/R insulted rats. Expression of Akt/pAkt and GSK-3β/pGSK-3β was measured by western blotting.
Treatment with CuNP (1 mg/kg/day, p.o., 4 weeks) and exercise training (swimming, 90 min/4 weeks) either alone or in combination markedly reduced I/R induced myocardial damage by attenuating biochemical and structural alteration. A significant reduction in oxidative stress and inflammatory mediators were observed in CuNP and exercise training treatment against I/R insulted rats. Moreover, improved serum NO bioavailability was observed in CuNP and exercise treated rats. Wortmannin associated blockage of cardioprotection induced by CuNP and exercise training and up-regulation of pAkt and pGSK-3β in I/R insulted heart confirmed the GSK-3β phosphorylation potential of CuNP and exercise training and -associated cardioprotection.
Treatment with CuNP and exercise training either alone or in combination favourably phosphorylate GSK-3β kinase pathways and further diminish oxidative stress, inflammatory cytokines, apoptosis and increase serum bioavailability of NO in the I/R insulted rats which tends to protect myocardial damage.
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•Copper nanoparticles (CuNP) provide cardioprotection against I/R -induced myocardial infarction.•This myocardial protection is associated with the inhibition of GSK-3 β.•Swimming exercise training also shows the cardioprotection against I/R -induced myocardial infarction.•Swimming exercise training associated with preconditioning may be a pivotal mechanism of protection.•Moreover, both CuNP and exercise training treatment attenuates myocardial oxidative stress and structural abnormalities.
TiO
2
nano particles (NPs) are one of the most produced nanoparticles in the world which are increasingly being released in to the soil. Soils are exposed to various level of concentration of TiO
2
...NPs, which has raised concern over the adverse influence on soil microbial community, in turn on ecosystem functions. Although, increasing number of studies on ecotoxicological effect of TiO
2
NPs are coming up recently, however, a common conscience has yet to be reached regarding the impact of TiO
2
NPs on soil microbial community and processes. Moreover, very few studies have targeted soil enzymes which are being considered as sensitive indicator of soil health. Therefore, the present study has been carried out to estimate the ecotoxicological effect of various doses of TiO
2
NPs (5, 10, 20, 40, 80, 100 mg kg
−1
soil) on different soil enzymes and microbial community structure. Results revealed that soil enzyme activities and microbial biomass had a uniform trend where the value increased up to the dose of 20 mg TiO
2
NPs kg
−1
soil and there onwards reduced drastically up to 100 mg TiO
2
NPs kg
−1
soil dose. On the contrary, soil respiration and metabolic quotient kept increasing up to 100 mg TiO
2
NPs kg
−1
soil dose indicating sub-lethal stress on microbial community. Nevertheless, the structure of microbial community had slightly different trend where the biomass of total phospho lipid fatty acid (PLFA), Gram positive, Gram negative bacteria, fungi, actinomyctetes and anaerobes were found to be increased up to dose of 80 mg TiO
2
NPs kg
−1
soil, but, significantly declined at 100 mg TiO
2
NPs kg
−1
soil dose. Furthermore, temperature effect on TiO
2
NPs toxicity had exhibited a less negative impact at 40 °C rather than at 25 °C. In addition alteration index (AI3), an integrated indicator of C, N, P cycling of soils as well as a well-documented indicator of soil pollution, has been found to be regulated by soil respiration, clay content, anaerobe and eukaryote for AI3-Acid Phos. and by fungi to bacteria ratio, soil respiration, microbial biomass and Gram positive bacteria for AI3-Alk. Phos. Overall, the study provided valuable information regarding ecotoxicological impact of environmentally relevant concentrations of TiO
2
NPs in clay loam soils as well as improved our perception regarding the impact of NPs on soil functioning.
Recovery of iron values from the Barsua iron ore slimes containing 56% Fe, 4.8% SiO2, 7.2% Al2O3 and 7.0% LOI by the addition of synthetic colloidal magnetite and oleate colloidal coating followed by ...high gradient magnetic separation technique was investigated. The effects of concentration of colloidal magnetite, pH, and magnetic field strength were studied. The detailed characterization studies of the slime samples carried out by SEM, FTIR, and AFM analysis suggested the coating of magnetic material on iron oxide surface. AFM studies of slime and slime coated with colloidal magnetite provided information about the average height and roughness on the calculated area. The image profile of iron ore slimes equilibrated by oleate colloidal magnetite indicated the maximum height due to the presence of an oleate group, which has a strong affinity for iron atoms. Finally, an iron concentrate of 62.6% Fe, 2.0% SiO2, and 3.5% Al2O3 with 72% recovery was achieved at pH7 and at colloidal magnetite concentration of 10–40g/t at 12kG, whereas the recovery was only 62.4% without the addition of colloidal magnetite at the same magnetic field intensity.
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•Recovery of iron values from iron ore slimes using selective magnetic coating•Colloidal magnetite and oleate colloidal magnetite used as the coating agents•FTIR and AFM studies confirm preferential magnetic coating on hematite.•Iron recovery enhanced compared to conventional magnetic separation.
Resistance against artemisinin-based combination therapy is one of the challenges to malaria control and elimination globally. Mutations in different genes (Pfdhfr, Pfdhps, Pfk-13 and Pfmdr1) confer ...resistance to artesunate and sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (AS + SP) were analysed from Mandla district, Madhya Pradesh, to assess the effectiveness of the current treatment regimen against uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum.
Dried blood spots were collected during the active fever survey and mass screening and treatment activities as part of the Malaria Elimination Demonstration Project (MEDP) from 2019 to 2020. Isolated DNA samples were used to amplify the Pfdhfr, Pfdhps, Pfk13 and Pfmdr1 genes using nested PCR and sequenced for mutation analysis using the Sanger sequencing method.
A total of 393 samples were subjected to PCR amplification, sequencing and sequence analysis; 199, 215, 235, and 141 samples were successfully sequenced for Pfdhfr, Pfdhps, Pfk13, Pfmdr1, respectively. Analysis revealed that the 53.3% double mutation (C59R, S108N) in Pfdhfr, 89.3% single mutation (G437A) in Pfdhps, 13.5% single mutants (N86Y), and 51.1% synonymous mutations in Pfmdr1 in the study area. Five different non-synonymous and two synonymous point mutations found in Pfk13, which were not associated to artemisinin resistance.
The study has found that mutations linked to SP resistance are increasing in frequency, which may reduce the effectiveness of this drug as a future partner in artemisinin-based combinations. No evidence of mutations linked to artemisinin resistance in Pfk13 was found, suggesting that parasites are sensitive to artemisinin derivatives in the study area. These findings are a baseline for routine molecular surveillance to proactively identify the emergence and spread of artemisinin-resistant parasites.
Dielectric studies were carried out on Nd2CuTiO6 samples prepared by high temperature solid-state reaction followed by annealing under different oxygen partial pressures. X-ray diffraction studies ...revealed that the orthorhombic (Pnma) structure of Nd2CuTiO6 is retained in all the samples. The room temperature permittivity at 100Hz was found to be about 200 in the air-annealed sample, and it increased considerably to about 3000 upon annealing in argon atmosphere. The electrical conductivity in the argon-annealed compound was found to be an order of magnitude higher than that for the air-annealed sample. On annealing in oxygen, both permittivity and electrical conductivity of the sample were found to be significantly reduced. The variation in dielectric properties could be attributed to the induction or annihilation of mixed valence state of copper and oxygen vacancies, which was supported by X-ray photoelectron and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy data. The analysis of temperature and frequency dependent conductivity and dielectric data showed that the overlapping large polaron tunnelling (OLPT) mechanism is responsible for the observed dielectric relaxations and conduction. The observed systematic dependence of properties on the oxygen partial pressure of the annealing environment suggests a simple method to tune the electrical properties of Nd2CuTiO6.
•Annealing conditions affect dielectric properties in rare-earth double perovskite.•Crystalline structure remains unchanged.•Changes in mixed valence of copper and oxygen vacancies.•Dielectric properties may be tuned by varying synthesis conditions.•Conduction due to overlapping large polaron tunnelling.
Understanding the speciation of metal ions in heterogeneous hydrogen-bonded deep eutectic solvents (DES) has immense importance for their wide range of applications in green technology, environmental ...remediation, and nuclear industry. Unfortunately, the fundamental nature of the interaction between DES and actinide ions is almost completely unknown. In the present work, we outline the speciation, solvation mechanism, and redox chemistry of uranyl ion (UO2 2+) in DES consisting of choline chloride (ChCl) and urea as the hydrogen-bond donor. Electrochemical and spectroscopic techniques along with molecular dynamics (MD) simulations have provided a microscopic insight into the solvation and speciation of the UO2 2+ ion in DES and also on associated changes in physical composition of the DES. The hydrogen-bonded structure of DES plays an important role in the redox behavior of the UO2 2+ ion because of its strong complexation with DES components. X-ray absorption spectroscopy and MD simulations showed strong covalent interactions of uranyl ions with the constituents of DES, which led to rearrangement of the hydrogen-bonding network in it without formation of any clusters or aggregations. This, in turn, stabilizes the most unstable pentavalent uranium (UO2 +) in the DES. MD analysis also highlights the fact that the number of H-bonds is reduced in the presence of uranyl nitrate irrespective of the presence of water with respect to pristine reline, which suggests high stability of the formed complexed species. The effect of added water up to 20 v/v % on speciation is insignificant for DES, but the presence of water influences the redox chemistry of UO2 2+ ions considerably. The fundamental findings of the present work would have far reaching consequences on understanding DES, particularly for application in the field of nuclear fuel reprocessing.
Palladium is extensively used for catalyzing various organic and inorganic reactions. The nanostructures of Pd are expected to exhibit an improved catalytic efficacy. However, their uses have several ...issues which could be addressed by encapsulating the Pd nanostructures in the appropriate host matrices without affecting the accessibility of catalytic sites. In the present work, the silica nanotubes were formed by coating of the (3-glycidyloxypropyl)trimethoxysilane and tetraethoxysilane on the Fe3O4 NPs template, which was subsequently leached out. The reducing groups on the silica nanotubes were incorporated by the grafting of hydrazine using 3-glycidyloxypropyl linkers on the silica nanotubes and subsequently reacting with hydrazine. Thus formed silica nanotubes were loaded with the Pd NPs using self-reducing route and also using the external agent for further reduction of Pd2+ ions loaded by the ion-exchange mechanism, which increased the Pd loading from 43 mg g−1 to 128 mg g−1. Thus, formed Pd NPs loaded silica nanotubes were characterized by various techniques such as EDS, FESEM, HRTEM and SAXS to understand the formation of Pd NPs embedded silica nanotubes and their physical properties. The HRTEM images showed the formation of silica nanotubes having ≈10 nm diameter and varying length (20–60 nm). The SAXS studies suggested the Pd NPs were having 6 nm sizes irrespective of the reducing routes or the loading capacity. The Pd NPs loaded silica nanotubes were found to possess a remarkable efficiency for catalyzing the representative oxyions reduction of CrO42− to Cr(III) with formic acid at room temperature. Based on room temperature reduction, the transport of Cr(VI) across the anion-exchange membrane and subsequent reduction to Cr(III) in the receiver compartment was studied to develop a new Cr(VI)-separation process having the potentials applications for a variety of feeds.
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•Silica nanotubes were formed by coating of the alkoxy silanes on Fe3O4 templates.•For self-reducing property, hydrazine was grafted using 3-glycidyloxypropyl linker.•The silica nanotubes were loaded with 128 mg g−1 Pd NPs having 5–6 nm sizes.•This material exhibited reduction of Cr(VI) with formate at room temperature.•Transport of Cr(VI) across the anion-exchange membrane and reduction were studied.
The present study investigates the effect of different mono-sulphide and di-sulphide materials (MSM & DSM) on the performance of a bimetallic (Au–Ag) surface plasmonic resonance (SPR) sensor. The ...study considers materials such as ZnS, GeS, CuS, and CdS from the MSM group and SnS
2
, ReS
2
, MoS
2
, WS
2
, and PtS
2
from the DSM group and investigates their effect on the performance of the bimetallic SPR sensor. Each material is applied individually for the bi-metallic SPR sensor, and the optimized thickness and layer number of that material is reported. It is shown that two materials (ZnS and GeS) from the MSM group and one material (SnS
2
) from the DSM group show good performance. Sensitivity in these configurations, Au–Ag-ZnS/GeS/SnS
2
are 350°/RIU, 366°/RIU, and 333°/RIU respectively for analyte refractive index range of 1.335–1.347. The study also reports a detailed illustration of the distribution of electric fields for various MSM or DSM layers using an optimized thickness/layer number. Moreover, the study is further extended to investigate the performance of the optimized structures as a biosensor by using urine as the bio-sample. Urine samples of different glucose concentrations are being used in the MSM&DSM layers of the sensor and the sensitivity is calculated for each step of refractive index change. The overall sensitivity of the Au–Ag-ZnS/GeS /SnS
2
configurations is found to be 361.1°/RIU, 411.1°/RIU, and 388.87°/RIU respectively, indicating the BK7–Au–Ag–GeS as the most efficient for the use of glucose detection. Other investigated parameters such as DA and QF of the Au–Ag–ZnS/GeS /SnS
2
configuration are found to be 0.19 deg
−1
, 0.18 deg
−1
, 0.21 deg
−1
and 66.92RIU
−1
, 69 RIU
−1
, 72.69 RIU
−1
respectively. A comparison of the proposed structure with the similar reported works proves its capability to be utilized as a prerequisite for efficient biosensors and other types of label-free sensors.
Global malaria cases rose by 14 million, and deaths by 69,000, in 2020. In India, a 46% decline has been reported between 2020 and 2019. In 2017, the Malaria Elimination Demonstration Project ...conducted a needs-assessment of the Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) of Mandla district. This survey revealed the inadequate level of knowledge in malaria diagnosis and treatment. Subsequently, a training programme was launched for enhancing malaria-related knowledge of ASHAs. The present study was conducted in 2021 to evaluate the impact of training on malaria-related knowledge and practices of ASHAs in Mandla. This assessment was also done in two adjoining districts: Balaghat and Dindori.
A cross-sectional survey using a structured questionnaire was administered to ASHAs to measure their knowledge and practices related to malaria etiology, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. A comparison of information collected from these three districts was performed using simple descriptive statistics, comparison of means and multivariate logistic regression analysis.
Significant improvement was noted amongst ASHAs of district Mandla between 2017 (baseline) and 2021 (endline) in knowledge related to malaria transmission, preventive measures, adherence to the national drug policy, diagnosis using rapid diagnostic tests, and identification of age group-specific, colour-coded artemisinin combination therapy blister packs (p < 0.05). The multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that odds of Mandla baseline was 0.39, 0.48, 0.34, and 0.07 times lower for malaria-related knowledge on disease etiology, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, respectively (p < 0.001). Further, participants in districts Balaghat and Dindori showed significantly lower odds for knowledge (p < 0.001) and treatment practices (p < 0.01) compared to Mandla endline. Education, attended training, having a malaria learner's guide, and minimum 10 years' work experience were potential predictors for good treatment practices.
The findings of the study unequivocally establishes significant improvement in overall malaria-related knowledge and practices of ASHAs in Mandla as a result of periodic training and capacity building efforts. The study suggests that learnings from Mandla district could be helpful in improving level of knowledge and practices among frontline health workers.
Efficient and selective sequestration of pertechnetate ions (
99
TcO
4
-
) from nuclear low-level waste (LLW) solution is very much desirable for the safe treatment of radioactive liquid waste. ...However, the separation of specific radionuclides from competitors is a huge challenge in separation science. In the nuclear fuel cycle,
99
TcO
4
-
is one of troublesome fission products due to long half-life, large inventory in spent fuel, significant radiation hazards, and high environmental mobility of
99
TcO
4
-
ions. Recently, the metal−organic framework (MOFs) has shown significant potentials toward
99
TcO
4
-
removal. So far, most of the studies were reported using ReO
4
-
ions, an inactive surrogate of
99
TcO
4
-
ions, and very few MOF materials are applied for real-time
99
TcO
4
-
sequestration from nuclear waste solution in the presence of extreme conditions. Herein, we report
99
TcO
4
-
ion removal from low-level liquid nuclear waste solution using zirconium-based metal−organic framework UIO-66-NH
2
. The material has exhibited fast kinetics and record selectivity toward
99
TcO
4
-
ions, making the adsorbent highly promising.
Successful synthesis of zirconium-based metal−organic framework UIO-66-NH2/UIO-66-NH3+ was carried out using the solvothermal method.
Characterization of zirconium-based metal−organic framework UIO-66-NH2/UIO-66-NH3+ was carried out using PXRD, SEM, EDX, and elemental analysis.
An ion exchange study of 99TcO4- ions was carried out with low-level waste (LLW) solution.
UIO-66-NH2/UIO-66-NH3+ has exhibited fast kinetics and record selectivity toward 99TcO4- ions with low-level waste (LLW) solution.
Feasibility and selectivity study of the TcO4− extraction process with nuclear reprocessing low-level waste (LLW) solution.
