Characterization of Green Syntesized Silver Nanoparticles Doped in Polyacrylonitrile Nanofibers

This paper reports a cost effective and eco-friendly green technique used for the synthesis of silver metal nanoparticle from orange peel extracts. The synthesized nanoparticle was functionalized with polyacrylonitrile to form PAN/Ag nanofibers by electrospinning. The synthesized nanoparticle and its nanofibers were characterized by using spectroscopic and morphology techniques such as fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction (XRD) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), EDX to determine the elemental composition of the nanofibers and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The optical studies for the silver nanoparticles were carried out at different concentrations, volumes, and incubation time. The nanofiber diameters were evaluated to be 11, 9, 8, 6 nm for PAN , 6 mg Ag + PAN, 8 mg Ag+ PAN, and 10 mg Ag + PAN nanofibers. SEM of silver nanoparticles showed uniformity in morphology of which is spherical shape, with diameter of 20 nm. Thermal stability of the nanofibers was also investigated using thermal gravimetric analysis

Evaluation of the Antimicrobial Potential of Punica Granatum Leaves Hydro-methanolic Extract against Selected Pathogens

For a long time, extracts of Punica granatumhave been used in alternative and complementary medicine. The object of the present study was to evaluate the activity of Punica granatumleaves hydro-methanolic extract against some Gram-positive, Gram-negative bacteria and Candida albicans using agar diffusion assay.The leaves yielded 34.7% of raw semisolid extract after maceration in hydro-methanol (50:50 v/v) andevaporation.After lyophilization, the dry powder was reconstituted in Muller-Hinton broth to get a concentration of 128 mg/mL; from which further 5lower concentrations have been prepared (64, 32, 16, 8, and 4 mg/mL in Muller-Hinton Broth).The extract exhibitedconcentration-dependent activity against some Gram-positive bacteria, namely,Listeria monocytogenes (20.67 ± 0.82), Clostridium perfringens (17.33 ± 0.52), Staphyllococcus aureus (10.5 ± 0.55), Bacillus cereus (8.83 ± 0.41), and Enterococcus fecalis (6.33 ± 0.52);and against three Gram-negative bacteria, namely, Shigellaflexneri (13.33 ± 0.8), Vibrio parahaemolyticus(12.17 ± 0.42) and Proteus vulgaris (8.5 ± 0.55);as well as against Candida albicans (15.8 ± 0.98); (the values are in mm after 128 mg/mL extract). However, the extract was without any visible activity againstEscherichia coli, Salmonella typhimuriumand Klebsiellaaerogenes.The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) against susceptible organisms were1.06 mg/mL (Clostridium perfringens), 1.11 mg/mL (Vibrio parahaemolyticus), 2.08 mg/mL (Staphyllococcus aureus), 2.16 mg/mL (Bacillus cereus),2.76 mg/mL (Candida albicans), 3.07 mg/mL (Listeria monocytogenes), 3.80 (Shigella flexneri), 12.92 mg/mL (Proteus vulgaris) and 15.55 (Enterococcus faecalis).These data may indicate that Punica granatumleaves extract is active against some pathogenic bacterial strains and thus may be useful in treatment of disease conditionscaused by these bacteria at least as a complementary medicine

Influence of Carbon nanotube on Membrane Performance

Pursuit of appropriate membrane-based water treatment technology has been heightened. Polymeric membranes have been used to remove macro-, micro- and nano-pollutants from contaminated water. Recently, carbon nanotube-based nanocomposite membrane technologies have been adopted to eradicate fresh water crisis. Nanocarbon-based membranes have strong affinity towards water molecules and rejects salts and pollutants.The current glitches and future challenges in the use of nanocomposite membranes for water decontamination need to be understand. Advance antifouling membranes with self-cleaning properties must be focused for high performance industrial applications

Rapidly Progressive Malignant Rhabdoid Tumor of the Omentum in an Adult. A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Introduction: Malignant Rhabdoid Tumors (MRT) are exceedingly rare neoplasms that characteristically occur in infants and children and sparsely develop in adults. Primary MRTs of the omentum are particularly rare.Presentation of Case: A previously healthy 24-year-old male who presented with progressive abdominal distention and nausea. Further investigations revealed ascites with multifocal omental-based tumors. Biopsy with immunohistochemistry demonstrated dually positive cells for cytokeratin and vimentin and loss of Integrase Interactor 1 (INI1), and Next generation sequencing showed a copy number loss of SMARCB1 which established the diagnosis of malignant rhabdoid tumor. The patient’s clinical course was characterized by rapid local and metastatic progression with subsequent clinical deterioration, and he expired within three weeks of his initial presentation.Conclusion: Herein we describe the clinical course, difficulty with diagnosis, and paucity of treatment options for a rare and very aggressive malignant tumor. The ideal treatment regimen for MRTs has yet to be elucidated and additional studies are required to discern therapies that offer benefit

Tuning the Band Gap Energy of Reduced Graphene Oxide Using Biopolymer Chitosan for High Power and Frequency Device Applications

There has been continued research to realize the potential of wide-bandgap (WBG) semiconductors for power switching applications since larger band gap allows higher power and temperature operation and the generation of more energetic (i.e. blue) photons. As compared to other semiconductor materials, reduced graphene oxide (rGO) has a low bandgap energy, which limits its application for high power semiconductors. Blending rGO with chitosan bio-polymer widens its bandgap, which can be tuned by controlling the amount of chitosan. In this study, the interplay between the resultant structure and opto-electronic properties of rGO obtained from coconut husks via thermal pyrolysis blended with chitosan from squid gladii have been systematically studied. We thus report that the optical band gap of rGO can be systematically controlled by careful addition of chitosan in their blend. This can give it a new application as high power semiconductors

Corrosion Protection Behavior of Carbon Nanotube-based Nanocomposite

Polymer coatings have been successfully employed in corrosion protection of metals. In this article, the polymer coatings containing carbon nanotube have been focused for anti-corrosion behavior. Epoxy-based coatings have gained significant research interest owing to sufficient hydrophobicity, conductivity, water transport behavior, and corrosion resistance. According to corrosion resistance studies, incorporation of nanotube may increase the corrosion resistance owing to filling of microspores prone to corrosion attack. The anti-corrosive polymer coatings with low nanotube content have shown enhanced surface hydrophobicity and anti-rusting properties in addition to strength, conductivity, and thermal resistance

Nanomaterials in Environmental Protection

Developments in nanotechnology have led to the formation and use of carbon nanomaterials. These advance materials have wide range of engineering applications owing to chemical features, electronic properties, mechanical robustness, thermal stability, and physical characteristics. Carbon nanomaterials have also been employed in broad technological perspectives such as renewable energy sources, waste water treatment, air pollution monitoring, and biotechnology. This review focuses great potential of carbon nanomaterials in various environmental fields. Contribution of carbon nanomaterials in terms of large scale application, low cost, and potential hazards have been discussed

Dye Adsorption on Nanocomposite

This article focuses carbon nanotube as adsorbent material for toxic contaminants. Carbon nanotube is an emerging adsorbent materials for the removal of pollutants from wastewaters. Carbon nanotube-based nanocomposites have adsorption capability towards toxic contaminants including dyes. Adsorption of dyes on nanotube depends on various parameters such as dye concentration, contact time, temperature, pH, etc. Functionalization of nanotube has enhanced the dye adsorption efficiency owing to functional groups on the surface, relative to neat nanotubes. In addition, nanocomposites have been designed for enhanced dye removal efficiency of these materials. It is evident that carbon nanotube-based nanocomposite nanosorbents have fine potential for the removal of dyes from aqueous solution. These are cost effective and environmental friendly materials. New functional carbon nanotube-based nanosorbents must be designed for efficient commercial dye removal applications

Extra-skeletal Ewing’s Sarcoma of Caecum Causing Intussusception: First such Reported Case

Introduction: Ewing’s sarcoma is a tumor of primitive cells which primarily affects long bones. Extra-skeletal Ewing’s sarcoma has been rarely reported in small bowel. Its presentation can be varied but it is an extremely unlikely cause of an Ileo-Colic Intussusception as seen in present case.Case Presentation: A 32 years old male patient presented with symptoms suggestive of bowel obstruction. CT scan was suggestive of Ileo-colic intussusception. Patient underwent diagnostic laparoscopy and right hemicolectomy. Histopathology examination of specimen revealed Ewing sarcoma of colon.Conclusion: Extra-skeletal Ewing’s sarcoma is a rare entity. To the best of our knowledge this is the first reported case in English literature, of a Caecal Ewing’s sarcoma causing Intussusception. Further study of such cases may help in better understanding and establishing treatment protocol for this condition

The Role of Solvents’ Dielectric Constants in the Delicate Interplay between Microstructure and Optical Properties of Poly (3-Hexylthiophene) Thin Films

In order to gain a deeper understanding of the interplay between microstructure and functional properties of conducting polymers such as their optical behaviors, precise control of the structure formation methods of such polymers is of great importance. This work concerns the study of the role of solvents on the formation of different structures and how the resultant structural features affect the functional optical properties of a model Poly (3-hexylthiophene) conjugated system. Thin films of P3HT have been formed from solvents of different polarities and the structural features of the resultant films studied using optical microscopy and XRD technique. The photo-physical characteristics have been studied using UV-Vis spectroscopy and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy.  We report that the nature of polymer structure and thus the resultant optical properties greatly depend on the solvent polarity and their dielectric constants rather than their solubility power. We have asserted that the solvent polarities have their fingerprints in the resultant film crystallinities, grain sizes, optical photoluminescence and the optical band gaps and by extension on the opto-electronic device applications