1,410 research outputs found
Green synthesis of magnesium oxide nanoparticles and their antibacterial activity
1210-1215Nanotechnology has prospects of opening new avenues to fight and prevent diseases using atomic-scale tailoring of materials. As the nano revolution emerges, it is imperative to develop “nano‑naturo” links between nanotechnology and green domains of the nature. The present investigation describes the mangrove Rhizophora lamarckii’s property of synthesizing magnesium oxide nanoparticles . The newly synthesized magnesium oxide nanoparticle morphology is nanohexagonal and spherical. The particles range in dimensions between 20 and 50 nm and are crystalline in nature. The functional groups of the mangrove, amine, and alkane are found to act as reductants and stabilizers. The newly synthesized MgO nanoparticles are found to have potent antibacterial activity
Biodiesel and green diesel generation: An overview
First, second, third, and fourth-generation biofuels are continuously evolving as a promising substitute to petrodiesel catalyzed by energy depletion, economic and environmental considerations. Bio-diesel can be synthesized from various biomass sources, which are commonly divided into FAME and renewable biodiesel. FAME biodiesel is generally produced by the transesterification of vegetable oils and fats while renewable diesel is produced by hydro-deoxygenation of vegetable and waste oils and fats. The different generation, processing technologies and standards for FAME and renewable biodiesel are reviewed. Finally, the life cycle analysis and production cost of conventional and renewable biodiesel are described
Characterization of Improved Sweet Sorghum Genotypes for Biochemical Parameters, Sugar Yield and Its Attributes at Different Phenological Stages
Sweet sorghum is a multipurpose biofuel
feedstock that offers grain for human consumption, fodder
for livestock and ethanol for transportation purposes. The
knowledge on sugar components at different phenological
stages of crop growth and identification of appropriate
stage of harvesting is critical for sweet sorghum commercialization
and value chain sustenance. In this regard, sweet
sorghum stalk yield, juice yield, Brix%, pH, sugars
(sucrose, fructose and glucose) and their content were
analyzed at three different phenological stages i.e. the
dough stage, physiological maturity and post-physiological
maturity. Variations in sugar content at different growth
stages revealed that the sugar yield was high at physiological
maturity, but highest at post-physiological maturity.
Sucrose accounts for major fermentable sugar (about 70%)
and it sharply increased by 146% from dough stage to postphysiological
maturity. The variation in the monosaccharides
content (glucose and fructose) is not statistically
significant. This study points to the potential scope for
widening the harvesting window of sweet sorghum, by
cutting the stalks from physiological maturity stage and
beyond up to 15 days (post-physiological maturity), thus
helping the commercial distilleries by addressing a major impediment in sweet sorghum value chain. The entries SP
4495, SP 4511-3 and SPV 422 are suitable for harvesting in
a wider window of time as the sugar levels are sustained at
same level from physiological maturity to post-physiological
maturity
UV Spectrophotometric Method for the Estimation of Valacyclovir HCl in Tablet Dosage Form
A simple, sensitive, highly accurate UV spectrophotometric method has been developed for the determination of valacyclovir in bulk and tablet dosage form. Solution of valacyclovir in 0.1N HCl shows maximum absorbance at 255 nm. Beer’s law was obeyed in the concentration range of 5-25 mcg mL-1 with 1.0910x104 mol-1 cm-1, the slope, intercept, correlation coefficient, detection and quantitation limits were also calculated. The proposed method has been applied successfully for the analysis of the drug in pure and in its tablets dosage forms. Result of percentage recovery and placebo interference shows that the method was not affected by the presence of common excipients. The percentages assay of valacyclovir HCl in tablet was 99.82%. The method was validated by determining its sensitivity, accuracy and precision which proves suitability of the developed method for the routine estimation of valacyclovir in bulk and solid dosage form
MXene-Embedded Porous Carbon-Based Cu<sub>2</sub>O Nanocomposites for Non-Enzymatic Glucose Sensors
This work explores the use of MXene-embedded porous carbon-based Cu2O nanocomposite (Cu2O/M/AC) as a sensing material for the electrochemical sensing of glucose. The composite was prepared using the coprecipitation method and further analyzed for its morphological and structural characteristics. The highly porous scaffold of activated (porous) carbon facilitated the incorporation of MXene and copper oxide inside the pores and also acted as a medium for charge transfer. In the Cu2O/ M/AC composite, MXene and Cu2O influence the sensingparameters, which were confirmed using electrochemical techniques such as cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and amperometric analysis. The prepared composite shows two sets of linear ranges for glucose with a limit of detection (LOD) of 1.96 μM. The linear range was found to be 0.004 to 13.3 mM and 15.3 to 28.4 mM, with sensitivity values of 430.3 and 240.5 μA mM−1 cm−2, respectively. These materials suggest that the prepared Cu2O/M/AC nanocomposite can be utilized as a sensing material for non-enzymatic glucose sensors
Plasma chemokines as immune biomarkers for diagnosis of pediatric tuberculosis
Abstract Background Diagnosing tuberculosis (TB) in children is challenging due to paucibacillary disease, and lack of ability for microbiologic confirmation. Hence, we measured the plasma chemokines as biomarkers for diagnosis of pediatric tuberculosis. Methods We conducted a prospective case control study using children with confirmed, unconfirmed and unlikely TB. Multiplex assay was performed to examine the plasma CC and CXC levels of chemokines. Results Baseline levels of CCL1, CCL3, CXCL1, CXCL2 and CXCL10 were significantly higher in active TB (confirmed TB and unconfirmed TB) in comparison to unlikely TB children. Receiver operating characteristics curve analysis revealed that CCL1, CXCL1 and CXCL10 could act as biomarkers distinguishing confirmed or unconfirmed TB from unlikely TB with the sensitivity and specificity of more than 80%. In addition, combiROC exhibited more than 90% sensitivity and specificity in distinguishing confirmed and unconfirmed TB from unlikely TB. Finally, classification and regression tree models also offered more than 90% sensitivity and specificity for CCL1 with a cutoff value of 28 pg/ml, which clearly classify active TB from unlikely TB. The levels of CCL1, CXCL1, CXCL2 and CXCL10 exhibited a significant reduction following anti-TB treatment. Conclusion Thus, a baseline chemokine signature of CCL1/CXCL1/CXCL10 could serve as an accurate biomarker for the diagnosis of pediatric tuberculosis
A Review of Metallothionein Isoforms and their Role in Pathophysiology
The Metallothionein (MT) is a protein which has several interesting biological effects and has been demonstrated increase focus on the role of MT in various biological systems in the past three decades. The studies on the role of MT were limited with few areas like apoptosis and antioxidants in selected organs even fifty years after its discovery. Now acknowledge the exploration of various isoforms of MT such as MT-I, MT-II, MT-III and MT-IV and other isoforms in various biological systems
Constraints on Triton atmospheric evolution from occultations: 1989-2022
Context - Around the year 2000, Triton's south pole experienced an extreme
summer solstice that occurs every about 650 years, when the subsolar latitude
reached about 50{\deg}. Bracketing this epoch, a few occultations probed
Triton's atmosphere in 1989, 1995, 1997, 2008 and 2017. A recent ground-based
stellar occultation observed on 6 October 2022 provides a new measurement of
Triton's atmospheric pressure which is presented here.
Aims- The goal is to constrain the Volatile Transport Models (VTMs) of
Triton's atmosphere that is basically in vapor pressure equilibrium with the
nitrogen ice at its surface.
Methods - Fits to the occultation light curves yield Triton's atmospheric
pressure at the reference radius 1400 km, from which the surface pressure is
induced.
Results - The fits provide a pressure p_1400= 1.211 +/- 0.039 microbar at
radius 1400 km (47 km altitude), from which a surface pressure of p_surf= 14.54
+/- 0.47 microbar is induced (1-sigma error bars). To within error bars, this
is identical to the pressure derived from the previous occultation of 5 October
2017, p_1400 = 1.18 +/- 0.03 microbar and p_surf= 14.1 +/- 0.4 microbar,
respectively. Based on recent models of Triton's volatile cycles, the overall
evolution over the last 30 years of the surface pressure is consistent with N2
condensation taking place in the northern hemisphere. However, models typically
predict a steady decrease in surface pressure for the period 2005-2060, which
is not confirmed by this observation. Complex surface-atmosphere interactions,
such as ice albedo runaway and formation of local N2 frosts in the equatorial
regions of Triton could explain the relatively constant pressure between 2017
and 2022.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy and
Astrophysic
- …