Q-LEACH: A New Routing Protocol for WSNs

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) with their dynamic applications gained a tremendous attention of researchers. Constant monitoring of critical situations attracted researchers to utilize WSNs at vast platforms. The main focus in WSNs is to enhance network life-time as much as one could, for efficient and optimal utilization of resources. Different approaches based upon clustering are proposed for optimum functionality. Network life-time is always related with energy of sensor nodes deployed at remote areas for constant and fault tolerant monitoring. In this work, we propose Quadrature-LEACH (Q-LEACH) for homogenous networks which enhances stability period, network life-time and throughput quiet significantly

Photocatalytic Degradation of Antibiotics via Exploitation of a Magnetic Nanocomposite: A Green Nanotechnology Approach toward Drug-Contaminated Wastewater Reclamation

In the quest for eco-conscious innovations, this research was designed for the sustainable synthesis of magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles, using ferric chloride hexahydrate salt as a precursor and extract of Eucalyptus globulus leaves as both a reducing and capping agent, which are innovatively applied as a photocatalyst for the photocatalytic degradation of antibiotics “ciprofloxacin and amoxicillin”. Sugar cane bagasse biomass, sugar cane bagasse pyrolyzed biochar, and magnetite/sugar cane bagasse biochar nanocomposite were also synthesized via environmentally friendly organized approaches. The optimum conditions for the degradation of ciprofloxacin and amoxicillin were found to be pH 6 for ciprofloxacin and 5 for amoxicillin, dosage of the photocatalyst (0.12 g), concentration (100 mg/L), and irradiation time (240 min). The maximum efficiencies of percentage degradation for ciprofloxacin and amoxicillin were found to be (73.51%) > (63.73%) > (54.57%) and (74.07%) > (61.55%) > (50.66%) for magnetic nanocomposites, biochar, and magnetic nanoparticles, respectively. All catalysts demonstrated favorable performance; however, the “magnetite/SCB biochar” nanocomposite exhibited the most promising results among the various catalysts employed in the photocatalytic degradation of antibiotics. Kinetic studies for the degradation of antibiotics were also performed, and notably, the pseudo-first-order chemical reaction showed the best results for the degradation of antibiotics. Through a comprehensive and comparative analysis of three unique photocatalysts, this research identified optimal conditions for efficient treatment of drug-contaminated wastewater, thus amplifying the practical significance of the findings. The recycling of magnetic nanoparticles through magnetic separation, coupled with their functional modification for integration into composite materials, holds significant application potential in the degradation of antibiotics

Characterisation of Campylobacter jejuni genes potentially involved in phosphonate degradation

Potential biological roles of the Campylobacter jejuni genes cj0641, cj0774c and cj1663 were investigated. The proteins encoded by these genes showed sequence similarities to the phosphonate utilisation PhnH, K and L gene products of Escherichia coli. The genes cj0641, cj0774c and cj1663 were amplified from the pathogenic C. jejuni strain 81116, sequenced, and cloned into pGEM-T Easy vectors. Recombinant plasmids were used to disrupt each one of the genes by inserting a kanamycin resistance (KmR) cassette employing site-directed mutagenesis or inverse PCR. Campylobacter jejuni 81116 isogenic mutants were generated by integration of the mutated genes into the genome of the wild-type strain. The C. jejuni mutants grew on primary isolation plates, but they could not be purified by subsequent passages owing to cell death. The mutant C. jejuni strains survived and proliferated in co-cultures with wild-type bacteria or in media in which wild-type C. jejuni had been previously grown. PCR analyses of mixed wild-type/mutant cultures served to verify the presence of the mutated gene in the genome of a fraction of the total bacterial population. The data suggested that each mutation inactivated a gene essential for survival. Rates of phosphonate catabolism in lysates of E. coli strain DH5α were determined using proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Whole-cell lysates of the wild-type degraded phosphonoacetate, phenylphosphonate and aminomethylphosphonate. Significant differences in the rates of phosphonate degradation were observed between lysates of wild-type E. coli, and of bacteria transformed with each one of the vectors carrying one of the C. jejuni genes, suggesting that these genes were involved in phosphonate catabolism

A COMPLETE INSPECTION PLAN FOR DEPENDENT MULTICHARACTERISTIC CRITICAL COMPONENTS

Here a complete inspection plan for critical components with several characteristics is designed for the case where the characteristics' defective rates are statistically dependent. The plan minimizes total expected cost resulting from type-I and II errors and the cost of inspection. A mathematical model and an algorithm for obtaining the optimal number of repeat inspections are developed and demonstrated by an example. The output of the model is an optimal inspection plan to control the quality of critical components

Dicarbonyl­dichlorido(N,N,N′,N′-tetra­methyl­ethylenediamine)­ruthenium(II)

In the title compound, [RuCl2(C6H16N2)(CO)2], the geometry around the RuII atom is a distorted RuC2N2Cl2 octa­hedron, with pairs of C and Cl atoms trans to each other and the N atoms of the bidentate ligand in a cis conformation. The five-membered chelate ring is puckered on the C—C bond

Treadmill exercise has minimal impact on obesogenic diet-related gut microbiome changes but alters adipose and hypothalamic gene expression in rats

Exercise has been extensively utilised as an effective therapy for overweight- and obesity-associated changes that are linked to health complications. Several preclinical rodent studies have shown that treadmill exercise alongside an unhealthy diet improves metabolic health and microbiome composition. Furthermore, chronic exercise has been shown to alter hypothalamic and adipose tissue gene expression in diet-induced obesity. However, limited work has investigated whether treadmill exercise commenced following exposure to an obesogenic diet is sufficient to alter microbiome composition and metabolic health. To address this gap in the literature, we fed rats a high-fat/high-sugar western-style cafeteria diet and assessed the effects of 4 weeks of treadmill exercise on adiposity, diet-induced gut dysbiosis, as well as hypothalamic and retroperitoneal white adipose tissue gene expression. Forty-eight male Sprague-Dawley rats were allocated to either regular chow or cafeteria diet and after 3 weeks half the rats on each diet were exposed to moderate treadmill exercise for 4 weeks while the remainder were exposed to a stationary treadmill. Microbial species diversity was uniquely reduced in exercising chow-fed rats, while microbiome composition was only changed by cafeteria diet. Despite limited effects of exercise on overall microbiome composition, exercise increased inferred microbial functions involved in metabolism, reduced fat mass, and altered adipose and hypothalamic gene expression. After controlling for diet and exercise, adipose Il6 expression and liver triglyceride concentrations were significantly associated with global microbiome composition. Moderate treadmill exercise induced subtle microbiome composition changes in chow-fed rats but did not overcome the microbiome changes induced by prolonged exposure to cafeteria diet. Predicted metabolic function of the gut microbiome was increased by exercise. The effects of exercise on the microbiome may be modulated by obesity severity. Future work should investigate whether exercise in combination with microbiome-modifying interventions can synergistically reduce diet- and obesity-associated comorbidities