Ultrasound assisted citronella oil in water nanoemulsion and comparison with conventional methods

470-478This study involved the acoustic cavitation aided process intensification of citronella oil-based nanoemulsion with varying process parameters. A citronella oil (10 wt. %) in water emulsion was prepared at optimized parameters such as sonication time of 20 min, surfactant concentration of 7.5 wt. % of the total emulsion with (Hydrophilic-lipophilic balance) HLB value of 12 and power amplitude of 35% (of the total power of 750 W). The prepared emulsions stability was assessed over visual observation and kinetic stability of the emulsion after formulation with 7, 30 and 90 days’ time interval term as long-term stability reported as a fraction of phase separation in percentage (f (%)). The ultrasonically prepared emulsion was found to more stable with the mean droplet diameter (MDD) of 22-23 nm, whereas, conventionally prepared emulsion get separated and creamed within the day as well as formulation required more process time and energy dissipation

Ultrasound assisted citronella oil in water nanoemulsion and comparison with conventional methods

This study involved the acoustic cavitation aided process intensification of citronella oil-based nanoemulsion with varying process parameters. A citronella oil (10 wt. %) in water emulsion was prepared at optimized parameters such as sonication time of 20 min, surfactant concentration of 7.5 wt. % of the total emulsion with (Hydrophilic-lipophilic balance) HLB value of 12 and power amplitude of 35% (of the total power of 750 W). The prepared emulsions stability was assessed over visual observation and kinetic stability of the emulsion after formulation with 7, 30 and 90 days’ time interval term as long-term stability reported as a fraction of phase separation in percentage (f (%)). The ultrasonically prepared emulsion was found to more stable with the mean droplet diameter (MDD) of 22-23 nm, whereas, conventionally prepared emulsion get separated and creamed within the day as well as formulation required more process time and energy dissipation

SARS-CoV-2 infects the human kidney and drives fibrosis in kidney organoids

Kidney failure is frequently observed during and after COVID-19, but it remains elusive whether this is a direct effect of the virus. Here, we report that SARS-CoV-2 directly infects kidney cells and is associated with increased tubule-interstitial kidney fibrosis in patient autopsy samples. To study direct effects of the virus on the kidney independent of systemic effects of COVID-19, we infected human-induced pluripotent stem-cell-derived kidney organoids with SARS-CoV-2. Single-cell RNA sequencing indicated injury and dedifferentiation of infected cells with activation of profibrotic signaling pathways. Importantly, SARS-CoV-2 infection also led to increased collagen 1 protein expression in organoids. A SARS-CoV-2 protease inhibitor was able to ameliorate the infection of kidney cells by SARS-CoV-2. Our results suggest that SARS-CoV-2 can directly infect kidney cells and induce cell injury with subsequent fibrosis. These data could explain both acute kidney injury in COVID-19 patients and the development of chronic kidney disease in long COVID

Carbon Dioxide Emission Trends in Cars and Light Trucks: A Comparative Analysis of Emissions and Methodologies of Florida’s Counties (2000 and 2008)

This paper investigates methodologies to quantify CO2 emissions from cars and light trucks in Florida. The most widely used methodology to calculate greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector at the local level uses a harmonic average (HA) methodology based on nationally averaged fuel economies that assume 55% city and 45% highway VMTs. This paper presents a local condition (LC) methodology that accounts for county-level variations in city and highway VMTs, as opposed to assumed uniform driving conditions. Both HA and LC methodologies were used to estimate and compare absolute and per capita CO2 emissions both statewide and counties for 2000 and 2008. From 2000 to 2008, statewide absolute and per capita CO2 emissions increased similarly using HA and LC methodologies; however, the percent change varied considerably among counties. Statewide CO2 emissions calculated from HA and LC methodologies differed by only −0.2% (2000) and 1.7% (2008); however, the differences in the county-level emissions ranged from −8.0% to 14.9% (2000) and from −5.6% to 17.0% (2008). While either the HA or the LC methodology yields a similar result statewide, significant variation exists at the county level, warranting the need to consider local driving conditions when estimating county-level emissions

Estimation of Annual Mileage Budgets for a Multiple Discrete-Continuous Choice Model of Household Vehicle Ownership and Utilization

This paper presents an empirical comparison of the following approaches to estimate annual mileage budgets for multiple discrete-continuous extreme value (MDCEV) models of household vehicle ownership and utilization: (a) a log-linear regression approach to model observed total annual household vehicle miles traveled (AH-VMT), (b) a stochastic frontier regression approach to model latent annual vehicle mileage frontier, and (c) other approaches used in the literature to assume annual household vehicle mileage budgets. For the stochastic regression approach, MDCEV and multiple discrete-continuous heteroscedastic extreme value (MDCHEV) models were estimated and examined. When model predictions were compared with observed distributions of vehicle ownership and utilization in a validation data sample, the log-linear regression approach performed better than other approaches. However, policy simulations demonstrate that the log-linear regression approach does not allow for AH-VMT to increase or decrease as a result of changes in vehicle-specific attributes, such as changes in fuel economy. The stochastic frontier approach overcomes that limitation. Policy simulation results with the stochastic frontier approach suggest that increasing the fuel economy of a category of vehicles increases the ownership and use of those vehicles. But this does not necessarily translate into an equal decrease in the use of other household vehicles, confirming previous findings in the literature that improvements in fuel economy tend to induce additional travel. In view of policy responsiveness and prediction accuracy, using the stochastic frontier regression (for estimating mileage budgets) in conjunction with the MDCHEV model for discrete-continuous choice analysis of household vehicle ownership and utilization is recommended

Expression and subcellular localization of organophosphate hydrolase in acephate-degrading Pseudomonas sp. strain Ind01 and its use as a potential biocatalyst for elimination of organophosphate insecticides

Organophosphate hydrolase (OPH), the product of an organophosphate‐degrading (opd) gene cloned from Brevundimonas diminuta, hydrolyses the triester linkage found in neurotoxic organophosphate (OP) insecticides and nerve agents. Despite the fact that OPHs have a broad substrate range, OP compounds with a P‐S linkage, such as insecticides like acephate, are poor substrates for the enzyme. Expression of OPH in acephate‐utilizing Pseudomonas sp. Ind01 generated a live biocatalyst capable of degrading a wide range of OP insecticides. The heterologously expressed OPH, which is a substrate of twin arginine transport (Tat) pathway, successfully targeted to the membrane of Pseudomonas sp. Ind01. The membrane‐associated OPH had a size that coincided with the mature form of OPH (mOPH), suggesting successful processing and targeting of the expressed OPH to the membrane. Pseudomonas sp. Ind01 expressing OPH degraded a variety of OP insecticides besides using acephate as sole carbon source