Experimental and Computational Approaches for the Structural Study of Novel Ca-Rich Zeolites from Incense Stick Ash and Their Application for Wastewater Treatment

At present, chemical Si/Al sources are mainly used as precursor materials for the manufacturing of zeolites. Such precursor materials are quite expensive for commercial synthesis. Here, we have reported the synthesis of Ca-based zeolite from incense stick ash waste by the alkali-treatment method for the first time. Incense stick ash (ISA) was used as a precursor material for the synthesis of low Si zeolites by the alkali-treatment method. The as-synthesized zeolites were characterized by various instruments like particle size analyzer (PSA), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), electron diffraction spectroscopy (EDS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray fluorescence (XRF). FTIR and XRD helped in the identification of the microstructure and crystalline nature of the zeolites and also confirmed the synthesis of Ca-based zeolite with two thetas at 25.7°. The microscopic analysis by FESEM and TEM exhibited that the size of synthesized Ca-rich zeolites varies from 200 to 700 nm and they are aggregated and cuboidal in shape. Additionally, structural, electronic, and density of states’ characteristics of gismondine (Ca2Al4Si4O16·9H2O) structures were evaluated by computational simulations (first principle, density functional theorem). The structural optimization of structures was carried out in the first stage under the lowest condition of total energy and forces acting on atoms for the lattice constant, as well as the available experimental and theoretical findings. The present research approach predicted the transformation of ISA waste into a value-added mineral, i.e., zeolite, which was further used for the removal of both heavy metals and alkali metals from fly ash-based wastewater using inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES)

Enriched Catalytic Activity of TiO₂ Nanoparticles Supported by Activated Carbon for Noxious Pollutant Elimination

Cleaning wastewater has become one of the most serious issues for a number of scientists and researchers in recent years, as water is the most basic need for the daily life of humans. There has been a focus on the removal of noxious pollutants from wastewater effluents by using nanocatalysts owing to their unique physicochemical actions and stability. Herein we manufactured TiO2 nanoparticles supported by activated carbon (AC-TiO2) using a cost-effective sonochemical method. The band structures of the AC-TiO2 and TiO2 were modified from 3.2 to 3.1 eV, thus increasing the catalytic activity. The structural, optical and anatase crystal phase properties, with morphological confirmation, were studied by applying UV-DRS, PL, FESEM, XRD, along with HRTEM, respectively. The specific surface area, calculated by BET analysis, was found to be ~241 m2/gm and ~46 m2/gm for AC-TiO2 and TiO2. The degradation efficiency of the as-prepared nanocatalysts against the very toxic but rarely studied organic textile dye pollutant RO 84 was investigated and 97% efficiency were found for the AC-TiO2 as compared to pure TiO2, which is a highly appreciated finding in the catalytic dye degradation application domain. Such surface-modified nanocatalysts could be further implemented for the treatment of wastewaters/waste effluents released from chemical industries, laboratories and other sources

2D Personality of Multifunctional Carbon Nitrides towards Enhanced Catalytic Performance in Energy Storage and Remediation

Numerous scholars in the scientific and management areas have been overly focused on contemporary breakthroughs in two-dimensional objects for multiple prospective applications. Photochemical and electrocatalytic functions of integrated circuits associated with multi-component tools have been enhanced by designing the macro- and microstructures of the building blocks. Therefore, the current research attempts to explore a larger spectrum of layered graphitic carbon nitrides (g-C3N4) and their derivatives as an efficient catalyst. By executing systematic manufacturing, optimization, and evaluation of its relevance towards astonishing energy storage devices, adsorption chemistry, and remediation, many researchers have focused on the coupling of such 2D carbon nitrides combined with suitable elementals. Hybrid carbon nitrides have been promoted as reliable 2D combinations for the enhanced electrophotocatalytic functionalities, proved by experimental observations and research outputs. By appreciating the modified structural, surface, and physicochemical characteristics of the carbon nitrides, we aim to report a systematic overview of the g-C3N4 materials for the application of energy storages and environments. It has altered energy band gap, thermal stability, remarkable dimensional texturing, and electrochemistry, and therefore detailed studies are highlighted by discussing the chemical architectures and atomic alternation of g-C3N4 (2D) structures

Transient Cell Cycle Induction in Cardiomyocytes to Treat Subacute Ischemic Heart Failure

BackgroundThe regenerative capacity of the heart after myocardial infarction is limited. Our previous study showed that ectopic introduction of 4 cell cycle factors (4F; CDK1 [cyclin-dependent kinase 1], CDK4 [cyclin-dependent kinase 4], CCNB [cyclin B1], and CCND [cyclin D1]) promotes cardiomyocyte proliferation in 15% to 20% of infected cardiomyocytes in vitro and in vivo and improves cardiac function after myocardial infarction in mice.MethodsUsing temporal single-cell RNA sequencing, we aimed to identify the necessary reprogramming stages during the forced cardiomyocyte proliferation with 4F on a single cell basis. Using rat and pig models of ischemic heart failure, we aimed to start the first preclinical testing to introduce 4F gene therapy as a candidate for the treatment of ischemia-induced heart failure.ResultsTemporal bulk and single-cell RNA sequencing and further biochemical validations of mature human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes treated with either LacZ or 4F adenoviruses revealed full cell cycle reprogramming in 15% of the cardiomyocyte population at 48 hours after infection with 4F, which was associated mainly with sarcomere disassembly and metabolic reprogramming (n=3/time point/group). Transient overexpression of 4F, specifically in cardiomyocytes, was achieved using a polycistronic nonintegrating lentivirus (NIL) encoding 4F; each is driven by a TNNT2 (cardiac troponin T isoform 2) promoter (TNNT2-4Fpolycistronic-NIL). TNNT2-4Fpolycistronic-NIL or control virus was injected intramyocardially 1 week after myocardial infarction in rats (n=10/group) or pigs (n=6-7/group). Four weeks after injection, TNNT2-4Fpolycistronic-NIL-treated animals showed significant improvement in left ventricular ejection fraction and scar size compared with the control virus-treated animals. At 4 months after treatment, rats that received TNNT2-4Fpolycistronic-NIL still showed a sustained improvement in cardiac function and no obvious development of cardiac arrhythmias or systemic tumorigenesis (n=10/group).ConclusionsThis study provides mechanistic insights into the process of forced cardiomyocyte proliferation and advances the clinical feasibility of this approach by minimizing the oncogenic potential of the cell cycle factors owing to the use of a novel transient and cardiomyocyte-specific viral construct