Evaluation of biosorption potential of Gracilaria corticata for the removal of hexavalent chromium from aqueous solutions using response surface methodology

In this study, the biosorption of chromium (VI) on Gracilaria corticata biomass marine algae, was investigated in a batch and continious system. The influence of process parameters including sorbent size (0.176 - 1.503 mm), sorbent dosage (3 -7 g/l), temperature (25 - 45°C), contact time (2 - 10 hrs) and agitation speed (50 - 250 rpm) on the sorption of chromium (VI) were performed using a full factorial central composite design (CCD). This result of the studies indicates that the optimum biosorption conditions of sorbent size, sorbent dosage, temperature, contact time  and agitation speed were 0.5284 mm, 5.12 g, 35°C , 2 hours 58 minutes and 140 rpm, respectively. A higher value coefficient of determination R2 0.9799 evidenced the fitness of response surface methodology. The Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models were applied to the equilibrium data. The Langmuir adsorption model was better than the other model. The maximum adsorption capacity of Gracilaria corticata was found to be 62.5 mg/g. The thermodynamic parameters like enthalpy (ΔH◦) and entropy (ΔS◦) were 34.57 (kJ/mol) and 0.1308 (kJ/mol K) respectively. The results showed that the biosorption of chromium (VI) by Gracilaria corticata is more endothermic and spontaneous

Antimicrofouling activity of Calotropis gigantea (L). R. Br.

1843-1848Milkweed or Calotropis gigantea belongs to Asclepiadaceae family having many curative principles in it. This present work aimed to study the phytochemicals prevailing in the Calotropis gigantea during the summer season by GCMS method and some of these phytochemicals tested against the collagen-binding matrix protein (4CN8) produced by the bacterial foulant through computational method. The result of GCMS analysis revealed that the prevalence of stigmasterol, alpha-amyrin, urs-12-en-24-oic acid, 3-oxo-, methyl ester, (+)-, 2(1H) Naphthalenone, 3,5,6,7,8, 8a-hexahydro-4, 8a-dimethyl-6-(1-ethylethenyl)-, Beta.-Amyrin, Bicyclo [3.1.1] heptane,2,6,6-trimethyl-, 1R-(1.alpha., 2.beta., 5.alpha.) -and 1H-Indene, 5-butyl-6-hexyloctahydro-, 2-[3-(4-tert-Butyl-phenoxy)-2-hydroxy-propylsulfanyl]-4,6-dimethyl-nicotinonitrile and cyclopropane carboxamide, 2-cyclopropyl-2-methyl-N-(1-cyclopropylethyl)- and pyridine-3-carboxamide, oxime, N-(2-trifluoro methyl phenyl). The in silico study exhibited that all the screened phytochemicals are having remarkably good interaction with the tested 4CN8 and possessing-8 to-11 Kcal/mol docking energy except pyridine-3-carboxamide, oxime, N-(2-trifluoromethylphenyl). Hence, the phytochemicals of Calotropis is a right candidate for further elaborate study to establish an eco-friendly alternative to existing toxic antifouling chemicals

Robust nanopatterning by laser-induced dewetting of metal nanofilms

We have observed nanopattern formation with robust and controllable spatial ordering by laser-induced dewetting in nanoscopic metal films. Pattern evolution in Co film of thickness 1\leq h\leq8 nm on SiO_{2} was achieved under multiple pulse irradiation using a 9 ns pulse laser. Dewetting leads to the formation of cellular patterns which evolve into polygons that eventually break up into nanoparticles with monomodal size distribution and short range ordering in nearest-neighbour spacing R. Spatial ordering was attributed to a hydrodynamic thin film instability and resulted in a predictable variation of R and particle diameter D with h. The length scales R and D were found to be independent of the laser energy. These results suggest that spatially ordered metal nanoparticles can be robustly assembled by laser-induced dewetting

Microbial insight into rhizosphere of arecanut palms of Wayanad using metagenomics

The rhizosphere bacterial diversity of a plant is considered to play an essential role in mediating plant as well as soil health. An attempt to explore the bacterial diversity in the rhizosphere of arecanut palms in Wayanad was done to obtain an understanding of dominant bacterial phylotypes and the status of nutrient concentrations in rhizosphere soil and plants. Since arecanut production in Wayanad is facing a decline, a study to understand the rhizosphere conditions of healthy palms essentially provided insight into what strategies needed to be adopted for improvement of arecanut cultivation. The nutrient imbalance involving increased iron in soil and deficiencies of calcium, magnesium, zinc, and boron in the Arecanut rhizosphere was found to be an evident reason for the decline in production. Apart from that, the biological activities in the rhizosphere by the diversity of microorganisms were studied to understand the dominant bacterial phyla and genera present in the Arecanut rhizosphere. The presence of various important bacterial phyla like Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Acidobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidetes revealed the presence of various beneficial soil microorganisms and emphasized the need to enhance or augment the population of native microflora for efficient nutrient cycling by increasing the organic content of the soil. Since organic carbon is an essential requirement to support bacterial diversity, proper management practice that encompasses organic carbon amendment along with proper nutritional management could enhance bacterial diversity as well as health of the arecanut palms. The study indicated that the dominant bacterial phyla contained various beneficial microorganisms that can be exploited for improving nutrient recycling in the arecanut rhizosphere

Inflammation-Induced Cell Proliferation Potentiates DNA Damage-Induced Mutations In Vivo

Mutations are a critical driver of cancer initiation. While extensive studies have focused on exposure-induced mutations, few studies have explored the importance of tissue physiology as a modulator of mutation susceptibility in vivo. Of particular interest is inflammation, a known cancer risk factor relevant to chronic inflammatory diseases and pathogen-induced inflammation. Here, we used the fluorescent yellow direct repeat (FYDR) mice that harbor a reporter to detect misalignments during homologous recombination (HR), an important class of mutations. FYDR mice were exposed to cerulein, a potent inducer of pancreatic inflammation. We show that inflammation induces DSBs (γH2AX foci) and that several days later there is an increase in cell proliferation. While isolated bouts of inflammation did not induce HR, overlap between inflammation-induced DNA damage and inflammation-induced cell proliferation induced HR significantly. To study exogenously-induced DNA damage, animals were exposed to methylnitrosourea, a model alkylating agent that creates DNA lesions relevant to both environmental exposures and cancer chemotherapy. We found that exposure to alkylation damage induces HR, and importantly, that inflammation-induced cell proliferation and alkylation induce HR in a synergistic fashion. Taken together, these results show that, during an acute bout of inflammation, there is a kinetic barrier separating DNA damage from cell proliferation that protects against mutations, and that inflammation-induced cell proliferation greatly potentiates exposure-induced mutations. These studies demonstrate a fundamental mechanism by which inflammation can act synergistically with DNA damage to induce mutations that drive cancer and cancer recurrence.Austrian Academy of Sciences (APART Fellowship)Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and TechnologySingapore. National Research FoundationNational Institutes of Health (U.S.) (NIH R33-CA112151)National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (grant R01-CA079827

Comparison of Short-Course versus Conventional Antimicrobial Duration in Mild and Moderate Complicated Intra-Abdominal Infections: A randomised controlled trial

Objectives: Studies have shown the feasibility of short-course antimicrobials in complicated intra-abdominal infection (CIAI) following source control procedure (SCP). This study was carried out to compare post-operative complication rates in short-course (5 days) and conventional (7–10 days) duration groups after antimicrobial therapy. Methods: This was a single-centre, open-labelled. randomised control trial conducted from July 2017 to December 2019 upon patients with CIAI. Patients who were haemodynamically unstable, pregnant and had non-perforated, non-gangrenous appendicitis or cholecystitis were excluded. Primary endpoints were surgical site infection (SSI), recurrent intra-abdominal infection (IAI) and mortality. Secondary endpoints included time till occurrence of composite primary outcomes, duration of antimicrobial therapy, the length of hospital stays, antimicrobial-free interval, hospital-free days at 30 days’ interval and the presence of extra-abdominal infections. Results: Overall, 140 patients were included whose demographic and clinico-pathological details were comparable in both groups. There was no difference in SSI (37% vs. 35.6%) and recurrent IAI (5.7% vs. 2.8%; P = 0.76), and no mortality was observed in either groups. The composite primary outcome (37% vs. 35.7%) was also similar in both groups. Secondary outcomes included the duration of antimicrobial therapy (5 vs. 8 days; P < 0.001) and length of hospitalisation (5 days vs. 7 days; P = 0.014) were significant. Times till occurrence of SSI and recurrent IAI, incidence of extra-abdominal infection and resistant pathogens were comparable. Conclusion: Short-course antimicrobial therapy for 5 days following SCP for mild and moderate CIAI was comparable to conventional duration antimicrobial therapy, indicating similar efficacy. Keywords: Abdominal Abscess; Antibiotic Prophylaxis; Antimicrobial Stewardship; Appendicitis, Perforated; Drug Resistance, Microbial; Intra-abdominal Infection; Peritonitis; Surgical Wound Infection

A randomised controlled trial of a code-word enuresis alarm

Objective: To compare a novel code-word alarm with a commercially available wireless alarm for treating enuresis Design: Randomised controlled trial with blinding of study personnel and outcome assessors Setting: A tertiary paediatric centre Patients: Children aged six to eighteen with at least three wet nights per week in the previous 6 months referred by doctors Outcomes: Primary outcome: the proportion who achieved a full response (14 consecutive dry nights) by 16 weeks. Secondary outcomes: change in frequency of wetting, duration of alarm training, percentage of wet nights that the child woke to the alarm, adherence to treatment, adverse events and satisfaction with treatment. Results: Of the 353 participants, 176 were assigned to the code-word alarm and 177 to control. At 16 weeks, 54% (95% CI, 47% to 61%) in the experimental group and 47% (95% CI, 40% to 55%) in the control group had achieved a full response (p=0.22), with 74% and 66% respectively attaining a 50% or more reduction in wetting frequency (p=0.14). The experimental group woke more often than the control group (median percentage of waking 88% versus 77%, p=0.003) and had greater reduction in wet nights (median reduction 10 versus 9 nights per fortnight). Fewer in the experimental group discontinued therapy before achieving a full response (27% versus 37% discontinued, p=0.04). There were no significant differences in relapse rates at 6 months, adverse events or satisfaction between the two alarms. In a post hoc subgroup analysis of children with monosymptomatic enuresis, more in the experimental group achieved a full response (66% versus 52%, p=0.047), with higher median percentage of waking (89% versus 79%, p=0.006) and greater reduction in wet nights (median reduction 12 versus 9 nights per fortnight). Conclusions: Although the code-word alarm increased waking, no difference in full response rates was demonstrated between the two alarms.The study was funded by an NHMRC Project Grant (570761). AT was supported by an NHMRC Program Grant (633003) to the Screening & Test Evaluation Program

WILL THE TRADITIONAL MEDICINE UN-PAUSE THE WORLD AND DECIDE THE FATE OF COVID-19?

COVID-19 is a life-threatening disease that mainly affects the human respiratory system. In today’s world, scientists are working conscientiously for the identification of promising drugs and vaccines. But, when we look back to the former times, herbal medicines were considered for curing most of the diseases; luckily, nowadays, natural remedies are being carried forward by few researchers even for the treatment of most life-threatening diseases like cancer, diabetes and alzheimer’s etc. So, why can't we attempt the herbal formulation for the management of COVID-19 too? Since there is no proper scientific validation for traditional herbs and spices; it just can’t be simply ignored. When a product with less or few side effects can be prepared and made available for the benefit of people, there is nothing wrong in pondering them. Thus, keeping these points in mind, in this article, we have discussed about SARS CoV-2, their treatment options and the impact of natural remedies on both the former as well as novel coronavirus. Further, we have also emphasized on traditional Chinese medicine, various flavonoids and kabasura kudineer and their impact on coronavirus infection. Till now, there is no particular drug or vaccine available for the treatment of COVID-19; thus prevention is the only option. But, we hope that thorough study; screening, preclinical and clinical evaluation of natural compounds may give some action against SARS CoV-2. Moreover, incorporating natural herbs and spices in our diet can help in boosting immunity and fight against various life-threatening diseases

Water Quality Index of River Cauvery in Tiruchirappalli district, Tamilnadu

Abstract The water quality of river Cauvery in Tiruchirappalli district was monitored for a period of 3 months (January -March, 2009). Water samples were assessed by analyzing the various physicochemical parameters, such as pH, total dissolved solids, total hardness, total alkalinity, dissolved oxygen, biological oxygen demand, chloride, sulphate, nitrate and calcium. These 10 parameters were considered to compute the Water Quality Index (WQI). The WQI reveals the water of river Cauvery to be polluted moderately in the upstream of the city and unfit for human consumption towards the downstream. It needs sufficient treatment and management