Search Results (11)

Background: Green synthesized nanoparticles (NPs) have gained increasing popularity in recent times due to their broad spectrum of antimicrobial properties. This study aimed to develop a phytofabrication approach for producing cuprous (Cu₂O) and cupric oxide (CuO) NPs using a simple, non-hazardous process and to examine their antimicrobial properties. Methods: The synthesis employed Bidens pilosa plant extract as a natural reducing and stabilizing agent, alongside copper chloride dihydrate as the precursor. The biosynthesized NPs were characterized through various techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, ultraviolet–visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). Results: XRD analysis confirmed that the synthesized CuO and Cu₂O NPs exhibited a high degree of crystallinity, with crystal structures corresponding to monoclinic and face-centered cubic systems. SEM images revealed that the NPs displayed distinct spherical and sponge-like morphologies. EDS analysis further validated the purity of the synthesized CuO NPs. The antimicrobial activity of the CuO and Cu₂O NPs was tested against various pathogenic bacterial strains, including Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, and Bacillus cereus, with the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) used to gauge their effectiveness. Conclusions: The results showed that the phytosynthesized NPs had promising antibacterial properties, particularly the Cu₂O NPs, which, with a larger crystal size of 68.19 nm, demonstrated significant inhibitory effects across all tested bacterial species. These findings suggest the potential of CuO and Cu₂O NPs as effective antimicrobial agents produced via green synthesis. Full article

To date, there is no cure for Parkinson’s disease (PD). There is a pressing need for anti-neurodegenerative therapeutics that can slow or halt PD progression by targeting underlying disease mechanisms. Specifically, preventing the build-up of alpha-synuclein (αSyn) and its aggregated and mutated forms is a key therapeutic target. In this study, an adeno-associated viral vector loaded with the A53T gene mutation was used to induce rapid αSyn-associated PD pathogenesis in C57BL/6 mice. We tested the ability of a novel therapeutic, a single chain fragment variable (scFv) antibody with specificity only for pathologic forms of αSyn, to protect against αSyn-induced neurodegeneration, after unilateral viral vector injection in the substantia nigra. Additionally, polyanhydride nanoparticles, which provide sustained release of therapeutics with dose-sparing properties, were used as a delivery platform for the scFv. Through bi-weekly behavioral assessments and across multiple post-mortem immunochemical analyses, we found that the scFv-based therapies allowed the mice to recover motor activity and reduce overall αSyn expression in the substantia nigra. In summary, these novel scFv-based therapies, which are specific exclusively for pathological aggregates of αSyn, show early promise in blocking PD progression in a surrogate mouse PD model. Full article

Increasing concerns about the vulnerability of the world’s energy supply and the necessity to implement sustainable technologies have prompted researchers to develop high-performance electrocatalysts that are affordable and efficient for converting and storing renewable energy. This article reports a facile approach to fabricating two-dimensional (2D) Ge-decorated h-BN/MoS₂ heterostructure nanosheets by self-assembly for multiple electrochemical applications such as supercapacitor and hydrogen evolution reactions. The organization of the physical and chemical links between the germanium modulations on the heterostructure of boron nitride/molybdenum sulphide (Ge/h-BN/MoS₂) were facilitated to generate more active sites. Furthermore, the asymmetric supercapacitor of Ge-decorated h-BN/MoS₂ amplified the capacitance to 558.53 F g⁻¹ at 1 A g⁻¹ current density and 159.19 F g⁻¹ at 10 A g⁻¹, in addition to a retention rate of 85.69% after 2000 cycles. Moreover, the Ge-decorated h-BN/MoS₂ catalyst realized a low over-potential value, with an RHE of 0.57 (HER) at 5 mA/cm², a Tafel value of ∼204 mV/dec, and long-term electrolysis stability of 10 h. This work may open the door for further investigations on metal-decorated heterostructures, which have a significant potential for both supercapacitor and water-splitting applications. Full article

This work deals with the development of non-isocyanate polyurethane (NIPU) composites with an aniline oligomer, viz., tetraniline (TANI) for corrosion-resistant coatings. Firstly, epoxidizedsoyabean oil was converted to carbonated oil by inserting CO₂ under high temperature and pressure into the epoxy ring. Then, varying weights of oligoaniline—0.5, 1, 2 and 4 wt % (based on the weight of CSBO)—were added to CSBO and cured with tetraethylenepentamine (TEPA, 25 wt % based on CSBO) at 80 °C for 12–15 h. The effects of oligomer loading on the thermal, mechanical and surface wetting properties of the free standing films were studied. The ATR-FTIR spectra of the films exhibited peaks corresponding to the bis-carbamate linkages, confirming the formation of urethane linkages. TGA analysis showed that the addition of oligoaniline did not alter the initial degradation temperature much; however, the residue increased with increasing loading of tetraniline. Both tensile strength and elongation (at break) increased with increasing oligoaniline content. While the glass transition temperature of the films was observed at approximately room temperature, i.e., 20–30 °C, for all the compositions, the contact angles of the composites were found to be less than that of the bare NIPU films. However, all the compositions were hydrophobic, exhibiting contact angles in the 98–110° range. SEM analysis of the cross-sections of the films confirmed the uniform distribution of tetraniline particles and surface morphology showed that the roughness increased with the loading of tetraniline from 0.5 to 4%. MS panels coated with NIPU exhibited good barrier properties and as loading of TANI increased, the rate of corrosion decreased. Salt spray tests indicated that oligoaniline improved the adhesion of the coating to MS and corrosion resistance compared to the neat NIPU coating. Full article

Two-dimensional nanostructures (2DNS) attract tremendous interest and have emerged as potential materials for a variety of applications, including biomolecule sensing, due to their high surface-to-volume ratio, tuneable optical and electronic properties. Advancements in the engineering of 2DNS and associated technologies have opened up new opportunities. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is a rapid, highly sensitive, non-destructive analytical technique with exceptional signal amplification potential. Several structurally and chemically engineered 2DNS with added advantages (e.g., π–π* interaction), over plasmonic SERS substrates, have been developed specifically towards biomolecule sensing in a complex matrix, such as biological fluids. This review focuses on the recent developments of 2DNS-SERS substrates for biomolecule sensor applications. The recent advancements in engineered 2DNS, particularly for SERS substrates, have been systematically surveyed. In SERS substrates, 2DNS are used as either a standalone signal enhancer or as support for the dispersion of plasmonic nanostructures. The current challenges and future opportunities in this synergetic combination have also been discussed. Given the prospects in the design and preparation of newer 2DNS, this review can give a critical view on the current status, challenges and opportunities to extrapolate their applications in biomolecule detection. Full article

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is an important food crop worldwide, and potato cyst nematodes (PCNs) are among the most serious pests. The identification of disease resistance genes and molecular markers for PCN infestation can aid in crop improvement research programs against PCN infestation. In the present study, we used high-throughput RNA sequencing to investigate the comprehensive resistance mechanisms induced by PCN infestation in the resistant cultivar Kufri Swarna and the susceptible cultivar Kufri Jyoti. PCN infestation induced 791 differentially expressed genes in resistant cultivar Kufri Swarna, comprising 438 upregulated and 353 downregulated genes. In susceptible cultivar Kufri Jyoti, 2225 differentially expressed genes were induced, comprising 1247 upregulated and 978 downregulated genes. We identified several disease resistance genes (KIN) and transcription factors (WRKY, HMG, and MYB) that were upregulated in resistant Kufri Swarna. The differentially expressed genes from several enriched KEGG pathways, including MAPK signaling, contributed to the disease resistance in Kufri Swarna. Functional network analysis showed that several cell wall biogenesis genes were induced in Kufri Swarna in response to infestation. This is the first study to identify underlying resistance mechanisms against PCN and host interaction in Indian potato varieties. Full article

This paper reviews the energy storage participation for ancillary services in a microgrid (MG) system. The MG is used as a basic empowering solution to combine renewable generators and storage systems distributed to assist several demands proficiently. However, because of unforeseen and sporadic features of renewable energy, innovative tasks rise for the consistent process of MGs. Power management in MGs that contain renewable energy sources (RES) can be improved by energy storage. The energy storage systems (ESSs) have several merits, such as supply and demand balancing, smoothing of RES power generation, enhancing power quality and reliability, and facilitating the ancillary services like voltage and frequency regulation in MG operation. The integration of ESS technology has become a solution to the challenges the power distribution networks face in achieving improved performance. By simplifying a smooth and robust energy balance within the MG, storage devices match energy generation to consumption. MG, and its multidisciplinary portrait of current MG drivers, tasks, real-world applications, and upcoming views are elucidated in this paper. Full article

Sea level change is an important indicator of climate change. Our study focuses on the sea level budget assessment of the Arctic Ocean using: (1) the newly reprocessed satellite altimeter data with major changes in the processing techniques; (2) ocean mass change data derived from GRACE satellite gravimetry; (3) and steric height estimated from gridded hydrographic data for the GRACE/Argo time period (2003–2016). The Beaufort Gyre (BG) and the Nordic Seas (NS) regions exhibit the largest positive trend in sea level during the study period. Halosteric sea level change is found to dominate the area averaged sea level trend of BG, while the trend in NS is found to be influenced by halosteric and ocean mass change effects. Temporal variability of sea level in these two regions reveals a significant shift in the trend pattern centered around 2009–2011. Analysis suggests that this shift can be explained by a change in large-scale atmospheric circulation patterns over the Arctic. The sea level budget assessment of the Arctic found a residual trend of more than 1.0 mm/yr. This nonclosure of the sea level budget is further attributed to the limitations of the three above mentioned datasets in the Arctic region. Full article

A carbon aerogel (CA)-assisted CdS nanocomposite was prepared by hydrothermal process and was investigated as a photocatalyst towards the photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) dye and colorless phenol under visible light irradiation (VLI). CdS have attracted wide attention due to their relatively narrow band gap for the visible light effect and the suitably negative potential of the conduction band (CB) edge for the neutralization of H⁺ ions. The obtained characterization results suggest that the CA-assisted CdS nanocomposite has enhanced photophysical properties, a more surface area, and the desired morphology at the nm scale. Under optimization, CdS CA 8% shows superior catalytic activity for degradation compared with other samples. The photocatalytic activities of the as-synthesized samples were examined under VLI through the MB and phenol degradation. Compared with pure CA and CdS, the CA (8%)-assisted CdS nanoparticles (NPs) offer significantly enhanced photocatalytic efficiency for MB and phenol. The mechanism of photocatalytic reaction was examined by adding various scavengers, and the results revealed that the holes generated in CA (8%)-assisted CdS NPs have a crucial impact on the visible light photocatalytic process. The improved photocatalytic degradation was due to the strong interaction between the CA and CdS NPs. Full article

In recent years, many applications have been developed for the integration of renewable energy sources (RES) into the grid in order to satisfy the demand requirement of a clean and reliable electricity generation. Increasing the number of RES creates uncertainty in load and power supply generation, which also presents an additional strain on the system. These uncertainties will affect the voltage and frequency variation, stability, protection, and safety issues at fault levels. RES present non-linear characteristics, which requires effective coordination control methods. This paper presents the stability issues and solutions associated with the integration of RES within the grid. Full article

Mental health disorders have become worldwide health priorities. It is estimated that in the next 20 years they will account for a 16 trillion United State dollars (US$) loss. Up to now, the underlying pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders remains elusive. Altered cytoskeleton proteins expression that may influence the assembly, organization and maintenance of cytoskeletal integrity has been reported in major depressive disorders, schizophrenia and to some extent bipolar disorders. The use of quantitative proteomics, dynamic microscopy and super-resolution microscopy to investigate disease-specific protein signatures holds great promise to improve our understanding of these disorders. In this review, we present the currently available quantitative proteomic approaches use in neurology, gel-based, stable isotope-labelling and label-free methodologies and evaluate their strengths and limitations. We also reported on enrichment/subfractionation methods that target the cytoskeleton associated proteins and discuss the need of alternative methods for further characterization of the neurocytoskeletal proteome. Finally, we present live cell imaging approaches and emerging dynamic microscopy technology that will provide the tools necessary to investigate protein interactions and their dynamics in the whole cells. While these areas of research are still in their infancy, they offer huge potential towards the understanding of the neuronal network stability and its modification across neuropsychiatric disorders. Full article