Extended visible light driven photocatalytic hydrogen generation by electron induction from g-C3N4 nanosheets to ZnO through the proper heterojunction

The alarming energy crises has forced the scientific community to work for sustainable energy modules to meet energy requirements. As for this, ZnO/g-C3N4 nanocomposites with proper heterojunction were fabricated by coupling a proper amount of ZnO with 2D graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) nanosheets and the obtained nanocomposites were applied for photocatalytic hydrogen generation from water under visible light illumination (λ > 420 nm). The morphologies and the hydrogen generation performance of fabricated photocatalysts were characterized in detail. Results showed that the optimized 5ZnO/g-C3N4 nanocomposite produced 70 µmol hydrogen gas in 1 h compare to 8 µmol by pure g-C3N4 under identical illumination conditions in the presence of methanol without the addition of cocatalyst. The much improved photoactivities of the nanocomposites were attributed to the enhanced charge separation through the heterojunction as confirmed from photoluminescence study, capacity of the fabricated samples for •OH radical generation and steady state surface photovoltage spectroscopic (SS-SPS) measurements. We believe that this work would help to fabricate low cost and effective visible light driven photocatalyst for energy production.

Using hair cortisol analysis to understand the biological factors that affect black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) stress physiology

The black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) was driven to near extinction due to habitat loss and an introduced disease, sylvatic plague (Yersinia pestis). After 35 years of breeding in ex situ facilities, the black-footed ferret has been experiencing infertility with seminal traits declining in males and only about a third of breeding-aged females are whelping. Our goal was to use hair cortisol analysis to determine if the ex situ population was experiencing chronic stress that was affecting reproduction by comparing captive ferrets to wild individuals. Our specific objectives were to (i) compare hair cortisol concentrations (HCCs) between age classes (juveniles versus adults), (ii) compare the HCCs of in situ and across different ex situ facilities and (iii) determine the relationship between HCCs and reproductive success. Overall, wild juveniles had higher HCC than wild adults. Our generalized linear mixed model determined that the parameters that best predict HCC for adults were the interactions among sex, in situ versus ex situ facilities and season. During both seasons, wild females had higher HCCs compared to the ex situ females. During the breeding season, male HCCs across breeding facilities varied and males at the breeding facility with the largest ferret habitats had HCCs similar to wild males. At one breeding facility, HCC was higher in males that sired compared to those that did not sire. In conclusion, ex situ ferrets do not have higher HCC than wild individuals when controlling for season and ex situ habitat size, and ex situ males with higher HCC tended to sire. This suggests that HCC may be metabolically driven and/or that low HCC may be an indication of hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis dysregulation and warrants further investigation both for laboratory validation and biological relevance.

Development and characterization of regenerable chitosan-coated nickel selenide nano-photocatalytic system for decontamination of toxic azo dyes

In this investigation, chitosan-coated nickel selenide nano-photocatalyst (CS-NiSe) was successfully prepared through the chemical reduction method. FTIR spectroscopy confirmed the synthesis of CS-NiSe nano-photocatalyst. Further, XRD analysis exhibited a monoclinic crystalline phase of photocatalyst with a crystallite size of 32 nm based on Scherer's equation. The SEM micrographs showed that the photocatalyst has an average particle size of 60 nm. The bandgap of CS-NiSe was (2.85 eV) in the visible region of the spectrum. Due to this reason, the CS-NiSe was applied under solar light illumination for the photocatalytic activity of Erythrosine and Allura red dyes. The CS-NiSe presented the highest degradation efficiency of 99.53% for Erythrosine dye in optimized experimental conditions of 100 min at 30 °C, 30 ppm concentration, pH 5.0, and 0.14 g catalyst dose. For Allura red dye, a high degradation of 96.12% was attained in 120 min at pH 4.0, 100 ppm initial dye concentration, 35 °C temperature, and 0.1 g catalyst dose. The CS-NiSe showed excellent degradation efficiency and reduced to (95% for Erythrosine and 91% for Allura red dye) after five consecutive batches. Moreover, the statistical and neural network modelling analysis showed the significant influence of all studied variables on dyes degradation performance. The results demonstrated that CS-NiSe exhibited excellent photocatalytic performances for Erythrosine and Allura red dyes and could be a better photocatalyst for removing these dyes from industrial effluents.

Cutaneous leishmaniasis-Awareness, knowledge and practices among general population in rural and urban areas in Malakand region, Pakistan

Malakand region is an endemic area for cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL). However, there are limited number of studies of this disease in Pakistan. Therefore, a study was conducted to understand the level of awareness attitude and practice among the residents of Makaland towards CL and the disease vectors. This study adopted a cross-sectional approach with a total of 400 respondents (n=93 rural and n= 307 urban). Overall, the population in Malakand region (61.2%) were well-informed in the role of sand fly in transmitting diseases, but most lack knowledge on the vector's behavior and almost a quarter (24.5%) were unable to provide knowledge on proper control measures. Alarmingly, the practice and attitudes of the general population was not satisfactory as close to half (49.8%) of the population did adopt any control method. This study calls for increase in awareness through health education campaign to reduce the risk of cutaneous leishmaniasis outbreaks in the future.

Physicochemical characteristics of liposome encapsulation of stingless bees' propolis

Nutraceuticals from natural sources have shown potential new leads in functional food products. Despite a broad range of health-promoting effects, these compounds are easily oxidized and unstable, making their utilization as nutraceutical ingredients limited. In this study, the encapsulated stingless bees' propolis in liposome was prepared using soy phosphatidylcholine and cholesterol by thin-film hydration technique. Three different formulations of phosphatidylcholine composition and cholesterol prepared by weight ratio was conducted to extract high propolis encapsulation. Physicochemical changes in the result of the encapsulation process are briefly discussed using scanning electron microscopy and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy. A dynamic light-scattering instrument was used to measure the hydrodynamic diameter, polydispersity index, and zeta potential. The increment of the liposomal size was observed when the concentration of extract loaded increased. In comparing three formulations, F2 (8:1 w/w) presented the best formulation as it yielded small nanoparticles of 275.9 nm with high encapsulation efficiency (66.9%). F1 (6:1 w/w) formed large particles of liposomes with 422.8 nm, while F3 (10:1 w/w) showed low encapsulation efficiency with (by) 38.7%. The liposome encapsulation will provide an effective nanocarrier system to protect and deliver the flavonoids extracted from stingless bees' propolis.

Amelioration of N,N'-dimethylhydrazine induced colon toxicity by epigallocatechin gallate in Wistar rats

Colon cancer is a life-threatening disease all over the world and is linked to constant oxidative stress and inflammation. Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), is a naturally occurring flavone possessing health benefiting pharmacological properties including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and free radical scavenging properties. Our study investigates the role of EGCG on N,N'-dimethylhydrazine (DMH), a toxic environmental pollutant, induced colon toxicity. To investigate the effect of EGCG, Wistar rats were given EGCG for 7 days at the two doses of 10 and 20 mg/kg body weight and DMH was injected on the seventh day in all the group rats except the control. Our results indicate that DMH administration increased the oxidative stress (MDA) and depleted the glutathione and antioxidant enzyme activities (SOD, CAT, GR, GST and GPx) which was significantly ameliorated by EGCG treatment. Additionally DMH treatment upregulated inflammatory markers expression (NF-κB, COX-2 and IL-6) and enhanced mucosal damage in the colon. EGCG treatment significantly reduced inflammation and restored the normal histoarchitecture of the colon. We can conclude from the present study findings that EGCG protects the colon from DMH toxicity through its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential.

Advanced Approaches to Breast Cancer Classification and Diagnosis

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has recently reported a 66% increase in the global number of cancer deaths since 1960. In the US alone, about one in eight women is expected to develop invasive breast cancer(s) (breast cancer) at some point in their lifetime. Traditionally, a BC diagnosis includes mammography, ultrasound, and some high-end molecular bioimaging. Unfortunately, these techniques detect BC at a later stage. So early and advanced molecular diagnostic tools are still in demand. In the past decade, various histological and immuno-molecular studies have demonstrated that BC is highly heterogeneous in nature. Its growth pattern, cytological features, and expression of key biomarkers in BC cells including hormonal receptor markers can be utilized to develop advanced diagnostic and therapeutic tools. A cancer cell's progression to malignancy exhibits various vital biomarkers, many of which are still underrepresented in BC diagnosis and treatment. Advances in genetics have also enabled the development of multigene assays to detect genetic heterogeneity in BC. However, thus far, the FDA has approved only four such biomarkers-cancer antigens (CA); CA 15-3, CA 27-29, Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), and circulating tumor cells (CTC) in assessing BC in body fluids. An adequately structured portable-biosensor with its non-invasive and inexpensive point-of-care analysis can quickly detect such biomarkers without significantly compromising its specificity and selectivity. Such advanced techniques are likely to discriminate between BC and a healthy patient by accurately measuring the cell shape, structure, depth, intracellular and extracellular environment, and lipid membrane compositions. Presently, BC treatments include surgery and systemic chemo- and targeted radiation therapy. A biopsied sample is then subjected to various multigene assays to predict the heterogeneity and recurrence score, thus guiding a specific treatment by providing complete information on the BC subtype involved. Thus far, we have seven prognostic multigene signature tests for BC providing a risk profile that can avoid unnecessary treatments in low-risk patients. Many comparative studies on multigene analysis projected the importance of integrating clinicopathological information with genomic-imprint analysis. Current cohort studies such as MINDACT, TAILORx, Trans-aTTOM, and many more, are likely to provide positive impact on long-term patient outcome. This review offers consolidated information on currently available BC diagnosis and treatment options. It further describes advanced biomarkers for the development of state-of-the-art early screening and diagnostic technologies.

Photocatalytic degradation of crystal violet dye under sunlight by chitosan-encapsulated ternary metal selenide microspheres

Organic dyes that are extensively released in wastewater from various industries remain the priority concern in the modern world. Therefore, a novel catalyst, bismuth-iron selenide, was prepared through the solvothermal process for photocatalytic degradation of a carcinogenic crystal violet dye. The catalyst was supported with chitosan to form iron-bismuth selenide-chitosan microspheres (BISe-CM). The synthesized catalyst was composed of iron, bismuth, and selenium in a definite proportion based on EDX analysis. FTIR analysis confirmed the synthesis of BISe-CM from characteristic bands of metal selenium bond as well as the typical bands of chitosan. SEM analysis illustrated the average diameter of the barren catalyst to be 54.8 nm, while the average size of the microspheres was 982.5 um. The BISe-CM has the surface of a pore with an average size of 0.5 um. XRD analysis revealed that the synthesized catalyst was composed of Fe₃Se₄ and Bi₂Se₃. The prepared catalyst showed better degradation efficiency for crystal violet dye at optimized conditions under solar irradiation. Employing 0.2 g of BISe-CM resulted in complete degradation for 30 ppm of crystal violet dye in 150 min at pH 8.0. The reusability of the catalyst up to four consecutive times makes it a more attractive and practical candidate. Moreover, the catalyst followed pseudo-first-order kinetics in the decontamination of crystal violet. Conclusively, the novel photocatalyst showed the best decolorizing property of crystal violet under sunlight irradiation and could be a suitable alternative for dye decontamination from wastewater.

Inhibition of microbial growth by silver nanoparticles synthesized from Fraxinus xanthoxyloides leaf extract

AIMS

Conventional antibiotics have been failed to treat infectious diseases due to emergence of multidrug resistance (MDR) in some common pathogens. The current study aimed to formulate new antimicrobials from greener sources. In the midst of these efforts, nanotechnology is a newly emerged field, in which the synthesis of new nanoparticles through novel and efficient means is on the rise.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The current work has been carried out to assess the potential of Fraxinus xanthoxyloides (FX) leaf extract in biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles (FX-AgNPs). This method is economical and simple one-step approach to synthesize AgNPs. Characterization of FX-AgNPs has been done by UV-Visible spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electronic microscope (TEM) and Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The formation of FX-AgNPs has confirmed through UV-Visible spectroscopy (at 430 nm) by change of colour owing to surface Plasmon resonance. Based on the XRD pattern, the crystalline property of FX-AgNPs has established. Functional groups existing in F. xanthoxyloides leaf extract are confirmed by FT-IR spectrum. SEM and TEM authenticated morphology of the AgNPs. The newly synthesized nanoparticles were evaluated for their antimicrobial potential. Minimum inhibitory concentration was determined against Escherichia coli, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans by microtiter plate assay. The lowest inhibition (69%) observed against MRSA was at a concentration of 50 ppm FX-AgNPs and maximum inhibition (81%) observed was against P. aeruginosa. The biosynthesized AgNPs triggered up to 68·6% reduction of the P. aeruginosa biofilm when compared to the control.

CONCLUSION

It can be concluded that nanoparticles could be a better alternative of antibiotics with greater efficacies and represent a valuable milestone to fight against infections caused by MDR pathogens.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

This study imparts a useful insight into the development of a new antimicrobial agent from a novel source.

The frequency of radial artery occlusion following cardiac catheterization with the use of transradial pneumatic compression band

Objectives

Radial artery occlusion is a silent complication of a transradial approach to cardiac catheterization that may complicate subsequent transradial procedures in patients undergoing cardiac catheterization. A transradial band reduces vascular complications and provides brisk, powerful and effective haemostasis. The purpose of this study was to assess the frequency of radial artery occlusion in 180 patients undergoing transradial coronary catheterization.

Results

The median age of the study cohort was 58 years. Radial artery occlusion was found in 14 (7.8%) patients. When stratifying by age group and sex, there was no significant difference in radial artery occlusion between age groups and sex. It was likewise found that comorbidities such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension and smoking, increased the risk of radial artery occlusion however this was observed to be significant only for diabetes mellitus. We therefore conclude that a transradial pneumatic pressure band is an extremely helpful and safe strategy to prevent radial artery occlusion.

Chitosan-capped ternary metal selenide nanocatalysts for efficient degradation of Congo red dye in sunlight irradiation

Wastewater emerging from the industries containing organic pollutants is a severe threat to humans' health and aquatic life. Therefore, the degradation of highly poisonous organic dye pollutants is necessary to ensure public health and environmental protection. To tackle this problem, visible-light-driven ternary metal selenide nanocomposites were synthesized successfully by the solvothermal method and supported by chitosan microspheres (FeNiSe-CHM). The prepared nanoparticles were capped in chitosan microspheres to avoid leaching and facilitate easy recovery of the catalyst. FTIR spectrum confirmed the synthesis of nanocomposite and nanocomposite-chitosan microspheres (FeNiSe-CHM). Based on the SEM images, the nanomaterial and FeNiSe-CHM has an average particle size of 64 nm and 874 μm, respectively. The presence of iron, nickel and selenium elements in the EDX spectrum revealed the synthesis of FeNiSe-NPs. XRD analysis determined the crystallite structure of nanocomposites as 14.2 nm. The photocatalyst has a crystalline structure and narrow bandgap of 2.09 eV. Moreover, the as-synthesized FeNiSe-CHM were employed for the photodegradation of carcinogenic and mutagenic Congo red dye. The catalyst microspheres showed efficient photocatalytic degradation efficiency of up to 99% for Congo red dye under the optimized conditions of 140 min, pH 6.0, dye concentration 60 ppm and catalyst dose of 0.2 g in the presence of sunlight irradiation following the second-order kinetics. After five consecutive cycles, it showed a slight loss in the degradation efficiency. In conclusion, the results demonstrate a high potential of chitosan-based ternary metal selenide nanocomposites for abatement of dye pollutants from the industrial wastewater.

Au nanostar nanoparticle as a bio-imaging agent and its detection and visualization in biosystems

In the present work, we report the imaging of Au nanostars nanoparticles (AuNSt) and their multifunctional applications in biomedical research and theranostics applications. Their optical and spectroscopic properties are considered for the multimodal imaging purpose. The AuNSt are prepared by the seed-meditated method and characterized for use as an agent for bio-imaging. To demonstrate imaging with AuNSt, penetration and localization in different biological models such as cancer cell culture (A549 lung carcinoma cell), 3D tissue model (multicellular tumor spheroid on the base of human oral squamous carcinoma cell, SAS) and murine skin tissue are studied. AuNSt were visualized using fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) at two-photon excitation with a pulse duration 140 fs, repetition rate 80 MHz and 780 nm wavelength femtosecond laser. Strong emission of AuNSt at two-photon excitation in the near infrared range and fluorescence lifetime less than 0.5 ns were observed. It allows using AuNSt as a fluorescent marker at two-photon fluorescence microscopy and lifetime imaging (FLIM). It was shown that AuNSt can be observed inside a thick sample (tissue and its model). This is the first demonstration using AuNSt as an imaging agent for FLIM at two-photon excitation in biosystems. Increased scattering of near-infrared light upon excitation of AuNSt surface plasmon oscillation was also observed and rendered using a possible contrast agent for optical coherence tomography (OCT). AuNSt detection in a biological system using FLIM is compared with OCT on the model of AuNSt penetrating into animal skin. The AuNSt application for multimodal imaging is discussed.

Selenide-chitosan as High-performance Nanophotocatalyst for Accelerated Degradation of Pollutants

Water pollution is one of the major global challenges today. Water bodies are contaminated by the heavy release of waste effluents of textile industries, which includes intensively colored dye pollutants. Herein, a ternary nanocomposite of bismuth copper selenide with small particle size and ternary metal selenide (TMS)-chitosan microspheres (TMS-CM) of the spherical porous surface were successfully synthesized. SEM, XRD, EDX, FTIR, and UV/Vis spectrophotometry analysis revealed the structural and morphological characteristics of the newly synthesized nanocomposites. SEM imaging showed the average diameter of TMS nanoparticle to be 33 nm. The crystal size was calculated as 6.33 nm and crystalline structure as orthorhombic using XRD findings. EDX confirmed the presence of Bi, Cu, and Se in the ternary nanocomposite. The bandgap of 1.8 eV was calculated from Tauc's plot for the TMS nanocomposite. SEM confirmed the successful synthesis of spherical TMS-CM microspheres of porous surface morphology with an average size of 885.6 μm. The presence of chitosan microspheres in the synthesis of TMS nanocomposite was identified by FTIR spectral analysis. Furthermore, highly efficient photocatalytic degradation (up to 95.4%) of ARS was achieved within 180 min at pH 4.0 using 0.5 g of TMS-CM in sunlight. The first-order kinetic model fitted well to the photocatalytic decontamination of ARS using TMS-CM with a rate constant of 6.1x10^-2  min^-1 . The TMS-CM gave attractive results and high efficiency in photocatalytic degradation of ARS dye after reusing and regeneration of up to seven successive cycles. The newly synthesized nanophotocatalyst could be efficiently used for the decontamination of dye polluted water from textile industries.

The Malay version of smartphone addiction scale: Development, factor structure and validation of a short form for Malaysian adolescents

INTRODUCTION

This study aimed to validate the Malay version of the short form Smartphone Addiction Scale (SAS-M-SF) and to examine its psychometric properties in a cohort of pre-university adolescents.

METHODS

We obtained the validity and reliability evidence for the SAS-M-SF using a group of 307 pre-university students in Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia with a mean age of 18.4±0.2 years (70.4% female and 29.6% male). A questionnaire containing the Malay version of Smartphone Addiction Scale (SAS-M), the Malay version of the short form Smartphone Addiction Scale (SAS-M-SF), and the Malay version of the Internet Addiction Test (IAT-M) was administered on the adolescents.

RESULTS

The SAS-M-SF displayed good internal consistency (Cronbach's α=0.80). Using principle component analysis, we identified a 4-factor SAS-M-SF model. A significant correlation between the SAS-M-SF and the IAT-M was found, lending support for concurrent validity. The prevalence of smartphone addiction was 54.5% based on cut-off score of ≥36 with a sensitivity of 70.2% and a specificity of 72.5%.

CONCLUSIONS

The 10-item SAS-M-SF is a valid and reliable screening tool for smartphone addiction among adolescents. The scale can help clinicians or educators design appropriate intervention and prevention programs targeting smartphone addiction in adolescents at clinical or school settings.

Catalytic potential of cobalt oxide and agar nanocomposite hydrogel for the chemical reduction of organic pollutants

In this study, cobalt oxide nanoparticles (Co₃O₄ NPs) were synthesized by precipitation method from cobalt sulphate solution with basic pH, followed by calcination. The ex-situ synthesized Co₃O₄ NPs were mixed with hot agar (AG) aqueous solution. The preparation of AG- Co₃O₄ nanocomposite hydrogel was carried out by self-association method promoted by thermal denaturation. The quenching of hot suspension from 80 °C to room temperature resulted in the formation of AG-Co₃O₄ nanocomposite hydrogel. The as-synthesized AG-Co₃O₄ was characterized by FTIR, XRD and SEM techniques. In order to test the catalytic activity, AG-Co₃O₄ was used as a heterogeneous catalyst for the reduction of methylene blue (MB), congo red (CR) and 4-nitrophenol (4-NP). The excellent performance of the AG-Co₃O₄ was shown by the reaction rate constant (k_app) values of 0.3623, 0.2114 and 0.2893 for MB, 4-NP and CR, respectively. All these results were obtained with R² above 94 and utilization of an AG-Co₃O₄ catalyst. Furthermore, the catalytic reduction was studied with varying dye concentration and catalyst dose. This study showed that AG-Co₃O₄ catalyst has high potential for remediation of environmental pollutants in wastewaters.

Synthesis of CoCrFeO4-chitosan beads sun-light-driven photocatalyst with well recycling for efficiently degrading high-concentration dyes

It is highly desired to develop an efficient large surface area CoCrFeO₄-based beads sun-light driven photocatalysts with excellent recycling features for degrading high-concentration dyes. Herein, a novel CoCrFeO₄ oxide nanoparticles have customarily been synthesized by the combination of three metals (Co, Cr and Fe) via co-precipitation method in aqueous solution and then millimeter-scale CoCrFeO₄ oxide chitosan-composite beads (CoCrFeO₄-CB) were prepared by incorporating the CoCrFeO₄ in chitosan polymer in basic medium, which makes the adsorbent easier to separate. The number of optimized nanocomposite beads used for the removal of high-concentration dyes displays 5-time photoactivity enhancement under sun-light irradiation compared to pristine CoCrFeO₄. Based on the fluorescence spectra related to the formed OH amounts, temperature-programmed desorption and electrochemical results, it is deduced that the unprecedented photocatalytic activities are mainly attributed to the large surface area, and enhanced charge separation from the chitosan as well as its promotion effects on O₂ activation. Influencing factors that effect the photocatalytic efficiency of dyes, such as catalyst dose, dyes concentration, time, and the light source was also studied. More importantly, after five catalytic cycles, no evident deactivation was observed, suggesting the satisfactory stability of the investigated photocatalyst. Also, large numbers of superoxides radicals form which is the main active species participate in the degradation of acid black were analyzed using a radical trapping experiment. It is expected that our work could render navigated information for steering toward the design and applications of the CoCrFeO₄-based photocatalyst with sun-light utilization for environmental remediation.

Proteomic comparison of osteoarthritic and reference human menisci using data-independent acquisition mass spectrometry

OBJECTIVE

Recent research in knee osteoarthritis (OA) highlights the role of the meniscus in OA pathology. Our aim was to compare the proteomes of medial and lateral menisci from end-stage medial compartment knee OA patients, with reference menisci from knee-healthy deceased donors, using mass spectrometry.

DESIGN

Tissue plugs of Ø3 mm were obtained from the posterior horns of the lateral and medial menisci from one knee of 10 knee-healthy deceased donors and 10 patients undergoing knee replacement. Proteins were extracted and prepared for mass spectrometric analysis. Statistical analysis was conducted on abundance data that was log₂-transformed, using a linear mixed effects model and evaluated using pathway analysis.

RESULTS

We identified a total of 835 proteins in all samples, of which 331 were included in the statistical analysis. The largest differences could be seen between the medial menisci from OA patients and references, with most proteins showing higher intensities in the medial menisci from OA patients. Several matrix proteins, e.g., matrix metalloproteinase 3 (MMP3) (4.3 times higher values [95%CI 1.8, 10.6]), TIMP1 (3.5 [1.4, 8.5]), asporin (4.1 [1.7, 10.0]) and versican (4.4 [1.8, 10.9]), all showed higher abundance in medial menisci from OA patients compared to medial reference menisci. OA medial menisci also showed increased activation of several pathways involved in inflammation.

CONCLUSION

An increase in protein abundance for proteins such as MMP and TIMP1 in the medial menisci from OA patients suggests simultaneous activation of both catabolic and anabolic processes that warrants further attention.

Selective transportation of molybdenum from model and ore through poly inclusion membrane

The extraction of molybdenum from the aqueous solution through poly inclusion membrane (PIM) containing tri-caprylylmethylammonium chloride (Aliquat-336) as a carrier has been investigated. A solution of molybdenum in phosphoric acid was used as a feed side while sodium hydroxide was used as stripping reagent. The results indicate that maximum flux value was obtained at 0.16 M Aliquat-336. Increase in H3PO4 concentration from 0.05 to 1.5 M results into an increase in molybdenum ions. The maximum flux of 3.00×10−6 mol/m2s through PIM was found at 1.5 M H3PO4. The optimized conditions were applied for removal of Mo(VI) from ore and more than 97 % Mo(VI) was extracted.   Bull. Chem. Soc. Ethiop. 2020, 34(1), 93-104. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/bcse.v34i1.9

Experimental studies on removal of arsenites from industrial effluents using tridodecylamine supported liquid membrane

In this article, we report the efficient removal of arsenic in the form of arsenite (As(III)) from an aqueous solution which was applied on the industrial effluents. A flat-sheet polypropylene-supported liquid membrane (SLM) was clamped between the feed phase and strip phase in a liquid membrane permeator setup using tridodecylamine (TDDA) as carrier for extraction of As(III). We have optimized the reaction in changing different parameters such as metal, acid concentration in feed phase, strip phase concentration, and carrier concentration for the maximum As(III) transport through the SLM. The flux value, time of extraction, the stoichiometry of the complex formed, and membrane stability were also investigated. As a result of different experiments performed, we find the best conditions of 0.1 mol/L of TDDA, 1.0 mol/L of HCl in feed phase at optimum pH 1, and 1.0 mol/L of NaOH in stripping phase for the maximum As(III) removal. The optimized reaction was utilized on effluent collected from different industries. During repeated set of experiments on a single polypropylene membrane, it was found that it could withstand five consecutive experiments. Moreover, as high as 93% of extraction efficiency was achieved in 180 min.