Removal of fluoride from water using iron oxide-hydroxide nanoparticles

A novel and facile method for the synthesis of uniform stoichiometric powder form of non-magnetic iron oxide-hydroxide nanoparticles with spherical morphology and its application for defluoridation of drinking water is reported. X-ray powder diffraction analysis (XRD), BET surface area, FTIR, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images were used to characterize nanoscale iron oxide-hydroxide. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) image revealed the formation of iron oxide-hydroxide nanoparticles with spherical morphology. The iron oxide-hydroxide nanoparticles showed an excellent ability to remove fluoride (F-) from contaminated water over a wide range of pH. The influences of temperature, stirring speed, pH, adsorbent dose and contact time were studied. The equilibrium data were tested with various isotherm models and finally, a calculation procedure was reported for the calculation of adsorbent requirement. The fluoride adsorbed nanoparticles was regenerated upto 70% using sodium hydroxide or hydrochloric acid solution. The iron oxide-hydroxide nanoparticles can be used as an effective and replicable adsorbent media for defluoridation of water in presence of competing anions like chloride, iodate, iodide and sulphate.

Real-time assessment of black carbon pollution in Indian households due to traditional and improved biomass cookstoves

Use of improved (biomass) cookstoves (ICs) has been widely proposed as a Black Carbon (BC) mitigation measure with significant climate and health benefits. ICs encompass a range of technologies, including natural draft (ND) stoves, which feature structural modifications to enhance air flow, and forced draft (FD) stoves, which additionally employ an external fan to force air into the combustion chamber. We present here, under Project Surya, the first real-time in situ Black Carbon (BC) concentration measurements from five commercial ICs and a traditional (mud) cookstove for comparison. These experiments reveal four significant findings about the tested stoves. First, FD stoves emerge as the superior IC technology, reducing plume zone BC concentration by a factor of 4 (compared to 1.5 for ND). Indoor cooking-time BC concentrations, which varied from 50 to 1000 μg m(-3) for the traditional mud cookstove, were reduced to 5-100 μg m(-3) by the top-performing FD stove. Second, BC reductions from IC models in the same technology category vary significantly: for example, some ND models occasionally emit more BC than a traditional cookstove. Within the ND class, only microgasification stoves were effective in reducing BC. Third, BC concentration varies significantly for repeated cooking cycles with same stove (standard deviation up to 50% of mean concentration) even in a standardized setup, highlighting inherent uncertainties in cookstove performance. Fourth, use of mixed fuel (reflective of local practices) increases plume zone BC concentration (compared to hardwood) by a factor of 2 to 3 across ICs.

Hepatic hyperplasia and damages induces by zearalenone Fusarium mycotoxins in BALB/c mice

CONTEXT: Zearalenone is a mycoestrogen and considered a mycotoxin. OBJECTIVE: To establish whether zearalenone produced hepatotoxicity via oral administration. METHODS: Zearalenone was orally administered at a dose of 50 mg, 100 mg and 200 mg ZEN/body weight/daily, respectively, for 14 days to three groups of BALB/c mice. Diagnostic modalities used to evaluate hepatic damage and impaired hepatic function pre- and post zearalenone administration included hepatic marker enzyme activity, pentobarbital sleeping time, cytochrome P-450 activities and histopathologic evaluation of liver. RESULTS: Significant histopathologic changes viz. sinusoidal congestion, cytoplasmic vacuolization, hepatocellular necrosis and neutrophil infiltration were observed after evaluating of liver section from each group after accumulated zearalenone exposure. Further, zearalenone exposure increased activities of alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase and lipid peroxides whereas activities of tissue glutathione and cytochrome P450 were decreased as compared to control mice. Zearalenone also increased the sleeping time and decreased sleeping latency after pentobarbital through intraperitoneal route as compared to control mice which indicates that the impairment of hepatic metabolizing enzymes by zearalenone. CONCLUSION: Zearalenone is a potential hepatotoxin by oral route.

Epidemiology and Risk Analysis of Malaria among Pregnant Women

Malaria remains a complex problem during the pregnancy, which threatens > 35 millions pregnant women every year. Malaria pathogenesis in pregnancy results in accumulation of infected RBCs in the intervillous spaces causing severe alterations leading to the reduced materno-foetal exchanges. In this article we have revisited the current evidences of clinical implications and overall burden of malaria in pregnancy. Many adverse aftermaths including, low birth weight, intrauterine growth retardation, preterm delivery, stillbirth and anemia were found associated with malaria in pregnant women. Despite of worldwide comprehensive control programmes for malaria in pregnancy, the disease control has been a daunting task everywhere. Socio cultural, economical, lack of awareness and various logistic problems compound the disease in developing countries. Thorough evidence based information and estimates, education and awareness and strengthening of prevention programmes are needed urgently to achieve success in malaria control in pregnancy.

Mango ginger (Curcuma amada Roxb.)--a promising spice for phytochemicals and biological activities

Mango ginger (Curcuma amada Roxb.) is a unique spice having morphological resemblance with ginger but imparts a raw mango flavour. The main use of mango ginger rhizome is in the manufacture of pickles and culinary preparations. Ayurveda and Unani medicinal systems have given much importance to mango ginger as an appetizer, alexteric, antipyretic, aphrodisiac, diuretic, emollient, expectorant and laxative and to cure biliousness, itching, skin diseases, bronchitis, asthma, hiccough and inflammation due to injuries. The biological activities of mango ginger include antioxidant activity, antibacterial activity, antifungal activity, anti-inflammatory activity, platelet aggregation inhibitory activity, cytotoxicity, antiallergic activity, hypotriglyceridemic activity, brine-shrimp lethal activity, enterokinase inhibitory activity, CNS depressant and analgesic activity. The major chemical components include starch, phenolic acids, volatile oils, curcuminoids and terpenoids like difurocumenonol, amadannulen and amadaldehyde. This article brings to light the major active components present in C. amada along with their biological activities that may be important from the pharmacological point of view.

Bioactive constituents of Homalomena aromatica essential oil and its antifungal activity against dermatophytes and yeasts

Homalomena aromatica rhizomes are rich source of essential oils, which have been attributed for various medicinal uses. In the present investigation, essential oil from H. aromatica rhizomes was isolated and subjected to gas chromatography-mass spectrum (GC-MS) analysis. Fifty-five chemical constituents were reported from H. aromatica rhizomes of which T-muurolol (5.32%), viridiflorol (3.69%), α-selinene (2.19%), M-cymene (2.19%) and γ-Muurolene (1.81%) were identified and reported for the first time. Other major components were identified as linalool (62.5%), terpene-4-ol (7.08%), δ-cadinene (5.57%), α-cadinol (3.71%) and spatulenol (1.81%). H. aromatica rhizome essential oil showed high antimicrobial activity against Trichophyton rubrum, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Microsporum fulvum, Microsporum gypseum, Trichosporon beigelii and Candida albicans.

A cross sectional investigation of malaria epidemiology among seven tea estates in Assam, India

In the present investigation, the epidemiology of malaria among seven tea estates of Nagaon and Udalguri districts of Assam, India has been described. A cross-sectional open study was carried out to understand the malaria epidemiology and associated risk factors among the tea tribes during March to September 2009. Out of 1,182 peripheral blood smears examined, 506 found positive for malaria (slide positivity rate, SPR = 42.8) with Plasmodium falciparum as predominant species. Dimakuchi tea estate was having highest SPR (P = 0.0275) and contributed more number of P. falciparum cases (P < 0.00001). Tea estates studied in both Udalguri and Nagaon districts were equally affected and the SPR recorded were 41.75 and 43.32% respectively. 154 malaria cases detected were having 'O' blood group but each blood group was found to have similar susceptibility of acquiring malaria infection (χ(2 ) = 3.603; P = 0.3076) and P. falciparum infection (χ(2 ) = 1.818; P = 0.6110). The SPR was highest among children more than 2 years of age group and variation in SPR among the age groups was statistically significant (χ(2 ) = 17.186; P = 0.0018). No gender biasing was observed in malaria distribution. Anemia was found associated with the infection among both the sexes. The findings suggest that tea estates are endemic for stable malaria transmission primarily due to P. falciparum and the prevalence rate decline with age, suggesting the development of protective immunity. Promising intervention measures could be able to reduce the malaria prevalence effectively in the study areas.

Effects of water deprivation on behavioral Changes in BALB/c mice in hot humid climate of north east India

AIM

Abnormalities in water balance are manifested as hyponatremia and hypernatremia and the present investigation shows the effect of water deprivation in hot and humid climatic condition of north eastern part of India.

METHODS

Twenty four BALB/c mice of either sex (weight 30-40 g) were used for a 13-week experiment to determine the effects of water deprivation on behavioral and physiological changes. Mice were divided into control group (I) (n = 8), given water ad libitum, water-deprivation male group (15 ml/day) (Group II, n=8) and water-deprivation female group (15 ml/day) (Group III, n=8).

RESULTS

The water deprivation mice shows significantly (P<0.05) deteriorated of reflex, progressive visual placement, emotional whereas body weight, grip strength and rectal temperature were significantly (P<0.05) increased as compared to the control group. This information is useful to those living or deployed in crisis situations where the water supply limited in a hot-humid climate.

A study on the phytoaccumulation of waste elements in wetland plants of a Ramsar site in India

Some wetland plant species are adapted to growing in the areas of higher metal concentrations. Use of such vegetation in remediation of soil and water contaminated with heavy metals is a promising cost-effective alternative to the more established treatment methods. Throughout the year, composite industrial effluents bringing various kinds of heavy metals contaminate our study site, the East Calcutta Wetlands, a Ramsar site at the eastern fringe of Kolkata city (formerly Calcutta), India. In the present study, possible measures for remediation of contaminated soil and water (with elements namely, Ca, Cr, Cu, Pb, Zn, Mn, and Fe) of the ecosystem had been investigated. Ten common regional wetland plant species were selected to study their efficiency and diversity in metal uptake and accumulation. Results showed that Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon) had the highest total Cr concentration (6,601 ± 33 mg kg( -1) dw). The extent of accumulation of various elements in ten common wetland plants of the study sites was: Pb (4.4-57 mg kg( -1) dw), Cu (6.2-39 mg kg( -1) dw), Zn (59-364 mg kg( -1) dw), Mn (87-376 mg kg( -1) dw), Fe (188-8,625 mg kg( -1) dw), Ca (969-3,756 mg kg( -1) dw), and Cr (27-660 mg kg( -1) dw) indicating an uptake gradient of elements by plants as Ca>Fe>Mn>Cr>Zn>Cu>Pb. The present study indicates the importance of identification and efficiency of metal uptake and accumulation capabilities by plants in relation to their applications in remediation of a contaminated East Calcutta Wetland ecosystem.

Correlation of physical parameters during radiochemical synthesis of (18)F positron emission tomography radiopharmaceuticals

Positron emission tomography is a highly specialized imaging technique using short-lived radiolabel substances to produce extremely high resolution images of the body's biological function. The (18)F(-) ion is produced via the (18)O(p,n)(18)F reaction using a silver target cell filled with 1.4 mL of enriched [(18)O] water. On a typical run, the target is irradiated for 45 minutes with 16.5 MeV protons (on target) and an average beam current of 5-45 mA. When the same reaction takes place with [(16)O] water [(13)N] Ammonia is produced as the primary product by the abstraction of hydrogen from water. This study investigated the physical parameters of medical cyclotron during the radiochemical process with induced radioactivity flux and mutual correlation of physical parameters for 16.5 MeV medical cyclotron at the INMAS Delhi, India. It is observed that by getting farther from the target, the relative number of low-energy neutrons increases while the overall flux of neutrons decreases. This is due to multiple scattering of high-energy neutrons in the walls and eventually absorption of low-energy neutrons. The other parameters are also linked with each other which are correlatable.

Malaria incidence among paramilitary personnel in an endemic area of Tripura

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES

Paramilitary operations along the Indo-Bangladesh border are adversely affected by malaria induced morbidity and mortality. Villages surrounding the paramilitary installations often serve as disease reservoirs. Malaria incidence in Tripura State Rifles (TSR) units in Dhalai District of Tripura was studied and the role of the village population in disease transmission was also assessed.

METHODS

Mass blood surveys were carried out among TSR personnel and villagers during 2007 to 2009. Malaria diagnosis through blood smear examination and rapid detection kits was done, and percentage parasitaemia was determined. Activity of malaria vectors was monitored using CDC light traps.

RESULTS

Slide positivity rates (SPR) in the neighbouring villages (51.4%) was significantly higher than that in TSR (27.7%) (P<0.0001). Malaria incidence in villages did not show seasonal variability while it was lowest during post-monsoon season in TSR (P<0.325; OR = 0.74). Per cent Pf parasitaemia was high in TSR (0.29) as compared to villagers (0.20) (P<0.0001). Anopheles minimus and An. dirus were the major malaria vectors observed.

INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSIONS

Paramilitary and public health authorities should adopt targeted measures to reduce the malaria incidence in the villages surrounding the paramilitary installations as the village populations play a major role in disease transmission.

Groundwater arsenic contamination in Brahmaputra river basin: a water quality assessment in Golaghat (Assam), India

Distribution of arsenic (As) and its compound and related toxicology are serious concerns nowadays. Millions of individuals worldwide are suffering from arsenic toxic effect due to drinking of As-contaminated groundwater. The Bengal delta plain, which is formed by the Ganga-Padma-Meghna-Brahmaputra river basin, covering several districts of West Bengal, India, and Bangladesh is considered as the worst As-affected alluvial basin. The present study was carried out to examine As contamination in the state of Assam, an adjoining region of the West Bengal and Bangladesh borders. Two hundred twenty-two groundwater samples were collected from shallow and deep tubewells of six blocks of Golaghat district (Assam). Along with total As, examination of concentration levels of other key parameters, viz., Fe, Mn, Ca, Na, K, and Mg with pH, total hardness, and SO[Formula: see text], was also carried out. In respect to the permissible limit formulated by the World Health Organization (WHO; As 0.01 ppm, Fe 1.0 ppm, and Mn 0.3 ppm for potable water), the present study showed that out of the 222 groundwater samples, 67%, 76.4%, and 28.5% were found contaminated with higher metal contents (for total As, Fe, and Mn, respectively). The most badly affected area was the Gamariguri block, where 100% of the samples had As and Fe concentrations above the WHO drinking water guideline values. In this block, the highest As and Fe concentrations were recorded 0.128 and 5.9 ppm, respectively. Tubewell water of depth 180±10 ft found to be more contaminated by As and Fe with 78% and 83% of the samples were tainted with higher concentration of such toxic metals, respectively. A strong significant correlation was observed between As and Fe (0.697 at p<0.01), suggesting a possible reductive dissolution of As-Fe-bearing minerals for the mobilization of As in the groundwater of the region.

Metabolic Characterization of cold active Pseudomonas, Arthrobacter, Bacillus, and Flavobacterium spp. from Western Himalayas

Himalayan soils undergo dramatic temporal changes in their microclimatic properties. The soil habitats in the high altitude cold habitats of Himalayas are little explored with respect to bacterial diversity and metabolic potentials of the bacterial species. Soil habitat in Western Himalayas is dominated by the genera of Pseudomonas, Arthrobacter, Bacillus, and Flavobacterium. Strains were found to be diverse in their metabolic potentials to utilize different carbon sources by growing them on media containing 114 different sole carbon sources. Bacillus sp. STL9 was supported by the lowest number (12.3%) of the carbon sources while growth was observed in 73.7% of the carbon sources tested for the Pseudomonas sp. SPS2. Carbohydrates appeared to be preferred carbon sources for these Himalayan isolates followed by amino acids and proteins. These microbes also produced various extra-cellular hydrolytic enzymes having biotechnological potentials, lipase being the one secreted by most strains (85.7%) followed by β-galactosidase (42.8%). Antibiotic resistance profiling for 85 different antibiotics has also been described.

ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL

The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s12088-011-0092-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Isolation and determination of deoxynivalenol by reversed-phase high-pressure liquid chromatography

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a mycotoxin produced by food contamination. It is a pharmacologically active compound that acts on the serotonin receptor, leading to several neuroendocrine and hematological disorders. In this article we describe a simple, accurate, and sensitive method for the quantification of DON. DON was quantified using a Phenomenex(®) ODS analytical C18 column (150 mm × 46 mm, 5 μm) with a mobile phase composed of mixture of water-acetonitrile-methanol (5:4:1, v/v/v) at a flow rate of 1.5 ml/min and at 254 nm in an ultraviolet (UV) detector The method has been validated with isolated samples of DON and provides a tool for the control of substandard and counterfeit commercial food products.

Chemopreventive effect of hydroethanolic extract of Euphorbia neriifolia leaves against DENA-induced renal carcinogenesis in mice

The present study was conducted to investigate the chemopreventive effects of hydro-ethanolic extract of Euphorbia neriifolia (EN) on N-nitrosodiethylamine (DENA) induced renal cancer in male Swiss albino mice. Animals were pretreated with EN extract (150 and 400 mg/kg body weight; p.o) and butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) as a standard (0.5% and 1% BHA p.o) both for two week prior to the administration of single dose of DENA (50 mg/kg body weight; p.o). Various in vivo antioxidant biochemical parameters like lipid peroxidation (LPO), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) were evaluated to determine the reno-protective and antioxidant activity of EN. DENA increased oxidative stress through increase in LPO and decrease in antioxidant enzymes (SOD, and CAT). The EN extract significantly restored the antioxidant enzyme level in the kidney and exhibited significant dose dependant protective effect against DENA induced nephrotoxicity, which can be mainly attributed to the antioxidant property of the extract. This study rationalized the ethno-medicinal use of EN for protection against renal cancer.

HLA-G polymorphism patterns show lack of detectable association with recurrent spontaneous abortion

Human leukocyte antigen-G (HLA-G) is a class I non-classical molecule that is predominantly expressed on the extravillous cytotrophoblasts at foetal-maternal interface during pregnancy. We recruited 143 recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA) and 150 control couples for the study. DNA-based typing of the HLA-G was carried out to explore if we can validate the patterns of association reported elsewhere or find association of novel HLA-G alleles with RSA in the Indian population. We also evaluated the role of allele sharing in couples with RSA. We did not find association of any of the HLA-G alleles with RSA in our study. There is a general trend of increase in sharing among the RSA couples, but the increase is not significant. The results suggest that the HLA-G alleles or the allele sharing by couples may not play a significant role in the manifestation of RSA in the Indian context albeit more studies are required before making any definitive statement.

Biomethanation under psychrophilic conditions

The biomethanation of organic matter represents a long-standing, well-established technology. Although at mesophilic and thermophilic temperatures the process is well understood, current knowledge on psychrophilic biomethanation is somewhat scarce. Methanogenesis is particularly sensitive to temperature, which not only affects the activity and structure of the microbial community, but also results in a change in the degradation pathway of organic matter. There is evidence of psychrophilic methanogenesis in natural environments, and a number of methanogenic archaea have been isolated with optimum growth temperatures of 15-25 °C. At psychrophilic temperatures, large amounts of heat are needed to operate reactors, thus resulting in a marginal or negative overall energy yield. Biomethanation at ambient temperature can alleviate this requirement, but for stable biogas production, a microbial consortium adapted to low temperatures or a psychrophilic consortium is required. Single-step or two-step high rate anaerobic reactors [expanded granular sludge bed (EGSB) and up flow anaerobic sludge bed (UASB)] have been used for the treatment of low strength wastewater. Simplified versions of these reactors, such as anaerobic sequencing batch reactors (ASBR) and anaerobic migrating blanket reactor (AMBR) have also been developed with the aim of reducing volume and cost. This technology has been further simplified and extended for the disposal of night soil in high altitude, low temperature areas of the Himalayas, where the hilly terrain, non-availability of conventional energy, harsh climate and space constraints limit the application of complicated reactors. Biomethanation at psychrophilic temperatures and the contribution made to night-soil degradation in the Himalayas are reviewed in this article.

Characterization of LC-HCC fusion protein of botulinum neurotoxin type A

Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) are highly potent toxins that inhibit neurotransmitter release from peripheral cholinergic synapses. The gene for encoding the full length light chain with H(CC) (binding) domain of Clostridium botulinum neurotoxin A was synthesized and cloned into a bacterial expression vector pQE30-UA and produced as an N-terminally six-histidine-tagged fusion protein (rBoNT/A LC-H(CC)). This protein was expressed in two different strains of Escherichia coli namely BL21(DE3) and SG13009. Expression at 37 °C revealed localization of rBoNT/A LC- H(CC) in inclusion body whereas it was expressed in soluble form at 21°C. The recombinant fusion protein was purified by nickel affinity gel column chromatography and identified by monoclonal antibody and peptide mass fingerprinting. The recombinant protein was shown to bind with synaptic vesicles and gangliosides (GT1b) using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The rBoNT/A LC-H(CC) was also found to be highly active on its substrate (SNAP-25) from rat brain, indicating that the expressed and purified rBoNT/A LC-H(CC) protein retains a functionally active conformation. Biologically active recombinant fusion protein was also evaluated for its immunological potential.