Biosynthesis of ZnO/SiO 2 nanocatalyst with palash leaves’ powder for treatment of petroleum refinery effluent

This work aims the synthesis and characterization of ZnO/SiO 2 nanocatalyst from plant waste material by green route and application of this ZnO/SiO 2 nanocatalyst for the treatment of petroleum refinery efflu- ent. Butea monosperma (Palash) leaves’ powder was used as reducing and stabilizing agent for synthesis of ZnO/SiO 2 nanocatalyst. Palash leaves contain broad variability of biomolecules which work as reducing and capping agent. In this research work, COD and acenaphthylene which is Polycyclic Aromatic Hydro- carbons (PAH) were degraded by synthesizing ZnO/SiO 2 nanocatalyst under UV-light in an annular photo- catalytic reactor. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), FIELD emission gun-Scanning electron microscopy (FEG-SEM), Energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) and Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis confirmed the formation of ZnO/SiO 2 nanocatalyst. Characterization studies re- vealed that spherical and hexagonal nanoparticles with particle size ranging from 8 ±5 nm to 40 ±5 nm and mean particle with diameter of 20 ±5 nm were synthesized using this method which is stable in the environment. Brunauer, Emmett and Teller (BET) surface area of ZnO/SiO 2 nanocatalyst is found to be 150.25 m 2 /g. Fractional Factorial design was applied to find optimum condition of process parameters and found that optimum percent. Removal of COD (mg/l), and acenaphthylene were achieved at reaction condition of 1 g/L of ZnO/SiO 2 nanocatalyst loading, 30 °C temperature and 4 h reaction time and found that optimum percent removal of COD (mg/l), and acenaphthylene is 75%, and 73% respectively. Various metals, naturally present in palash leaves’ powder, decrease band gap of energy and improve photocat- alytic activity of nanocatalyst.

A critical period for antidepressant-induced acceleration of neuronal maturation in adult dentate gyrus

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are the most commonly used medications for mood and anxiety disorders, and adult neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus has been shown to be involved in the behavioral effects of SSRIs in mice. Studies have shown the varied effects of chronic treatment with SSRIs on adult neurogenesis. One such effect is the acceleration of neuronal maturation, which affects the functional integration of new neurons into existing neuronal circuitry. In this study, we labeled new neurons by using GFP-expressing retroviral vectors in mice and investigated the effect of an SSRI, fluoxetine, on these neurons at different time points after neuronal birth. Chronic treatment with fluoxetine accelerated the dendritic development of the newborn neurons and shifted the timing of the expression of the maturational marker proteins, doublecortin and calbindin. This accelerated maturation was observed even after sub-chronic treatment, only when fluoxetine was administered during the second week of neuronal birth. These results suggest the existence of a 'critical period' for the fluoxetine-induced maturation of new neurons. We propose that the modified functional integration of new neurons in the critical period may underlie the behavioral effects of fluoxetine by regulating anxiety-related decision-making processes.

Comparison of Platform Switched and Sloping Shoulder Implants on Stress Reduction in various Bone Densities: Finite Element Analysis

INTRODUCTION

Comparison of platform switched (PS), sloping shoulder, and regular implants on stress reduction in various bone densities with finite element analysis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 12 three-dimensional finite element models were built to analyze the stress distribution model. Nobel Biocare 4.3 × 8 mm regular platform replace select implant with matching diameter easy abutment, Nobel Biocare 4.3 × 8 mm replace select implant PS with 3.5 mm diameter easy abutment, Bicon 4 × 8 mm implant with 4 mm diameter sloping shoulder abutments were created virtually in compact bone density using software. The 130 N axial force and a 90 N oblique loading force were applied to the abutment to analyze the stress.

RESULTS

Under horizontal and vertical loading, the sloping shoulder implant had lesser stresses in cancellous bone when compared with PS and regular implants. Sloping shoulder implant showed more stress distribution at implant-abutment interface and at crestal area, whereas with regular implants, the stresses were distributed at cortical area.

CONCLUSION

Sloping shoulder implant in subcrestal position is much favorable for bone growth, stress distribution, and preservation of remaining bone.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE

Use of sloping shoulder implant design distributes the stress apically and creates lesser stresses when compared with PS implants.

Protecting Silicon Film Anodes in Lithium-Ion Batteries Using an Atomically Thin Graphene Drape

Silicon (Si) shows promise as an anode material in lithium-ion batteries due to its very high specific capacity. However, Si is highly brittle, and in an effort to prevent Si from fracturing, the research community has migrated from the use of Si films to Si nanoparticle based electrodes. However, such a strategy significantly reduces volumetric energy density due to the porosity of Si nanoparticle electrodes. Here we show that contrary to conventional wisdom, Si films can be stabilized by two strategies: (a) anchoring the Si films to a carbon nanotube macrofilm (CNM) current collector and (b) draping the films with a graphene monolayer. After electrochemical cycling, the graphene-coated Si films on CNM resembled a tough mud-cracked surface in which the graphene capping layer suppresses delamination and stabilizes the solid electrolyte interface. The graphene-draped Si films on CNM exhibit long cycle life (>1000 charge/discharge steps) with an average specific capacity of ∼806 mAh g^-1. The volumetric capacity averaged over 1000 cycles of charge/discharge is ∼2821 mAh cm^-3, which is 2 to 5 times higher than what is reported in the literature for Si nanoparticle based electrodes. The graphene-draped Si anode could also be successfully cycled against commercial cathodes in a full-cell configuration.

Prediction of cardiovascular risk in cancer patients of South India using WHO/ISH risk prediction charts and Framingham score - A prospective study

Objective Despite the fact that cancer and heart diseases are interconnected, there is lack of information about the prevalence of cardiovascular risk in cancer patients in the South Indian population. With this background, the present study sought to predict the cardiovascular disease in cancer patients. Methods A prospective, cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Medical Oncology, Sri Ramachandra University and Hospital, India. Patients' demographic details, medical information, height, weight, body mass index, blood pressure, total cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol were measured. Two risk prediction tools, namely World Health Organization/International Society of hypertension (WHO/ISH) risk prediction charts and Framingham score were used to assess the prevalence of cardiovascular risk over 10 years. Results A total of 70 patients were included for the study. Breast and stomach cancer were found to be most among the study patients. Cardiovascular disease was assessed using WHO/ISH and Framingham risk assessment tool. With respect to WHO/ISH risk, there is a significant difference in gender, type of cancer, smoking status and age between the risk groups. Males have a high risk compared to females, and smokers have a high risk compared to non-smokers. With respect to Framingham score, there is a significant difference in gender, smoking status and systolic blood pressure between the risk groups. Males have a high risk compared to females, and smokers have a high risk compared to non-smokers. A moderate degree of agreement exists between the two risk prediction tools. Conclusion The findings of the study revealed that there is a low risk of cardiovascular disease in cancer patients.

Can plantar soft tissue mechanics enhance prognosis of diabetic foot ulcer?

AIM

To investigate if the assessment of the mechanical properties of plantar soft tissue can increase the accuracy of predicting Diabetic Foot Ulceration (DFU).

METHODS

40 patients with diabetic neuropathy and no DFU were recruited. Commonly assessed clinical parameters along with plantar soft tissue stiffness and thickness were measured at baseline using ultrasound elastography technique. 7 patients developed foot ulceration during a 12months follow-up. Logistic regression was used to identify parameters that contribute to predicting the DFU incidence. The effect of using parameters related to the mechanical behaviour of plantar soft tissue on the specificity, sensitivity, prediction strength and accuracy of the predicting models for DFU was assessed.

RESULTS

Patients with higher plantar soft tissue thickness and lower stiffness at the 1st Metatarsal head area showed an increased risk of DFU. Adding plantar soft tissue stiffness and thickness to the model improved its specificity (by 3%), sensitivity (by 14%), prediction accuracy (by 5%) and prognosis strength (by 1%). The model containing all predictors was able to effectively (χ² (8, N=40)=17.55, P<0.05) distinguish between the patients with and without DFU incidence.

CONCLUSION

The mechanical properties of plantar soft tissue can be used to improve the predictability of DFU in moderate/high risk patients.

4-Methylanilinium 3-carboxy-4-hydroxybenzenesulfonate

In the title molecular salt, C7H10N+·C7H5O6S−, the anion is deprotonated at the hydroxy O atom of the sulfonate group. In the anion, an intra-ionic O—H...O hydrogen bond generates anS(6) graph-set motif. In the crystal, the inter-ionic N—H...O and O—H...O hydrogen bonds generate anR24(12) ring-set motif, linking the anions and cations into an infinite three-dimensional framework. The crystal structure also features C—H...π and π–π [centroid-to-centroid distance = 3.5946 (11) Å] interactions.

Phosphine-pyridonate ligands containing octahedral ruthenium complexes: access to esters and formic acid

Selective formation of esters from primary alcohols or formic acid from carbon dioxide was achieved in the presence of phosphine-pyridone containing ruthenium catalysts.

Removal of Basic Violet 14 from aqueous solution using sulphuric acid activated materials

In this study the adsorption of Basic Violet, 14 from aqueous solution onto sulphuric acid activated materials prepared from Calophyllum inophyllum (CS) and Theobroma cacao (TS) shells were investigated. The experimental data were analysed by Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin isotherm models. The results showed that CS has a superior adsorption capacity compared to the TS. The adsorption capacity was found to be 1416.43 mg/g for CS and 980.39 mg/g for TS. The kinetic data results at different concentrations were analysed using pseudo first-order and pseudo-second order model. Boyd plot indicates that the dye adsorption onto CS and TS is controlled by film diffusion. The adsorbents were characterised by scanning electron microscopy. The materials used in this study were economical waste products and hence can be an attractive alternative to costlier adsorbents for dye removal in industrial wastewater treatment processes.