104 research outputs found
Trend of R&D publications in Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors: A Study using INIS and Other Databases
No full textDigital databases INIS (1970-2002), INSPEC (1969-2002), Chemical Abstracts (1977-2002), ISMEC (1973-June2002), Web of Sciences (1974-2002), and Science Citation Index (1982-2002), were used for comprehensive retrieval of bibliographic details of research publications on Pressurized Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR) research. Among the countries contributing to PHWR research, India (having 1737 papers) is the forerunner followed by Canada (1492), Romania (508) and Argentina (334). Collaboration of Canadian researchers with researchers of other countries resulted in 75 publications. Among the most productive researchers in this field, the first 15 are from India. Top three contributors to PHWR publications with their respective authorship credits are: H.S. Kushwaha (106), Anil Kakodkar (100) and V. Venkat Raj (76). Prominent interdomainary interactions in PHWR subfields are: Specific nuclear reactors and associated plants with General studies of nuclear reactors (481), followed by Environmental sciences (185), and Materials science (154). Number of publications dealing with Geosciences aspect of environmental sciences are 141. Romania, Argentina, India and Republic of Korea have used mostly (=75%) non-conventional media for publications. Out of the 4851 publications, 1228 have been published in 292 distinct journals. Top most journals publishing PHWR papers are: Radiation Protection and Environment (continued from: Bulletin of Radiation Protection since 1997), India (115); Nuclear Engineering International, UK (84); and Transactions of the American Nuclear Society, USA (68)
Suaeda maritima-based herbal coils and green nanoparticles as potential biopesticides against the dengue vector Aedes aegypti and the tobacco cutworm Spodoptera litura
No full textThe overuse of synthetic pesticides to control insect pests leads to physiological resistance and adverse environmental effects, in addition to high operational cost. Insecticides of botanical origin have been reported as useful for control of agricultural and public health insect pests. This research proposed a novel method of mangrove-mediated synthesis of insecticidal silver nanoparticles (AgNP) using Suaeda maritima, acting as a reducing and stabilizing agent. AgNP were characterized by UV-vis spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. S. maritima aqueous extract and mangrove-synthesized AgNP showed larvicidal and pupicidal toxicity against the dengue vector Aedes aegypti and the tobacco cutworm Spodoptera litura. In particular, LC50of AgNP ranged from 8.668 (larva I) to 17.975 ppm (pupa) for A. aegypti, and from 20.937 (larva I) to 46.896 ppm (pupa) for S. litura. In the field, the application of S. maritima extract and AgNP (10 Ã LC50) led to 100% mosquito larval reduction after 72 h. Smoke toxicity experiments conducted on A. aegypti adults showed that S. maritima leaf-, stem- and root-based coils evoked mortality rates comparable or higher if compared to permethrin-based positive control (62%, 52%, 42%, and 50.2 respectively). In ovicidal experiments, egg hatchability was reduced by 100% after treatment with 20 ppm of AgNP and 250 ppm of S. maritima extract. Furthermore, low doses of the AgNP inhibited the growth of Bacillus subtilis, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Salmonella typhi. Overall, our results highlighted the potential of S. maritima-based herbal coils and green nanoparticles as biopesticides in the fight against the dengue vector A. aegypti and the tobacco cutworm S. litura
Polymeric design of cell culture materials that guide the differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells
No full textHuman pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs), including embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs), have the potential to differentiate into many cell types that originate from the three germ layers, such as dopamine-secreting cells and insulin-secreting cells for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and diabetes, respectively. However, it is challenging to guide hPSC differentiation into desired cell lineages due to their varying differentiation ability. A reasonable strategy is to mimic the stem cell microenvironment for the differentiation of hPSCs into specific cell lineages using optimal polymeric biomaterials for hPSC culture. This review summarizes various methods for differentiating hPSCs cultured on polymeric biomaterials and discusses the optimal methods and cell culture polymeric biomaterials for hPSC differentiation into specific cell lineages. The recent trend in protocols avoids embryoid body (EB, aggregated cells) formation because EBs contain different types of cells. The combination of appropriate differentiation protocols and cell culture polymeric biomaterials for the differentiation of hPSCs into specific cell lineages will produce a large quantity of highly pure GMP-grade differentiated cells for use in translational medicine
Available diagnostics methods and challenges in the fight against Leptospirosis
No full textLeptospirosis is a neglected zoonosis currently known as reemerging disease worldwide.</jats:p
Fabrication of microbial fuel cells with nanoelectrodes for enhanced bioenergy production
No full textReducing indicator organism E.coli in drinking water using Chitosan nano coated pot system: An inexpensive technique
No full textIn this study the drinking water is treated by nano coated pottery was produced by using chitosan nano particles prepared from marine crab shells. It is an alternative method for physical and chemical water treatment. In this experiment the low cost, non toxic and pollution free chitosan nano particles was prepared in laboratory level then it was integrated into existing traditional water storage pot system and through which indicator organism E.coli number was reduced effectively. The presence of nano sized particles in the prepared samples and capacity of integration and elution of nano particles in the pot systems were determined by XRD and AFMN and N2 compound elementary analysis method respectively. The result from this experiment showed that compared with control pot system the chitosan coated pot has more potential for reducing indicator microorganisms E.coli in the water sample. Also, it was concluded that this low cost and pollution free technology is suitable for purification of contaminated water sample in rural as well as urban areas. However it has some limitations that will be overcome by further research. </jats:p
Comparison of membrane immobilized zero-valent iron nanoparticles for RED ME4BL azodye degradation
No full textTextile industries are hailed as one of the major environmental polluters in the world, owing to their release of undesirable dye effluents. Synthetic dyes do not adhere to fabric firmly and are released into the aquatic ecosystem as effluent. Consequently, the consistent release of wastewater from numerous textile industries without previous treatment has detrimental effects on the ecosystem and human health. Treatment methods currently being used fail to degrade the dye effluents and have their own shortcomings. Immobilized nanoparticles have been extensively studied for dye remediation because of their many advantages over conventional methods. The present study aimed to compare the efficiency of two different carrier matrices [namely Poly(vinylidene fluoride) and Polyurethane] for iron nanoparticle and their decolorization activity on an azo dye (RED ME4BL). Scanning Electron Microscopy was carried out to show the deposition of iron nanoparticles on the membrane. The reaction kinetics of the bare nanoparticles were compared with that of the immobilized nanoparticles, and all were found to follow pseudo-second-order kinetics. Polyurethane immobilized iron nanoparticles showed a significant degradation of RED ME4bl than the Poly(vinylidene fluoride) immobilized iron and bare nanoparticles. This paper also demonstrates a relatively newer method for nanoparticle immobilisation using the synthetic polyurethane form.
Biomaterials used in stem cell therapy for spinal cord injury
No full textSpinal cord injury (SCI) is a common, severe damage to the central nervous system. Here, we discuss the use of biomaterials for stem cell transplantation in preclinical and clinical studies for the treatment of patients with SCI, because cell culture materials could influence the differentiation fate of stem cells, and not act only as carriers or scaffolds for delivery of stem cells and their differentiated cells. Therefore, the effects of cell culture materials on stem cell differentiation fate have been discussed. A direct injection of stem cells is the easiest method to transplant stem cells into the site of SCI. However, the stem cell solution tends to leak out from the injection site. Biomaterials such as fibrin have been used to reduce scarring at the transplantation site and facilitate the integration of transplanted stem cells or progenitor cells in animal models of SCI. Transplantation of stem cells using biomaterials (scaffolds or hydrogels) has been reported to be effective for the treatment of SCI in animal models. It would be necessary to investigate the optimal chemical structure, porosity, and morphology of biomaterials used for the transplantation of stem cells
Production, optimization and characterisation of chitosanase of Bacillus sp. and its applications in nanotechnology
No full textChitosanases is a class of enzymes which hydrolyse chitosan, a natural biopolymer consisting of d-glucosamine in various degrees. In this study, chitosanase producing Bacillus sp. was isolated from soil sample. Chitosanase production was optimized using response surface methodology and the produced chitosanase was characterized. The crude enzyme was found to possess antibacterial and antifungal activity. Chitosanase enzyme was used for trimming chitosan based polymeric nanoparticles produced using sodium trimetaphosphate chelator. Chitosanase enzyme was also utilized for synthesis of silver nanoparticles which were then characterized by UV–Vis, FTIR, SEM, TEM and AFM. The produced nanoparticles were checked for antibacterial and antifungal activity
<span style="font-size: 21.5pt;mso-bidi-font-size:14.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Targetted localisation and imaging of a murine lymphoma using <sup>131</sup><span style="font-size:15.5pt;mso-bidi-font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">I<span style="font-size:21.5pt;mso-bidi-font-size:14.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">-labelled monoclonal antibody </span></span></span>
No full text993-997In
vivo <span style="font-size:15.5pt;mso-bidi-font-size:8.5pt;
font-family:" times="" new="" roman","serif""="">tumor targetting with radiolabelled
monoclonal antibodies is a promising approach for the diagnosis and therapy of
tumors. A specific monoclonal antibody (mAb), DLAB was generated to the
Dalton's lymphoma associated antigen (DLAA) from Haemophilus paragallinarum -induced
spontaneous fusion. In order to study the tumor localisation and
<span style="font-size:
15.5pt;mso-bidi-font-size:8.5pt;font-family:" times="" new="" roman","serif""="">biodistribution
properties of the monoclonal antibody, scintigraphic studies were performed
using the radiolabelled DLAB. <span style="font-size:21.5pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:14.5pt;font-family:" times="" new="" roman","serif""="">131I
-labelled DLAB was administered intravenously into Swiss mice bearing Dalton's
lymphoma and external scintiscanning was performed at different time intervals.
Clear tumor images were obtained which revealed selective and specific uptake
of radiolabel and the results were compared with biodistribution data. The
radioiodinated monoclonal antibody showed fast tumor uptake which increased
significantly to 14.6% injected dose (ID)/g at 12 hr post-injection. Enhanced
blood clearance of radioactivity resulted in higher tumor/blood ratio of 5.96
at 48 hr. <span style="font-size:21.5pt;mso-bidi-font-size:14.5pt;
font-family:" times="" new="" roman","serif""="">131<span style="font-size:
15.5pt;mso-bidi-font-size:8.5pt;font-family:" times="" new="" roman","serif""="">I -labelled
DLAB resulted in selective and enhanced uptake of the radioactivity by the
tumor compared to the non-specific antibody and the results suggest the
potential use of
<span style="font-size:15.5pt;mso-bidi-font-size:8.5pt;
line-height:115%;font-family:" times="" new="" roman","serif""="">spontaneous fusion for
producing specific monoclonal antibodies for tumor detection and therapy.
</span
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