350 research outputs found
Bioremediation and decontamination potential of flagellate Poteriospumella sp
No full textWater pollution due to heavy metals and water borne pathogen is one of the significant public health issues for developing countries in particular where safe drinking water supply is depleting rapidly. Flagellates are aquatic microscopic organisms that have developed excellent survival strategies, which help them withstand environmental stresses and therefore can act as natural biocontrol in complex ecological systems. This study investigates the wastewater treatment and bioremediation potential of flagellate Poteriospumella sp. Poteriospumella sp. was isolated from northern areas of Pakistan and identified by using 18SrRNA analysis. Wastewater samples were collected from nullah (S1) and two industrial areas of Islamabad and Rawalpindi (S2 and S3) and physiochemical properties (Biological oxygen demand, dissolved oxygen, total nitrogen, ammonia, phosphate and sulfate) were analyzed initially and after treatment with Poteriospumella sp. alone and in combination with consortia of four already characterized bacterial strains i.e., Pseudomonas sp., Salmonella sp., Citrobacter sp., and Enterobacter sp. for 15 days. Furthermore, the bacterivores potential of flagellates was investigated against commonly found endemic waterborne pathogen i.e. Vibrio cholera as well as their ability to sequester or remove heavy metal, mercury (Hg), was also evaluated. The results clearly showed the excellent potential of flagellates in improving wastewater physiochemical properties of all the three wastewater samples i.e. the removal range of BOD (0–10.5%), DO (7.8–38.2%), TN (11.6–53.6%), ammonia (2.7–33.5%), phosphate (0–40%) and sulfate (5.1–12.5%) was recorded. In nutshell, Poteriospumella sp. showed excellent bioremediation potential against Hg (removal of 92–93% of mercuric ions within 2 weeks). In addition, it has significantly reduced the CFU’s of unique subtypes of Vibrio cholerae types circulating in Pakistan and hence can be employed as natural predator to control cholera transmission through water
Signal modelling based scalable hybrid Wi-Fi indoor positioning system
No full textLocation based services (LBS) such as advertising, navigation and social media require a mobile device to be aware of its location anywhere. Global Positioning System (GPS) is accurate outdoors. However, in case of indoor environments, GPS fails to provide a location due to non-line of sight. Even in cases where GPS does manage to get a position fix indoors, it is largely inaccurate due to interference of indoor environment. Wi-Fi based indoor positioning offers best solution indoors, due to wide usage of Wi-Fi for internet access. Wi-Fi based indoor positioning systems are widely based on two techniques, first Lateration which uses distances estimated based on signal properties such as RSS (Received Signal Strength) and second, Fingerprint matching of data collected in offline phase. The accuracy of estimated position using Lateration techniques is lower compared to fingerprinting techniques. However, Fingerprinting techniques require storing a large amount of data and are also computationally intensive. Another drawback of systems based on fingerprinting techniques is that they are not scalable. As the system is scaled up, the database required to be maintained for fingerprinting techniques increases significantly. Lateration techniques also have challenges with coordinate system used in a scaled-up system. This thesis proposes a new scalable positioning system which combines the two techniques and reduces the amount of data to be stored, but also provides accuracy close to fingerprinting techniques. Data collected during the offline/calibration phase is processed by dividing the test area into blocks and then stored for use during online/positioning phase. During positioning phase, processed data is used to identify the block first and then lateration techniques are used to refine the estimated location. The current system reduces the data to be stored by a factor of 20. And the 50th percentile accuracy with this novel system is 4.8m, while fingerprint system accuracy was 2.8m using same data. The significant reduction in database size and lower computational intensity benefits some of the applications like location-based search engines even with slightly lower performance in terms of accuracy
Forecasting Chlorine Residual for Water Safety Using Artificial Neural Networks Ensembles in Humanitarian Water Systems
No full textWaterborne illnesses are a leading health concern in refugee and internally displaced person (IDP) settlements where waterborne pathogens often spread through household recontamination of stored water. Ensuring sufficient chlorine residual is important for protecting drinking water against recontamination and ensuring water remains safe up to the point-of-consumption. This thesis investigated the use of ensembles of artificial neural networks (ANNs) to probabilistically forecast the point-of-consumption free residual chlorine (FRC) concentration using water quality data from six refugee and IDP settlements. These models were then used to generate point-of-distribution FRC targets based on the risk of insufficient FRC at the point-of consumption. Overall, the ensemble ANN approach produced accurate risk-based FRC targets, though the ensemble forecasts were underdispersed. Three approaches for overcoming the underdispersion were considered: post-processing ensemble predictions, training the ANNs using cost-sensitive learning, and multi-objective training of the ANNs. Of these approaches, the multi-objective training yielded the best results
Drug delivery applications of hydrophobic deep eutectic solvent-in-water nanoemulsions: A comparative analysis of ultrasound emulsification and membrane-assisted nanoemulsification
No full textThe emergence of green chemistry and engineering principles to enforce sustainability aspects has ensured the prevalence of green solvents and green processes. Our study addresses this quest by exploring drug delivery applications of hydrophobic deep eutectic solvents (DESs) which are alternative green solvents. Initially, this work showcases the hydrophobic drug solubilization capabilities of a natural hydrophobic DES, menthol, and decanoic acid. To consider biomedical applications wherein polar media are encountered, this work further demonstrates the potential drug delivery application of these systems by encapsulating the anti-inflammatory local anesthetic lidocaine in hydrophobic DES-in-water nanoemulsions. NMR studies confirm the high solubility of the hydrophobic drug in hydrophobic DES comprising menthol and decanoic acid (1:2 molar ratio). Ultrasound emulsification and energy-efficient membrane emulsification techniques were employed to disperse 4% (v/v) DES into a 2% (w/w) Tween 20 surfactant aqueous solution. An isoporous microengineered membrane (nominal pore size ∼ 9 μm) was used to produce lidocaine-loaded DES-based nanoemulsions. Such membrane-assisted nanoemulsification was possible because the hydrophobic DES exhibits relatively low interfacial tension with the continuous phase and acts as a cosurfactant. Moreover, increased concentrations of lidocaine within the DES resulted in a further decrease in the interfacial tension and a lower melting point. Among the kinetic models analyzed to evaluate the release of lidocaine encapsulated in hydrophobic DES-in-water nanoemulsions, the Korsmeyer-Peppas kinetic model provided the best fit. The release constant "n" of <0.5 indicates that the drug release mechanism is predominantly governed by diffusion. Additionally, cytotoxicity against various human cell lines demonstrated the nanoemulsion's potential for anti-inflammatory drug delivery applications. Consequently, the nanoemulsion of DES presents a promising solution for the effective loading and delivery of poorly soluble drugs. This innovative approach enhances drug solubility and bioavailability, providing a versatile platform for controlled drug release. By leveraging the advantages of nanoemulsion technology, our study underscores the potential of DES-based formulations to promote drug delivery systems across a variety of therapeutic applications.The authors would like to acknowledge the Executive Agency for Education, Audiovisual, and Culture (EACEA) of the European Commission for the scholarship grant of Erasmus Mundus Doctorate in Membrane Engineering (EUDIME) program to Syed Usman Taqui. Prof. Reyes Mallada and Dr. Ruth Lahoz from the Nanoscience Institute of Aragon (INA), University of Zaragoza, are acknowledged for their unconditional support in fabrication and characterization of metallic membranes. This work was also supported by the Associate Laboratory for Green Chemistry-LAQV which is financed by national funds from FCT/MCTES (UIDB/50006/2020). V.S. acknowledges the financial support by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (grant no. PID2021-127847OB-I00). We also acknowledge the financial support of the NextGenerationEU/PRTR thanks to the project: PDC2022-133866-I00. CIBER-BBN is an initiative funded by the VI National R&D&i Plan 2008–2011, Iniciativa Ingenio 2010, Consolider Program. G.M. gratefully acknowledges the support from the Miguel Servet Program (MS19/00092; Instituto de Salud Carlos III). INMA researchers thank the Severo Ochoa Grant CEX2023-001286-S funded by MICIU/ AEI/10.13039/501100011033. Authors thank the “Advanced Microscopy Laboratory” ELECMI and NANBIOSIS ICTSs, for access to their instruments. Part of the work was supported within the Bio4Mem project (CNR-DCM.AD006.234).With funding from the Spanish government through the "Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence" accreditation (CEX2023-001286-S).Peer reviewe
Dataset for Proof-of-concept evaluation at Cox’s Bazar of the Safe Water Optimization Tool: Water quality modelling for safe water supply in humanitarian emergencies
No full textThis dataset contains water quality data from tapstands and households, as well as household water handling practices data, from Camp 1 of the Kutupalong-Balukhali refugee settlement in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, collected between July to December 2019
Effects of Naltrexone on Alcohol and Nicotine Use in Female P Rats
No full textTitle: Effects of Naltrexone on Alcohol and Nicotine Use in Female P Rats
Author: Usman Z. Hamid, Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky
Faculty Mentor: Michael T. Bardo, Ph.D., Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky
Alcohol is the most commonly abused substance worldwide. It is often co-abused with nicotine, which increases the difficulty of cessation of both alcohol and nicotine. Despite having similar mechanisms of action, there is no single medication to treat the co-abuse. The objective of the current study is to analyze the effects of the opiate antagonist naltrexone on alcohol consumption and the co-use of alcohol and nicotine in female alcohol-preferring (P) rats. Six female P rats were trained in two phases. During Phase 1 (ethanol access), subjects had 2-bottle choice sessions with 0% (water) and 15% ethanol. In Phase 2 (concurrent access), rats still had access to ethanol bottles, but were also given access to nicotine (0.3 mg/kg/infusion, i.v.) using a standard 2-lever procedure (active vs. inactive levers). Naltrexone (0.15, 0.3, or 0.6 mg/kg s.c.) treatments were administered to determine its effects on alcohol and nicotine consumption. Half the animals received naltrexone treatments during Phase 1, and half received treatments during Phase 2. During Phase 1 (ethanol access), naltrexone had no significant effect on ethanol or water consumption. Results from Phase 2 (concurrent access) showed that naltrexone dose-dependently reduced ethanol consumption, and reduced water consumption at the highest dose (0.6 mg/kg). Naltrexone did not have any significant effects on active lever presses for nicotine, but reduced inactive lever presses only at the lowest dose (0.15 mg/kg). Naltrexone is more effective in treating alcohol use when tested in combination with nicotine rather than when tested alone
Trichosanthes cucumerina L.
No full textTrichosanthes cucumerina L. GRIN Nomen number: 40106 Family: Cucurbitaceae Common Name: annual gourd (English), club gourd (English), serpent gourd (English), serpentcucumber (English), snake gourd (English), viper’s gourd (English). Native: ASIA-TEMPERATE - China: China- Yunnan; ASIA-TROPICAL - Indian Subcontinent: Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka; Malesia: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines; AUSTRALASIA - Australia: Australia- Northern Territory, Queensland, Western Australia. Listing Only: Agrawal and Mathur 1991 (“snake gourd”); Kapoor 1970 (“ Trichosanthes anguina ”; “snake gourd”); Kumar and Agarwal 2003 (“ Trichosanthes angurna [sic]”); Liquido et al. 1994; Moiz et al. 1967 (“snake gourd”); Narayanan and Batra 1960 (“”snake gourd”); Puttarudriah and Usman 1954 (“snake gourd”); Syed 1970; Udayagiri 1987 (“snake gourd”); Udayagiri and Mohan 1986 (“snake gourd”); Vargas and Nishida 1985a (“ Trichosanthes angurna L.”); White and Elson-Harris 1992 (“a doubtful record”).Published as part of McQuate, Grant T. & Liquido, Nicanor J., 2013, Annotated World Bibliography of Host Fruits of Bactrocera latifrons (Hendel) (Diptera: Tephritidae), pp. 1-61 in Insecta Mundi 2013 (289) on page 40, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.517579
Microengineered membranes for sustainable production of hydrophobic deep eutectic solvent-based nanoemulsions by membrane emulsification for enhanced antimicrobial activity
No full textThis work tackles the quest for temperature-responsive greener solvents by synthesizing a hydrophobic deep eutectic solvent (DES) comprising menthol and decanoic acid. The low solubility of hydrophobic solvents in polar media was addressed by dispersing DES as oil-in-water nanoemulsions allowing their use in biomedical applications. DES-in-water nanoemulsions produced by ultrasound and membrane emulsification techniques were systematically compared. Microengineered isoporous membranes having 9 μm pore size were fabricated by laser machining. A membrane pitch of 100 μm was optimized to produce nanoemulsions 58.7 ± 0.4 nm in size at a dispersed phase flow rate of 0.02 mL min–1 leading to a new approach termed as membrane-assisted nanoemulsification. Subsequently, the optimized DES-based nanoemulsions subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility testing assays were 32 times more active against the Gram-positive bacteria, S. aureus ATCC 6538, than against the Gram-negative bacteria, E. coli ATCC 8739. In contrast to the non-emulsified DES or its individual components, 16 times less chemicals were required to inhibit bacterial activity when tested as nanoemulsions, suggesting increased bioavailability and a synergistic effect of all components in nanoemulsions potentiating their antibacterial activity. Lastly, membrane-assisted nanoemulsification offers sustainable production of nanoemulsions with a better control over size and dispersity along with lowered energy consumption when compared to ultrasound emulsification.The authors would like to acknowledge Executive Agency for Education, Audiovisual & Culture (EACEA) of the European Commission for the scholarship grant of the Erasmus Mundus Doctorate in Membrane Engineering (EUDIME) program to U.T.S. Prof. Reyes Mallada from Nanoscience Institute of Aragon (INA), University of Zaragoza is acknowledged for her unconditional support in fabrication and characterization of metallic membranes. This work is also supported by the Associate Laboratory for Green Chemistry - LAQV, which is financed by national funds from FCT/MCTES (UIDB/50006/2020). M.T.B.C., F.B.G., and I.L. acknowledge the financial support from the project “MobFood – Mobilizing scientific and technological knowledge in response to the challenges of the agri-food market” (POCI-01-0247-FEDER-024524) financed by European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), through the Incentive System to Research and Technological development, within the Portugal2020 Competitiveness and Internationalization Operational Program; iNOVA4Health - UID/Multi/04462/2013, a program financially supported by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia/Ministério da Educação e Ciência, through national funds and co-funded by FEDER under the PT2020 Partnership Agreement; and INTERFACE Programme, through the Innovation, Technology and Circular Economy Fund (FITEC). V.S. acknowledges the financial support from Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, Programa Retos Investigación, Proyecto REF: RTI2018-099019-A-I00. CIBER-BBN is an initiative funded by the VI National R&D&i Plan 2008 -2011, Iniciativa Ingenio 2010, Consolider Program, CIBER Actions and financed by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Spain) with assistance from the European Regional Development Fund.Peer reviewe
Shale characterization on Barito field, Southeast Kalimantan for shale hydrocarbon exploration
No full textAnalysis of contractions in system graphs: Application to state estimation
No full textFunding Information: The work of U. Khan was supported by NSF under awards #1903972 and #1935555. The work of T. Charalam-bous was supported by the Academy of Finland under Grant 317726. Corresponding author email: [email protected], [email protected]. Publisher Copyright: © 2021 IEEE.Observability and estimation are closely tied to the system structure, which can be visualized as a system graph-a graph that captures the inter-dependencies within the state variables. For example, in social system graphs such inter-dependencies represent the social interactions of different individuals. It was recently shown that contractions, a key concept from graph theory, in the system graph are critical to system observability, as (at least) one state measurement in every contraction is necessary for observability. Thus, the size and number of contractions are critical in recovering for loss of observability. In this paper, the correlation between the average-size/number of contractions and the global clustering coefficient (GCC) of the system graph is studied. Our empirical results show that estimating systems with high GCC requires fewer measurements, and in case of measurement failure, there are fewer possible options to find substitute measurement that recovers the system's observability. This is significant as by tuning the GCC, we can improve the observability properties of large-scale engineered networks, such as social networks and smart grid.Peer reviewe
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