Bionanofactories for Green Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles: Toward Antimicrobial Applications

Among the various types of nanoparticles and their strategy for synthesis, the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles has gained much attention in the biomedical, cellular imaging, cosmetics, drug delivery, food, and agrochemical industries due to their unique physicochemical and biological properties. The green synthesis strategies incorporate the use of plant extracts, living organisms, or biomolecules as bioreducing and biocapping agents, also known as bionanofactories for the synthesis of nanoparticles. The use of green chemistry is ecofriendly, biocompatible, nontoxic, and cost-effective. We shed light on the recent advances in green synthesis and physicochemical properties of green silver nanoparticles by considering the outcomes from recent studies applying SEM, TEM, AFM, UV/Vis spectrophotometry, FTIR, and XRD techniques. Furthermore, we cover the antibacterial, antifungal, and antiparasitic activities of silver nanoparticles.     

Electrosynthesis and characterization of iron selenide thin films

Iron selenide thin films have been deposited onto stainless steel and fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) glass substrates by the electrodeposition process, in potentiostatic mode using ferric chloride (FeCl₃) and selenium dioxide (SeO₂) salts. The deposition mechanism and growth of the films were investigated by cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry. The structural, morphological, compositional and optical properties of the deposited films have been studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), EDAX and optical absorption techniques, respectively. XRD studies reveal that the films are polycrystalline with monoclinic crystal structure. The surface morphology study shows that grains are uniformly distributed over the entire surface of the substrate. EDAX study reveals that the iron selenide films are rich in iron. Optical absorption study shows the presence of direct transition with bandgap energy of 1.23 eV.     

灌排系统水转化模拟模型研究

受自然与人为因素综合影响,灌区水转化过程复杂多变。以湖北漳河水库灌区为例,分别从水平和垂直方向描述典型灌排系统的水转化过程,以水量平衡原理为基础,研发灌排系统边界处置、稻作区田间多层土壤、塘坝及排水沟道之间多个水转化模拟子模块,由此构建一种客观描述灌排系统边界半封闭结构及其水平输送、垂直运动与渠-田-沟-塘水转化过程的耦合模拟模型,解决了应用流域分布式水文模型求解灌区水转化过程中面临的灌区边界不确定、分层土壤简化处理等问题。利用漳河灌区谭店灌排系统2014-2015年水平衡测试观测数据对该模型进行检验,采用拉丁超立方抽样法对模型参数进行分层抽样,并利用偏相关法分析参数敏感性。通过模型计算可得,支沟率定期和验证期模拟结果的复相关系数分别为0.83、0.70,Ens系数分别为0.81、0.68,斗沟率定期和验证期模拟结果的复相关系数分别为0.79、0.68,Ens系数分别为0.73、0.62,结果表明该模型适用于灌排系统水转化过程模拟。与SWAT模型对比,对于同一研究区域,复相关系数由0.11提高到0.73,Ens系数由-0.71提高到0.70,进一步验证了该模型的先进性,为灌排系统尺度水转化模拟和机制研究提供了新方法。     

Variation of the specific surface area and porosity of zinc oxide prepared in various atmospheres

Specific surface area and pore structure studies were carried out on zinc oxide samples prepared from zinc oxalate dihydrate by heating at 330 and 370°C and in various atmospheres of water vapour, oxygen and hydrogen. The variation of S_BET with water vapour pressure for the samples heated at 330°C was found to show a behaviour which can be compared with the Smith-Topley effect. For the samples prepared at 370°C, rapid sintering occurred, and the Smith-Topley effect was not followed in this case. Zinc oxide prepared in an oxygen atmosphere gave higher surface area values than that prepared in a hydrogen atmosphere, which is thought to be due to the oxidation of the carbon impurities on the surface. Analysis of nitrogen adsorption isotherms by the t-method revealed the existence of micropores in the sample prepared at 330°C in vacuo. The rest of the samples have wide pores.     

Participation of AT1 and AT2 receptor subtypes in the tonic inhibitory modulation of baroreceptor reflex response by endogenous angiotensins at the nucleus tractus solitarii in the rat

Although myelin basic protein (MBP)-recognizing T cells are not readily obtained after immunization of BALB/c mice with MBP (reflecting the BALB/c resistance to actively induced experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE)), they can be expanded and cloned after several rounds of in vitro culture. The majority of BALB/c-derived clones recognize an epitope defined by MBP peptide 59-76. When transferred to naive BALB/c recipients, these clones cause classical EAE, with characteristic inflammation and demyelination of the central nervous system (CNS). We previously showed that two related clones recognizing a minor epitope, defined by MBP peptide 151-168, cause inflammation and demyelination preferentially of the peripheral nervous system (PNS). Because MBP has alternatively spliced isoforms, residues 151-168 are not present contiguously in all MBP isoforms. In order to determine whether induction of PNS disease is idiosyncratic to these sister clones, or related to their properties of epitope recognition, an independent T-cell line with similar recognition properties was studied. Clone 116F, derived from a BALB/c shiverer mouse, expresses a different T-cell receptor (TCR), with distinct TCR contact residues, but like the previously described T cells, this clone requires residues from both exons 6 and 7 for optimal stimulation. When adoptively transferred to BALB/c recipients, this clone preferentially induces disease of the PNS. A control BALB/c shiverer-derived MBP 59-76-recognizing clone, in contrast, induces CNS disease. These data strongly suggest that the site of disease initiation may correlate with epitope recognition, particularly when alternative isoforms are involved.     

Effects of preliminary muscular exercise on body temperature, water loss and physical performance

We investigated the effects of preliminary exercise (muscular warm-up) on body temperature, water loss and physical performance during consecutive sustained exercise. Thirty-one untrained men aged 21 to 30 years old (mean 25.12 +/- 2.92) were subjected to two physical trial tests at 75% Pma. One trial. (T - PE) was performed without preliminary exercise (PE) and the other (T + PE) was preceded by 15 minutes of preliminary exercise performed at 50% Pma. The trials involved pedaling an ergocycle until exhaustion, followed by a 30 minutes period of inactive recovery. The rate of increase of body temperature during the work consecutive to preliminary exercise (T + PE) was lower than that of the work without preliminary exercise (T - PE). The energy output and water loss during T + PE were significantly (P < 0.01) greater than during T - PE. However, the body temperatures at the end of the two tests were identical. The rate of decrease of body temperature, measured after 30 minutes of recovery, was higher for T + PE than T - PE. The duration of work was increased by PE for 25 (80.65%) subjects and decreased for 6 (19.35%). We conclude that preliminary exercise allows better adjustment of thermohydric regulation by moderating the rise in body temperature and increasing water loss during physical work. For most subjects, these adjustments allow improved endurance.     

Researching the design/production interface: product specifications

To learn more about the relationship between design and production functions in manufacturing firms, a number of relevant topics are being researched. This paper concentrates on one aspect—the product specification (design brief)—and examines different approaches to its compilation, based on interviews with 20 firms and the observed experiences of four companies.