Green synthesis of silver and copper nanoparticles and their composites using leaf extract displayed enhanced antibacterial, antioxidant and anticancer potentials.

Green-synthesized silver and copper nanoparticles (NPs), along with their composites, exhibit various biological activities. (Holy basil), traditionally used as medicine in South Asia, treats respiratory disorders, digestive issues, skin diseases and inflammatory conditions. Modern scientific studies support these bioactivities; however, no studies have investigated their bioactivity in combination with NPs.

Biodegradation of phenanthrene by piezotolerant Bacillus subtilis EB1 and genomic insights for bioremediation.

A marine strain B. subtilis EB1, isolated from Equator water, showed excellent degradation towards a wide range of hydrocarbons. Degradation studies revealed dense growth with 93 % and 83 % removal of phenanthrene within 72 h at 0.

An in silico analysis of the impact of POLE mutations on cladribine docking.

Objective: Polymerase ε exonuclease (POLE) is an enzyme involved in DNA replication and may be an attractive therapeutic target in various cancers. Here we sought to model the impact of specific POLE mutations on protein function. Due to the lack of a crystal structure, the tertiary structures of the wild type and four common mutants were modeled using I-Tasser server.

Removing Educational Achievement Points From the Foundation Programme Application System: Is This the Right Decision?

The UK Foundation Programme Office has announced that medical students graduating from 2023 onward will not receive Foundation Programme Application System points for additional degrees or journal publications. In this viewpoint paper, we acknowledge the reasons for this decision, such as socioeconomically advantaged students having greater access to these achievements and the promotion of intercalated degrees for the sake of point accumulation. Additionally, the predictive value of these achievements with regard to junior doctors' performance has been questioned when compared to that of other Foundation Programme Application System components.

Genome sequence analysis of deep sea Aspergillus sydowii BOBA1 and effect of high pressure on biodegradation of spent engine oil.

A deep-sea fungus Aspergillus sydowii BOBA1 isolated from marine sediment at a depth of 3000 m was capable of degrading spent engine (SE) oil. The response of immobilized fungi towards degradation at elevated pressure was studied in customized high pressure reactors without any deviation in simulating in situ deep-sea conditions. The growth rate of A.

Biodegradation of polystyrene by deep-sea Bacillus paralicheniformis G1 and genome analysis.

Polystyrene (PS) films were subjected to in vitro biodegradation by Bacillus paralicheniformis G1 (MN720578) isolated from 3538 m depth sediments of the Arabian Sea. The growth of the isolate was most favourable at pH 7.5, 30 °C and 4% salinity.

Photocatalytic activity of SnO/FeO nanocomposites and the toxicity assessment of Vigna radiata, Artemia salina and Danio rerio in the photodegraded solution.

The study was undertaken to design SnO/FeO nanocomposite by sonochemical method and to assess the photodegradation of organic dye. Textural, composition and structural features of the bare SnO and SnO/FeO samples were characterized using scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The X-ray diffraction of as-synthesized SnO/FeO nanocomposites confirms the presence of tetragonal and cubic structure.

Publisher Correction: Genome analysis of deep sea piezotolerant Nesiotobacter exalbescens COD22 and toluene degradation studies under high pressure condition.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

Genome analysis of deep sea piezotolerant Nesiotobacter exalbescens COD22 and toluene degradation studies under high pressure condition.

A marine isolate, Nesiotobacter exalbescens COD22, isolated from deep sea sediment (2100 m depth) was capable of degrading aromatic hydrocarbons. The Nesiotobacter sp. grew well in the presence of toluene at 0.

Review on plastic wastes in marine environment - Biodegradation and biotechnological solutions.

The marine plastic pollution has drastic effect on marine species. The importance in environmental issues increases the demand to develop a significant technology which does not burden the marine environment or marine life forms. To mitigate the foreseen problems of micro and nanoplastic contamination, different biotechnological solutions has to be considered.

Biodegradation of crude oil using self-immobilized hydrocarbonoclastic deep sea bacterial consortium.

Hydrocarbonoclastic bacterial consortium that utilizes crude oil as carbon and energy source was isolated from marine sediment collected at a depth of 2100 m. Molecular characterization by 16S rRNA gene sequences confirmed that these isolates as Oceanobacillus sp., Nesiotobacter sp.

Studies on the antifungal and serotonin receptor agonist activities of the secondary metabolites from piezotolerant deep-sea fungus sp.

The potent antifungal agent sesquiterpenes and serotonin 5-HT agonist ascotricin were produced by a newly isolated deep-sea fungus sp. This fungus was isolated from deep-sea sediment collected at a depth of 1235 m and characterized. Piezotolerance was successfully tested under high pressure-low temperature (100 bar pressure and 20ºC) microbial cultivation system.

Isatin based macrocyclic Schiff base ligands as novel candidates for antimicrobial and antioxidant drug design: In vitro DNA binding and biological studies.

In the present work, five macrocyclic compounds, CHNO (1), CHNO (1a), CHNOS (1b), CHNO (2a) and CHNO (2b) have been synthesized and thoroughly characterized by elemental analysis, FT-IR, 1D & 2D NMR and electron spray ionization mass spectral analysis. The DNA binding ability of these compounds were investigated in vitro by UV-Visible, fluorescence, circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy and viscosity measurements. The results indicate that these compounds possess strong DNA binding affinity via intercalation, while the order of binding strength followed the trend 2b (1.

Biodegradation of complex hydrocarbons in spent engine oil by novel bacterial consortium isolated from deep sea sediment.

Complex hydrocarbon and aromatic compounds degrading marine bacterial strains were isolated from deep sea sediment after enrichment on spent engine (SE) oil. Phenotypic characterization and phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences showed the isolates were related to members of the Pseudoalteromonas sp., Ruegeria sp.

Agriculture and malnutrition in India.

Background: Despite the high and relatively stable overall growth of the economy, India's agriculture sector is underperforming and a vast section of the population remains undernourished.

Objective: To explore the possible interplay between agricultural performance and malnutrition indicators to see whether states that perform better in agriculture record better nutritional outcomes.

Methods: Correlation analysis and a simple linear regression model were used to study the relationship between agricultural performance and malnutrition among children under 5 years of age and adults from 15 to 49 years of age at 20 major states using data from the National Family Health Survey-3 for the year 2005/06 and the national accounts.

Effect of Ionic Strength on Porphyrin Drugs Interaction with Quadruplex DNA Formed by the Promoter Region of C-myc and Bcl2 Oncogenes.

C-myc and Bcl2 are well characterized oncogenes that are capable of forming G-quadruplex structures. Promoter regions of C-myc and Bcl2 forming G-quadruplex structures are chemically synthesized and G-quadruplex structure is formed in presence of 100 mM potassium ion. Three different porphyrin drugs, namely TMPyP2, TMPyP3, and TMPyP4 are allowed to interact with quadruplex DNA complex and the site and nature of interaction are studied.

In situ immobilization of acid protease on mesoporous activated carbon packed column for the production of protein hydrolysates.

The mesoporous activated carbon (MAC) was used as a support material for in situ immobilization of acid protease (AP). The optimum temperature for the activities of both free and immobilized AP was found to be 50 degrees C. The catalytic efficiency of AP-MAC system has significantly been maintained for more than ten consecutive reaction cycles.

Nanoemulsion drug delivery by ketene based polyester synthesized using electron rich carbon/silica composite surface.

A new carrier matrix for nanoemulsion drug delivery was synthesized from glycine as the raw material, using mesoporous/microporous electron rich carbon-silica composite surface (MAC(800)). MAC(800) was prepared from rice husk in two-stage carbonization. The surface area, pore volume, and pore size distribution of MAC(800) were measured, using nitrogen adsorption isotherms at 77K.

A novel amphiphilic nano hydrogel using ketene based polyester with polyacrylamide for controlled drug delivery system.

A ketene based Low molecular weight polymer (LMKP) having ester functional group was prepared using glycine through surface initiated anionic polymerization. NMR, ATR-FTIR & SEC were used to characterize the LMKP. The LMKP and acrylamide (AAm) were co-polymerised in methyl ethyl ketone to yield semi-IPN nanohydrogels (NHG).

Effects of nonionic surfactant on hydrolysis and fermentation of protein rich tannery solid waste.

The untanned proteinaceous tannery solid waste, the animal fleshing (ANFL), was used as substrate in the treatment process (hydrolysis and fermentation) involving Synergistes sp. The nonionic surfactant (Tween 80) was evaluated for its ability to influence on microbial growth and enzyme activity in the hydrolysis and fermentation of ANFL. The addition of Tween 80 in the process significantly increased the activities of hydrolytic and fermentative enzymes like protease (338-360 Um l(-1)) and deaminase (187-206 Um l(-1)) compared to that of control (protease 195-220 Um l(-1) and deaminase 70-83 Um l(-1)).

Acidogenic fermentation of proteinaceous solid waste and characterization of different bioconversion stages and extracellular products.

The purpose of this study was to investigate hydrolysis of animal fleshing (ANFL), a predominant tannery solid waste and to characterize the acetogenic fermentation products of anaerobic digestion. The acidogenic digestibility of the tannery solid wastes were evaluated up to 120 h using batch anaerobic digestion tests performed under mesophilic condition at 37 degrees C. The degradation of ANFL starts with non-fibrillar proteins and proceeds with fibrillar proteins.

Production of alkaline protease by Pseudomonas aeruginosa using proteinaceous solid waste generated from leather manufacturing industries.

Animal fleshing (ANFL), the major proteinaceous solid waste discharged from leather manufacturing industries was used as the substrate for the production of alkaline protease by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The strain isolated from the tannery wastewater was selected for its ability to produce protease of activity in the range 1160-1175 U ml(-1). The selective removal of non-fibrillar proteins such as albumin and globulin from ANFL by the protease enzyme during the progress of hydrolysis was confirmed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM).