The use of polymeric passive samplers (often polydimethylsiloxane, PDMS, or low-density polyethylene, LDPE) to indicate water concentrations of hydrophobic organic compounds under environmental conditions generally requires two key parameters, a compound-specific polymer-water equilibrium partition coefficient (K), and the degree of equilibration achieved in a given environmental exposure scenario. Herein, we have developed model to extrapolate equilibration of performance reference compounds between polymer and pore water across different compound classes that is also dependent upon accurate estimates of K. We have also developed quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) models, to estimate K for PAHs, PCBs, DDx, and dioxin/furans for the two most common polymeric samplers, PDMS and LDPE.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFVirus-like particles (VLPs) have untapped potential for packaging and delivery of macromolecular cargo. To be a broadly useful platform, there needs to be a strategy for attaching macromolecules to the inside or the outside of the VLP with minimal modification of the platform or cargo. Here, we repurpose antiviral compounds that bind to hepatitis B virus (HBV) capsids to create a chemical tag to noncovalently attach cargo to the VLP.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLindane is a broad-spectrum insecticide widely used on fruits, vegetables, crops, livestock and on animal premises to control the insects and pests. The extensive use of pesticides and their residues in the soil and water typically join the food chain and thus accumulate in the body tissues of human and animals causing severe health effects. The study was designed to determine the toxicity effects of sub-lethal concentrations of lindane on hemato-biochemical profile and histo-pathological changes in Rohu (Labeo rohita).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis study explored the impact of customer mistreatment on counterproductive work behavior (CWB) and the moderating role of supervisor responses (self-sacrificial and self-serving leadership) to clarify why customer-directed CWB occurs and how it can be reduced. A sample of 392 customer-facing employees in the USA completed measures assessing the meaningfulness of work and self-sacrificial and self-serving leadership experiences. The meaningfulness of work moderated the relationship between customer mistreatment and employee anger, and a three-way interaction was found between employee anger and self-sacrificial and self-serving leadership on customer-directed CWB.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe intricate relationship between COVID-19 and diabetes has garnered increasing attention within the medical community. Emerging evidence suggests that individuals with diabetes may experience heightened vulnerability to COVID-19 and, in some cases, develop diabetes as a post-complication following the viral infection. Additionally, it has been observed that patients taking cough medicine containing steroids may face an elevated risk of developing diabetes, further underscoring the complex interplay between these health factors.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis study focused on understanding the influence of stormwater on sediment recontamination and biota bioaccumulation. Stormwater and sediment sampling was conducted at Paleta Creek San Diego, CA, a mixed-use urban watershed. Stormwater samples were size fractioned into clay, silt, sand, and filtered fractions to better understand the association of PAHs and PCBs with different particle sizes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTo overcome the extensive heat generation inside the microprocessors nanofluids have gained importance because of their better thermophysical properties as compared with air and water. This work proposes a two-pronged strategy for thermal performance enhancement of mini channel heat sinks. Firstly, a novel dual flow slotted fin mini channel heat sink flow configuration is proposed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFActivated carbon (AC) has been applied widely in water treatment as a strong sorbent for organic contaminants and, more recently, in-situ treatment and capping for remediating legacy contaminants. In some sediment environments, the sorption kinetics onto AC may significantly impact remedial performance, particularly for large, highly hydrophobic contaminants such as PCBs, but there is limited kinetic data on such compounds. In this study, batch experiments were conducted over 52 weeks to measure PCB adsorption kinetics on 2 ACs in granular (1.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPlants play a crucial role in supplying food globally. Various environmental factors lead to plant diseases which results in significant production losses. However, manual detection of plant diseases is a time-consuming and error-prone process.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPlants are the primary source of food for world's population. Diseases in plants can cause yield loss, which can be mitigated by continual monitoring. Monitoring plant diseases manually is difficult and prone to errors.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBacteriosis is one of the most prevalent and deadly infections that affect peach crops globally. Timely detection of Bacteriosis disease is essential for lowering pesticide use and preventing crop loss. It takes time and effort to distinguish and detect Bacteriosis or a short hole in a peach leaf.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe limited efficacy of BCG (bacillus Calmette-Guérin) urgently requires new effective vaccination approaches for the control of tuberculosis. Poly lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) is a prevalent drug delivery system. However, the effect of PLGA-based nanoparticles (NPs) against tuberculosis for the induction of mucosal immune response is no fully elucidated.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPlants contribute significantly to the global food supply. Various Plant diseases can result in production losses, which can be avoided by maintaining vigilance. However, manually monitoring plant diseases by agriculture experts and botanists is time-consuming, challenging and error-prone.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFElectrically tunable lenses (ETLs) are those with the ability to alter their optical power in response to an electric signal. This feature allows such systems to not only image the areas of interest but also obtain spatial depth perception (depth of field, DOF). The aim of the present study was to develop an ETL-based imaging system for quantitative surface analysis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMitophagy is a selective autophagy mechanism for eliminating damaged mitochondria and plays a crucial role in the immune evasion of some viruses and bacteria. Here, we report that () utilizes host mitophagy to suppress host xenophagy to enhance its intracellular survival. is the causative agent of animal tuberculosis and human tuberculosis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe comparative utilization of solar thermal or photovoltaic systems has significantly increased to fulfill the requirement of electricity and heat since few decades. These hybrid systems produce both thermal and electrical energy simultaneously. In recent times, increasing interest is being redirected by researchers in exploiting variety of nanoparticles mixed with miscellaneous base fluids (hybrid nanofluid) for these hybrid systems.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInfertility is a globally recognized issue caused by different reproductive disorders. To date, various therapeutic approaches to restore fertility have been attempted including etiology-specific medication, hormonal therapies, surgical excisions, and assisted reproductive technologies. Although these approaches produce results, however, fertility restoration is not achieved in all cases.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe COVID-19 pandemic has delivered one of the worst economic shocks in modern history and the hospitality sector has been severely affected. Since small businesses from the hospitality sector are known to be relatively more susceptible to the economic complications arising from a crisis, we explore the underlying factors and management practices that influence their continuity of operations as they continue to struggle with the on-going COVID-19 crisis in Pakistan. Using a phenomenological approach, in-depth interviews were conducted to comprehend the experiences of owners-managers.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMycobacterium bovis is the causative agent of bovine tuberculosis and also responsible for serious threat to public health. Koumiss is a fermented mare's milk product, used as traditional drink. Here, we explored the effect of koumiss on gut microbiota and the host immune response against M bovis infection.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMycobacterium bovis (M. bovis) infection triggers cytokine production via pattern recognition receptors. These cytokines include type I interferons (IFNs) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTaking support from ego-depletion theory, this study examines ego depletion as a mechanism that explains how employees' organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) leads to antagonistic consequences, i.e., service sabotage.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe massive application of rare earth elements (REEs) in electronic industries cause their inevitable release into the environment; however, its effects on soil biota remain largely unaddressed. We investigated the E. fetida detoxification potential of nano and bulk LaO and YbO and their potential impact on biochemical and genetic markers at 50, 100, 200, 500 and 1000 mg kg concentration.
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