Sophorolipid: a glycolipid biosurfactant as a potential therapeutic agent against COVID-19.

Biosurfactants are natural surfactants produced by a variety of microorganisms. In recent years, biosurfactants have garnered a lot of interest due to their biomedical and pharmaceutical applications. Sophorolipids are glycolipid types of biosurfactants produced by selected nonpathogenic yeasts.

Bioinspired Heterobimetallic Photocatalyst () for Visible-Light-Driven C-H Oxidation of Organic Substrates via Dioxygen Activation.

We report a bioinspired heterobimetallic photocatalyst and its relevant applications toward visible-light-driven C-H bond oxidation of a series of hydrocarbons using O as the O-atom source. The Ru center absorbs visible light near 460 nm and triggers a cascade of electrons to Fe to afford a catalytically active high-valent Fe═O species. The formed Fe═O has been employed for several high-impact oxidation reactions in the presence of triethanolamine (TEOA) as the sacrificial electron donor.

Ionospheric perturbation during the South American total solar eclipse on 14th December 2020 revealed with the Chilean GPS eyeball.

The influence of the South American total solar eclipse of 14th December 2020 on the ionosphere is studied by using the continuous Chilean Global Positioning System (GPS) sites across the totality path. The totality path with eclipse magnitude 1.012 passed through the Villarrica (Lon.

Liquid wastes as a renewable feedstock for yeast biodiesel production: Opportunities and challenges.

Microbial lipids (bacterial, yeast, or algal) production and its utilization as a feedstock for biodiesel production in a sustainable and economical way along with waste degradation is a promising technology. Oleaginous yeasts have demonstrated multiple advantages over algae and bacteria such as high lipid yields, lipid similarity to vegetable oil, and requirement of lesser area for cultivation. Oleaginous yeasts grown on lignocellulosic solid waste as renewable feedstocks have been widely reported and reviewed.

Chemical composition and radiative forcing of atmospheric aerosols over the high-altitude Western Himalayas of India.

Aerosol behavior over the Himalayas plays an important role in the regional climate of South Asia. Previous studies at high-altitude observatories have provided evidence of the impact of long-range transport of pollutants from the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP). However, little information exists for the valley areas in the high Himalayas where significant local anthropogenic emissions can act as additional sources of short-living climate forcers and pollutants.

A comprehensive review on the applications of functionalized chitosan in petroleum industry.

The biomaterials have gained the attention for utilization as sustainable alternatives for petroleum-derived products due to the rapid depletion of petroleum resources and environmental issues. Chitosan is an economical, renewable and abundant polysaccharide having unique molecular characteristics. Chitosan is derived by deacetylation of chitin, a natural polysaccharide existing in insects' exoskeleton, outer shells of crustaceans, and some fungi cell walls.

Organoselenium ligands for heterogeneous and nanocatalytic systems: development and applications.

Organoselenium ligands have attracted great attention among researchers during the past two decades. Various homogeneous, heterogeneous and nanocatalytic systems have been designed using such ligands. Although reports on selenium ligated homogeneous catalysts are quite high in number, significant work has also been done on the development of heterogeneous and nanocatalytic systems using organoselenium ligands.

Issues and solutions of electronic waste urban mining for circular economy transition: An Indian context.

The rapid consumption of advanced e-products has intensified problems for the linear economy; constantly diminishing natural resources employed in production processes have created a need of recycle and reuse. Although the transition to a circular economy proposes to end the loop of e-products, it needs the application of processes such as urban mining to recover resources as secondary raw material. The present study intends to examine the issues and challenges of electronic waste urban mining (EWUM) in India that need to be assessed for the development of a sustainable economy.

Update on prevalence and distribution pattern of tick-borne diseases among humans in India: a review.

In the present scenario, tick-borne diseases (TBDs) are well known for their negative impacts on humans as well as animal health in India. The reason lies in their increased incidences due to global warming, environmental and ecological changes, and availability of suitable habitats. On a global basis, they are now considered a serious threat to human as well as livestock health.

Phytoremediation of cadmium-contaminated soil by Bidens pilosa L.: impact of pine needle biochar amendment.

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the feasibility of pine needle biochar as a soil amendment to promote the growth of Bidens pilosa L. and enhance its ability to phytoextract the cadmium from soil. Pot experiments (50 d) were designed as control experiment (C); metal treatment (MT), 20 mg Cd kg; biochar treatment (BT or BT), 100 or 200 mg kg; and metal-biochar treatment (MBT or MBT), 20 mg Cd kg and 100 or 200 mg biochar kg.

Catalytically active nanosized PdTe (telluropalladinite) and PdTe (kotulskite) alloys: first precursor-architecture controlled synthesis using palladium complexes of organotellurium compounds as single source precursors.

Several intermetallic binary phases of Pd-Te including PdTe, PdTe, PdTe, PdTe, PdTe, PdTe, PdTe, PdTe, PdTe, PdTe, PdTe and PdTe are known, and negligible work (except few studies on PdTe) has been done on exploring applications of such phases and their fabrication at nanoscale. Hence, Pd(ii) complexes Pd(L1)Cl and Pd(L2-H)Cl (L1): Ph-Te-CH-CH-NH and L2: HO-2-CH-CH[double bond, length as m-dash]N-CHCH-Te-Ph were synthesized. Under similar thermolytic conditions, complex Pd(L1)Cl with bidentate coordination mode of ligand provided nanostructures of PdTe (telluropalladinite) whereas Pd(L2-H)Cl with tridentate coordination mode of ligand yielded PdTe (kotulskite).

Recognition, mechanistic investigation and applications for the detection of biorelevant Cu/Fe/Fe ions by ruthenium(II)-polypyridyl based fluorescent sensors.

The present article focuses on fluorescent probes based on Ru(ii)-polypyridyl fragments connected to different chelates, their significant roles in coordination chemistry and their applications in the selective recognition of biorelevant Cu2+ and Fe2+/Fe3+ ions. A critical analysis of the detection of metal ions by both "turn-on" and "turn-off" emission, properties, mechanism and applications of these sensors is presented. Emphasis has also been laid on the efficiency, selectivity and specificity of these sensors towards biologically important Cu2+ and Fe2+/Fe3+ ions.

Occurrence, seasonal variations, and ecological risk of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in River Ganges at two holy cities of India.

Occurrence of 15 different pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) (ibuprofen, diclofenac, ketoprofen, acetaminophen, ciprofloxacin, erythromycin, amoxicillin, ofloxacin, tetracycline, metoprolol, triclosan, salicylic acid, N, N diethyl-meta-toluamide, caffeine and β-Estradiol) belongs to eight different classes in an urban stretch of River Ganges were detected for three seasons in two holy cities Rishikesh and Haridwar (India). The overall concentration of PPCPs in the River Ganges ranged between Below Detectable Limit (BDL) to 1104.84 ng/L, with higher concentrations at anthropogenically influenced lower reaches of the River Ganges at Haridwar.

Antidiabetic effect of aqueous-ethanol extract from the aerial parts of .

is used for the management of diabetes mellitus in the Indian subcontinent. The present work aimed to validate the traditional claim of the plant in diabetes mellitus. studies were conducted using α-glucosidase and α-amylase assays whereas streptozotocin-nicotinamide-induced diabetic Wistar rats were used for study.

COVID-19: Eco-friendly hand hygiene for human and environmental safety.

The Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) outbreak is caused by a highly pathogenic novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). To date, there is no prescribed medicine for COVID-19. Frequent handwashing with soap and the use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers is recommended by WHO for hand hygiene and to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Ionospheric monitoring with the Chilean GPS eyeball during the South American total solar eclipse on 2nd July 2019.

The impact of total solar eclipse of July 2, 2019 on the Ionosphere is studied using 24 Chilean GPS stations north-south of the totality path. The total solar eclipse passed through Coquimbo region from ~ 16:38 CLT (~ 20:38 UTC) to ~ 16:40 CLT (~ 20:40 UTC) and maximum eclipse was observed ~ 16:39 CLT (~ 20:39 UTC). The total electron content (TEC) derived from GPS signals shows peculiar features.

SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater: Challenges for developing countries.

The COVID-19 pandemic that has engulfed the world, has affected the human lives in several aspects. The detection of SARS-CoV-2 in faeces and urine of the infected person, even after viral clearance in the respiratory tract, and its presence in untreated wastewater raises the possibility of fecal-oral transmission in future. The situation is likely to be more aggravated in developing and least developed countries struggling with the problem of ineffective waste disposal system, open defecation, poor sanitation, and limited access to clean drinking water.

Organochalcogen ligands in catalysis of oxidation of alcohols and transfer hydrogenation.

Organochalcogen compounds have been used as the building blocks for the development of a variety of catalysts that have been studied comprehensively during the last two decades for several chemical transformations. Transfer hydrogenation (reduction of carbonyl compounds to alcohols) and oxidation of alcohols (conversion of alcohols to their respective ketones and aldehydes) are also among such chemical transformations. Some compilations are available in the literature on the development of catalysts, based on organochalcogen ligands, and their applications in Heck reaction, Suzuki reaction, and other related aspects.