Assessment of the dibenzothiophene desulfurization potential of indigenously isolated bacterial consortium IQMJ-5: a different approach to safeguard the environment.

Biodesulfurization is emerging as a valuable technology for the desulfurization of dibenzothiophene (DBT) and its alkylated substitutes, which are otherwise regarded as refractory to other physical and chemical desulfurizing techniques. The inability of the currently identified pure cultures and artificial microbial consortia due to lower desulfurization rate and product inhibition issues has compelled the researcher to look for an alternative solution. Thus, in the present study, an indigenously isolated microbial consortium was employed to tackle the desulfurization issue. Herein, we isolated several kinds of DBT desulfurizing natural microbial consortia from hydrocarbon-contaminated soil samples by conventional enrichment technique. The most effective desulfurizing microbial consortium was sequenced through illumine sequencing technique. Finally, the effect of the products of the desulfurizing pathway (such as 2-hydroxybiphenyl (2-HBP) and sulfate (SO4-2) was evaluated on the growth and desulfurization capability of the isolated consortium. The outcomes of Gibb's assay analysis showed that six isolates followed the "4S" pathway and converted DBT to 2-HBP. Among the isolates, I5 showed maximum growth rate (1.078 g/L dry cell weight) and desulfurization activity (about 77% as indicated by HPLC analysis) and was considered for further in-depth experimentation. The analysis of 16S rRNA by high-throughput sequencing approach of the I5 isolate revealed five types of bacterial phyla including Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Patescibacteria, and Actinobacteria (in order of abundance). The isolate showed significant tolerance to the inhibitory effect of both 2-HBP and SO4-2 and maintained growth in the presence of even about 1.0 mM initial concentration of both products. This clearly suggests that the isolate can be an efficient candidate for future in-depth desulfurization studies of coal and other fossil fuels.

A Comprehensive Review on Adsorption, Photocatalytic and Chemical Degradation of Dyes and Nitro-Compounds over Different Kinds of Porous and Composite Materials.

Dye and nitro-compound pollution has become a significant issue worldwide. The adsorption and degradation of dyes and nitro-compounds have recently become important areas of study. Different methods, such as precipitation, flocculation, ultra-filtration, ion exchange, coagulation, and electro-catalytic degradation have been adopted for the adsorption and degradation of these organic pollutants. Apart from these methods, adsorption, photocatalytic degradation, and chemical degradation are considered the most economical and efficient to control water pollution from dyes and nitro-compounds. In this review, different kinds of dyes and nitro-compounds, and their adverse effects on aquatic organisms and human beings, were summarized in depth. This review article covers the comprehensive analysis of the adsorption of dyes over different materials (porous polymer, carbon-based materials, clay-based materials, layer double hydroxides, metal-organic frameworks, and biosorbents). The mechanism and kinetics of dye adsorption were the central parts of this study. The structures of all the materials mentioned above were discussed, along with their main functional groups responsible for dye adsorption. Removal and degradation methods, such as adsorption, photocatalytic degradation, and chemical degradation of dyes and nitro-compounds were also the main aim of this review article, as well as the materials used for such degradation. The mechanisms of photocatalytic and chemical degradation were also explained comprehensively. Different factors responsible for adsorption, photocatalytic degradation, and chemical degradation were also highlighted. Advantages and disadvantages, as well as economic cost, were also discussed briefly. This review will be beneficial for the reader as it covers all aspects of dye adsorption and the degradation of dyes and nitro-compounds. Future aspects and shortcomings were also part of this review article. There are several review articles on all these topics, but such a comprehensive study has not been performed so far in the literature.

Photocatalytic Degradation of Food and Juices Dyes via Photocatalytic Nanomaterials Synthesized through Green Synthetic Route: A Systematic Review.

The unavailability of non-poisonous and hygienic food substances is the most challenging issue of the modern era. The uncontrolled usage of toxic colorant moieties in cosmetics and food manufacturing units leads to major threats to human life. The selection of environmentally benign approaches for the removal of these toxic dyes has gained the utmost attention from researchers in recent decades. This review article's main aim is the focus on the application of green-synthesized nanoparticles (NPs) for the photocatalytic degradation of toxic food dyes. The use of synthetic dyes in the food industry is a growing concern due to their harmful effects on human health and the environment. In recent years, photocatalytic degradation has emerged as an effective and eco-friendly method for the removal of these dyes from wastewater. This review discusses the various types of green-synthesized NPs that have been used for photocatalytic degradation (without the production of any secondary pollutant), including metal and metal oxide NPs. It also highlights the synthesis methods, characterization techniques, and photocatalytic efficiency of these NPs. Furthermore, the review explores the mechanisms involved in the photocatalytic degradation of toxic food dyes using green-synthesized NPs. Different factors that responsible for the photodegradation, are also highlighted. Advantages and disadvantages, as well as economic cost, are also discussed briefly. This review will be advantageous for the readers because it covers all aspects of dyes photodegradation. The future feature and limitations are also part of this review article. Overall, this review provides valuable insights into the potential of green-synthesized NPs as a promising alternative for the removal of toxic food dyes from wastewater.

Virtual Screening of Artemisia annua Phytochemicals as Potential Inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease Enzyme.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a human coronaviruses that emerged in China at Wuhan city, Hubei province during December 2019. Subsequently, SARS-CoV-2 has spread worldwide and caused millions of deaths around the globe. Several compounds and vaccines have been proposed to tackle this crisis. Novel recommended in silico approaches have been commonly used to screen for specific SARS-CoV-2 inhibitors of different types. Herein, the phytochemicals of Pakistani medicinal plants (especially Artemisia annua) were virtually screened to identify potential inhibitors of the SARS-CoV-2 main protease enzyme. The X-ray crystal structure of the main protease of SARS-CoV-2 with an N3 inhibitor was obtained from the protein data bank while A. annua phytochemicals were retrieved from different drug databases. The docking technique was carried out to assess the binding efficacy of the retrieved phytochemicals; the docking results revealed that several phytochemicals have potential to inhibit the SARS-CoV-2 main protease enzyme. Among the total docked compounds, the top-10 docked complexes were considered for further study and evaluated for their physiochemical and pharmacokinetic properties. The top-3 docked complexes with the best binding energies were as follows: the top-1 docked complex with a -7 kcal/mol binding energy score, the top-2 docked complex with a -6.9 kcal/mol binding energy score, and the top-3 docked complex with a -6.8 kcal/mol binding energy score. These complexes were subjected to a molecular dynamic simulation analysis for further validation to check the dynamic behavior of the selected top-complexes. During the whole simulation time, no major changes were observed in the docked complexes, which indicated complex stability. Additionally, the free binding energies for the selected docked complexes were also estimated via the MM-GB/PBSA approach, and the results revealed that the total delta energies of MMGBSA were -24.23 kcal/mol, -26.38 kcal/mol, and -25 kcal/mol for top-1, top-2, and top-3, respectively. MMPBSA calculated the delta total energy as -17.23 kcal/mol (top-1 complex), -24.75 kcal/mol (top-2 complex), and -24.86 kcal/mol (top-3 complex). This study explored in silico screened phytochemicals against the main protease of the SARS-CoV-2 virus; however, the findings require an experimentally based study to further validate the obtained results.

Towards a novel peptide vaccine for Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus and its possible use against pandemic COVID-19.

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) is an emerging health concern due to its high mortality rate of 35%. At present, no vaccine is available to protect against MERS-CoV infections. Therefore, an in silico search for potential antigenic epitopes in the non-redundant proteome of MERS-CoV was performed herein. First, a subtractive proteome-based approach was employed to look for the surface exposed and host non-homologous proteins. Following, immunoinformatics analysis was performed to predict antigenic B and T cell epitopes that were used in the design of a multi-epitopes peptide. Molecular docking study was carried out to predict vaccine construct affinity of binding to Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) and understand its binding conformation to extract ideas about its processing by the host immune system. We identified membrane protein, envelope small membrane protein, non-structural protein ORF3, non-structural protein ORF5, and spike glycoprotein as potential candidates for subunit vaccine designing. The designed multi-epitope peptide then linked to ß-defensin adjuvant is showing high antigenicity. Further, the sequence of the designed vaccine construct is optimized for maximum expression in the Escherichia coli expression system. A rich pattern of hydrogen and hydrophobic interactions of the construct was observed with the TLR3 allowing stable binding of the construct at the docked site as predicted by the molecular dynamics simulation and MM-PBSA binding energies. We expect that the panel of subunit vaccine candidates and the designed vaccine construct could be highly effective in immunizing populations from infections caused by MERS-CoV and could possible applied on the current pandemic COVID-19.

Rapid UV-radiation synthesis of polyacrylate cryogel oil-sorbents with adaptable structure and performance.

Macro-porous poly(lauryl acrylate) cryogel sheets as oil-sorbents were prepared through UV-radiation cryo-polymerizations in 1, 4-dioxane at low temperatures (-5, -2 and 0 °C) within 30 min. The influences of total monomer concentration, crosslinking monomer amount and polymerization temperature on the formation of cryogels were studied. The chemical structure and porous morphology were characterized through the techniques of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermal gravimetric analysis, contact angle measurement and scanning electron microscopy, confirming the features of high hydrophobicity, macro-porosity and good thermal stability. As well, the comparison between conventional gels prepared at room temperature and cryogels at lower temperatures was made, showing the higher rate of cryo-polymerization than conventional polymerization under the same UV-radiation condition. The swelling investigation was carried out with several organic solvents and oils. Enhanced performance of oil absorption was observed for those cryogels considering the absorption capacity and absorption rate. Variation of initiator amount and acrylate monomers could also modulate the absorption capacity. Those cryogel oil-sorbents exhibited wide adaptability, good reusability and high-temperature tolerance. Thus, this rapid and low-cost fabrication opens out a novel pathway to prepare efficient oil-sorbents used in waste water treatment.

Food and Feeding Habits of Gaur (Bos gaurus) in Highlands of Central India: A Case Study at Pench Tiger Reserve, Madhya Pradesh (India).

Indian gaur (Bos gaurus) is one of nine species of wild oxen found in the world. They are largely confined to evergreen, semi-evergreen, and moist deciduous forests, but also occur in dry deciduous forest areas at the periphery of their range. According to the IUCN Red List ( 2017 ), the estimated population of gaur in India is between 15,000 and 35,000 individuals, and probably due to this, despite the gaur's vast range of distribution, they are listed as a vulnerable species by IUCN and listed as schedule-I of the Indian Wildlife Protection Act ( 1972 ) as well as in appendix-I in CITES ( 2003 ). Gaur is not a well studied species, and baseline data are thus needed to support conservation efforts. We studied the feeding habits of gaur in Pench Tiger Reserve. Pench Tiger Reserve is the 19th tiger reserve in India, situated in the Seoni and Chhindwara districts of MP, India (21°41'35″N 79°14'54″E). Diet composition of gaur was studied by micro-histological examination of 32 dung piles collected from different sampling plots in different seasons. For this purpose, 169 sampling plots were established at an interval of 200 m. To locate gaur faecal matter, a circular plot of 10 m radius was laid within each sampling plot. Eighty-eight permanent reference slides of available plants were prepared and used for plant fragment identification from the dung piles. A total of 29 plant species were identified from dung piles of gaur. On average, 44.51% of grass-fragments were detected in the diet of gaur, suggesting that gaurs are primarily grazers in the Pench Tiger Reserve.

Gold Nanoparticles Grafted with PLL-b-PNIPAM: Interplay on Thermal/pH Dual-Response and Optical Properties.

Narrowly distributed poly(l-lysine-b-N-isopropylacrylamide) (PLL-b-PNIPAM) was prepared through ring-opening polymerization of ε-benzyloxycarbonyl-l-lysine N-carboxy-α-amino anhydride and atom transfer radical polymerization of NIPAM, followed with the removal of ε-benzyloxycarbonyl group. Then gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) grafted with PLL-b-PNIPAM (PNIPAM-PLL-AuNPs) were obtained by the reduction of chloroauric acid with sodium citrate in the presence of PLL-b-PNIPAM. PNIPAM-PLL-AuNPs and its precursors were thoroughly characterized by proton magnetic resonance spectroscope, Fourier transform infrared spectroscope, UV-vis spectroscope, transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, thermogravimetric analysis, and circular dichroism. The obtained PNIPAM-PLL-AuNPs exhibited high colloid stability even at strong alkaline (pH = 12) and acidic (pH = 2) conditions. The thermal and pH dual-responsive behaviors of the grafting PLL-b-PNIPAM chains was observed to be affected by AuNPs, while not for the secondary structure of PLL chains. Correspondingly, the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of AuNPs was found to be sensitive to both pH value and temperature. A blue shift in the SPR happened both with increasing pH value and increasing temperature. The stimuli-response was reversible in heating-cooling cycles. The gold nanoparticles with both pH and temperature response may have potential applications in biomedical areas and biosensors.

Cystoid macular oedema after phacoemulsification with and without type 2 diabetes mellitus; a hospital-based clinical prospective trial in Karachi.

OBJECTIVE: To know the outcomes of cystoid macular oedema after phacoemulsification in patients with and without type 2 diabetes mellitus using optical coherence tomography. METHODS: This non-concurrent, clinical, prospective study was carried out at Al-Ibrahim Eye Hospital, Karachi, from January to August 2015. After phacoemulsification with injectable posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation, eyes of patients were analysed. The patients were divided into diabetic and non-diabetic groups visual acuity, optical coherence tomography and dilated fundus examination were performed preoperatively (baseline) and post-operative 1st week and 6th week. SPSS 20 was used for data analysis. RESULTS: Of the 100 subjects, there were 50(50%) each in diabetic and non-diabetic group. Subsequently, 14(14%) patients were lost to follow-up, and 86 eyes of 86(86%) patients were analysed. Of them, 37(43%) were male and 49(57%) were female. The mean age of participants was 52.21±7.43 years (range: 38-62years). The non-diabetic group had 41(47.7%) patients and the diabetic group had 45(52.3%). There was no clinically significant cystoid macular oedema in either group. Central foveal thickness > 43.94 µm was observed in 1(2.5%) eye in the non-diabetic group and in none in the diabetic group at 1st post-operative week. At the 6th post-operative week, none of eyes in the non-diabetic group and 2(4.44%) eyes of the diabetic group showed macular oedema. There was no statistically significant difference in mean foveal volume between both groups at 1st week (p=0.896) and 6th week (p=0.230). CONCLUSIONS: Cystoid macular oedema after phacoemulsification was equally present in both diabetics and non-diabetics without any retinopathy.

The role of repetition and reinforcement in school-based oral health education-a cluster randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Repetition and reinforcement have been shown to play a crucial role in the sustainability of the effect of Oral Health Education (OHE) programs. However, its relevance to school-based OHE imparted by different personnel is not depicted by the existing dental literature. The present study was undertaken to determine the effectiveness of the repeated and reinforced OHE (RR-OHE) compared to one-time OHE intervention and to assess its role in school-based OHE imparted by dentist, teachers and peers. METHODS: The study was a cluster randomized controlled trial that involved 935 adolescents aged 10-11 years. Twenty four boys' and girls' schools selected at random in two towns of Karachi, Pakistan were randomly assigned to three groups to receive OHE by dentist (DL), teachers (TL) and peer-leaders (PL). The groups received a single OHE session and were evaluated post-intervention and 6 months after. The three groups were then exposed to OHE for 6 months followed by 1 year of no OHE activity. Two further evaluations at 6-month and 12-month intervals were conducted. The data were collected by a self-administered questionnaire preceded by a structured interview and followed by oral examination of participants. RESULTS: The adolescents' oral health knowledge (OHK) in the DL and PL groups increased significantly by a single OHE session compared to their baseline knowledge (p < 0.05) and the increase was sustained over 6 months. Although one-time OHE resulted in a significant improvement in adolescents' oral health behavior (OHB) related to the prevention of gingivitis in the two groups (p < 0.05), no significant change was observed in their behavior towards prevention of oral cancer. One-time teacher-led OHE was ineffective in improving adolescents' OHK and OHB. The oral hygiene status (OHS) of the participants in all three groups did not change statistically after one-time OHE. The OHK, OHB and OHS indices increased significantly 6 months after RR-OHE than the initial scores (p < 0.001) irrespective of OHE strategy. Although the OHK scores of the DL and PL groups decreased significantly at 12-month evaluation of RR-OHE (p < 0.05), the said score of the TL group; and OHB and OHS scores of all three groups remained statistically unchanged during this period. CONCLUSIONS: The repetition and reinforcement play a key role in school-based OHE irrespective of educators. The trained teachers and peers can play a complementary role in RR-OHE.

Comprehensive assessment of carbon-, biomaterial- and inorganic-based adsorbents for the removal of the most hazardous heavy metal ions from wastewater.

Owing to the high cost of recycling waste, underdeveloped countries discharge industrial, agricultural, and anthropogenic effluents without pretreatment. As a result, pollutant-loaded waste enters water bodies. Among the diverse toxic contaminants, heavy metal ions are the most detrimental because of their chronic toxicity, non-degradability, prevalence, and bioaccumulation. The growing shortage of water resources demands the removal of heavy metal ions from wastewater. Three SDGs of the sustainability agenda of the United Nations appeal for clean water to protect life beneath water and on land depending on the water sources. Therefore, efficient environmentally friendly approaches for wastewater treatment are urgently required. In this regard, several methods have been developed for the removal of heavy metal ions from wastewater, including adsorption as the most widely used method owing to its eco-friendly, cost-effective, and sustainable nature. The present review discusses the progress in the preparation and application of various adsorbents based on carbon, micro-organisms, agricultural waste and inorganic materials for the extraction of toxic metal ions such as Pb2+, Cr6+, As3+, As5+, Hg2+ and Cd2+. Herein, we provide information on the role of the homogeneity and heterogeneity of adsorbents, kinetics of the adsorption of an adsorbate on the surface of an adsorbent, insights into adsorption reaction pathways, the mechanism of the sorption process, and the uptake of solutes from solution. The present review will be useful for researchers working on environmental protection and clean environment.

Nanostructured Design Cathode Materials for Magnesium-Ion Batteries.

Energy is undeniably one of the most fundamental requirements of the current generation. Solar and wind energy are sustainable and renewable energy sources; however, their unpredictability points to the development of energy storage systems (ESSs). There has been a substantial increase in the use of batteries, particularly lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), as ESSs. However, low rate capability and degradation due to electric load in long-range electric vehicles are pushing LIBs to their limits. As alternative ESSs, magnesium-ion batteries (MIBs) possess promising properties and advantages. Cathode materials play a crucial role in MIBs. In this regard, a variety of cathode materials, including Mn-based, Se-based, vanadium- and vanadium oxide-based, S-based, and Mg2+-containing cathodes, have been investigated by experimental and theoretical techniques. Results reveal that the discharge capacity, capacity retention, and cycle life of cathode materials need improvement. Nevertheless, maintaining the long-term stability of the electrode-electrolyte interface during high-voltage operation continues to be a hurdle in the execution of MIBs, despite the continuous research in this field. The current Review mainly focuses on the most recent nanostructured-design cathode materials in an attempt to draw attention to MIBs and promote the investigation of suitable cathode materials for this promising energy storage device.

Significantly enhanced uranium extraction by intelligent light-driven nanorobot catchers with precise controllable moving trajectory.

Uranium, as the most essential resource for nuclear power production, provides 13% of global electricity demand, has attracted considerable attention. However, it is still a great challenge for uranium extraction from natural water like salt lakes as the background of high salinity and low concentration (3.3 ∼ 330 ppb). Meanwhile, current uranium extraction strategies are generally focus on extraction capacity or selectivity but neglect to enhance extraction rate. In this work, we designed a novel kind of NIR-driven intelligent nanorobots catchers (MSSA-AO) with amidoxime as claws for uranium capture, which showed almost 100% extraction rate and an ultrafast extraction rate. Importantly, high extraction capacity (221.5 mg g-1) and selectivity were taken into consideration as well as good regeneration performance. Furthermore, amidoxime NRCs boosted in extraction amount about 16.7% during the first 5 min with self-driving performance. Overall, this work suggests a new strategy for ultrafast extraction of uranium from natural water with low abundance selectively by self-propelled NRCs, showing great possibility in outdoor application and promising for meeting huge energy needs globally.

Ultra-pH-sensitive nanoparticle of gambogenic acid for tumor targeting therapy via anti-vascular strategy plus immunotherapy.

Although the combination of anti-vascular strategy plus immunotherapy has emerged as the optimal first-line treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma, lack of tumor targeting leads to low antitumor efficacy and serious side effect. Here, we report an ultra-pH-sensitive nanoparticle of gambogenic acid (GNA) encapsulated by poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(2-azepane ethyl methacrylate) (PEG-PAEMA) for tumor-targeting combined therapy of anti-vascular strategy plus immunotherapy. PEG-PAEMA-GNA nanoparticle was quite stable at pH 7.4 for 30 d. In contrast, it exerted size shrinkage, charge reversal and the release of GNA at pH 6.7 within 24 h. Moreover, PEG-PAEMA-GNA significantly enhanced the anti-vascular activity, membrane-disruptive capability and pro-apoptosis when pH changed from 7.4 to 6.7. Western blot analysis exhibits that PEG-PAEMA and its GNA nanoparticle facilitated the phosphorylation of STING protein. In vivo assays show that PEG-PAEMA-GNA not only displayed much higher tumor inhibition of 92 % than 37 % of free GNA, but also inhibited tumor vasculature, promoted the maturation of dendritic cells and recruited more cytotoxic t-lymphocytes for sufficient anti-vascular therapy and immunotherapy. All these results demonstrate that PEG-PAEMA-GNA displayed tumor-targeting combined treatment of anti-vascular therapy and immunotherapy. This study offers a simple and novel method for the combination of anti-vascular therapy and immunotherapy with high selectivity towards tumor.

Eucalyptus globulus Mediated Green Synthesis of Environmentally Benign Metal Based Nanostructures: A Review.

The progress in nanotechnology has effectively tackled and overcome numerous global issues, including climate change, environmental contamination, and various lethal diseases. The nanostructures being a vital part of nanotechnology have been synthesized employing different physicochemical methods. However, these methods are expensive, polluting, eco-unfriendly, and produce toxic byproducts. Green chemistry having exceptional attributes, such as cost-effectiveness, non-toxicity, higher stability, environment friendliness, ability to control size and shape, and superior performance, has emerged as a promising alternative to address the drawbacks of conventional approaches. Plant extracts are recognized as the best option for the biosynthesis of nanoparticles due to adherence to the environmentally benign route and sustainability agenda 2030 of the United Nations. In recent decades, phytosynthesized nanoparticles have gained much attention for different scientific applications. Eucalyptus globulus (blue gum) is an evergreen plant belonging to the family Myrtaceae, which is the targeted point of this review article. Herein, we mainly focus on the fabrication of nanoparticles, such as zinc oxide, copper oxide, iron oxide, lanthanum oxide, titanium dioxide, magnesium oxide, lead oxide, nickel oxide, gold, silver, and zirconium oxide, by utilizing Eucalyptus globulus extract and its essential oils. This review article aims to provide an overview of the synthesis, characterization results, and biomedical applications of nanoparticles synthesized using Eucalyptus globulus. The present study will be a better contribution to the readers and the students of environmental research.

Research on dye sensitized solar cells: recent advancement toward the various constituents of dye sensitized solar cells for efficiency enhancement and future prospects.

It is universally accepted that the financial advancement of a state is essentially dependent upon the energy sector as it is essential in the growth, development, and improvement of the farming, mechanical, and defense sectors. A dependable source of energy is expected to enhance society's expectation of everyday comforts. Modern industrial advancement, which is indispensable for any nation, relies upon electricity. The principal explanation behind the energy emergency is rapidly increasing the use of hydrocarbon resources. Thus, the use of renewable resources is essential to overcome this dilemma. The consumption of hydrocarbon fuels and their discharge has destructive consequences on our surroundings. Third-generation photovoltaic (solar) cells are latest encouraging option in solar cells. Currently, dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) utilize organic (natural and synthetic) dye and inorganic (ruthenium) as a sensitizer. The nature of this dye combined with different variables has brought about a change in its use. Natural dyes are a feasible alternative in comparison to expensive and rare ruthenium dye owing to their low cast, easy utility, abundant supply of resources, and no environmental threat. In this review, the dyes generally utilized in DSSC are discussed. The DSSC criteria and components are explained, and the progress in inorganic and natural dyes is monitored. Scientists involved in this emerging technology will benefit from this examination.

Sulfonated PAM/PPy Cryogels with Lowered Evaporation Enthalpy for Highly Efficient Photothermal Water Evaporation.

Because of the increasing scarcity of water resources, the desalination of seawater by photothermal evaporation with harvested solar energy has gradually become a popular research topic. The interconnected macroporous cryogel prepared from polymerization and crosslinking below the freezing temperature of the reactant solution has an excellent performance in photothermal water evaporation after loading photothermal materials. In this study, polyacrylamide (PAM) cryogels were prepared by cryo-polymerization and sulfonated in an alkaline solution containing formaldehyde and Na2SO3. Importantly, the evaporation enthalpy of water in sulfonated PAM cryogel was reduced to 1187 J·g-1 due to the introduction of sulfonate groups into PAM, which was beneficial to increase the photothermal evaporation rate and efficiency. The sulfonated PAM cryogels loaded with polypyrrole and the umbrella-shaped melamine foam substrate were combined to form a photothermal evaporation device, and the evaporation rate was as high as 2.50 kg·m-2·h-1 under one-sun radiation. Meanwhile, the evaporation rate reached 2.09 kg·m-2·h-1 in the 14 wt% high-concentration saline solution, and no salt crystals appeared on the surface of the cryogel after 5 h of photothermal evaporation. Therefore, it was evidenced that the presence of sulfonate groups not only reduced the evaporation enthalpy of water but also prevented salting-out from blocking the water delivery channel during photothermal evaporation, with a sufficiently high evaporation rate, providing a reliable idea of matrix modification for the design of high-efficiency photothermal evaporation materials.

Membrane-disruptive homo-polymethacrylate with both hydrophobicity and pH-sensitive protonation for selective cancer therapy.

The membrane-disruptive strategy, which involves host defense peptides and their mimetics, is a revolutionary cancer treatment based on broad-spectrum anticancer activities. However, clinical application is limited by low selectivity towards tumors. In this context, we have established a highly selective anticancer polymer, i.e. poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(2-azepane ethyl methacrylate) (PEG-PAEMA), that can mediate the membrane-disruptive activity via a subtle pH change between physiological pH and tumor acidity for selective cancer treatment. Specifically, the resulting PEG-PAEMA can assemble into neutral nanoparticles and silence the membrane-disruptive activity at physiological pH and disassemble into cationic free-chains or smaller nanoparticles with potent membrane-disruptive activity after the protonation of the PAEMA block due to tumor acidity, resulting in high selectivity towards tumors. Dramatically, PEG-PAEMA exhibited a >200-fold amplification in hemolysis and <5% in IC50 against Hepa1-6, SKOV3 and CT-26 cells at pH 6.7 as compared to those at pH 7.4, thanks to the selective membrane-disruptive mechanism. Moreover, mid- and high-dose PEG-PAEMA demonstrated higher anticancer efficacy than an optimal clinical prescription (bevacizumab plus PD-1) and, significantly, had few side effects on major organs in the tumor-bearing mice model, agreeing with the highly selective membrane-disruptive activity in vivo. Collectively, this work showcases the latent anticancer pharmacological activity of the PAEMA block, and also brings new hope for selective cancer therapy.

Smart anti-vascular nanoagent induces positive feedback loop for self-augmented tumor accumulation.

How to achieve efficient drug accumulation in the tumor with low vascular density is a great challenge but the key to push the limit of anti-vascular therapeutic efficacy. Herein, we report a charge-reversible nanoparticles of gambogenic acid (CRNP-GNA) that would induce the positive feedback loop between increased tumor vascular permeability and improved drug accumulation. This positive feedback loop would remarkably improve tumor vascular permeability for efficient drug accumulation through few residue vessels. As compared to its charge-irreversible analogue in the latter injections, the accumulation in tumor and vascular permeability and retention indexes (VPRI) in CRNP-GNA group respectively boosted from nearly equal to 8.32 and 60 times, while its tumorous microvessel density decreased from nearly equal to only 7%. The self-augmented accumulation consequently amplified the antitumor efficacy via multiple pathways of anti-angiogenesis, vascular disruption and pro-apoptosis, where 5 out of 6 tumors in animal models were completely cured by CRNP-GNA. This work confirms that the underlying positive feedback loop for anti-vascular therapy could be induced by charge-reversible drug delivery nanosystem to achieve efficient and self-augmented drug accumulation even in the tumor with few vessels. It provides a novel strategy to conquer the dilemma between anti-vascular efficacy and drug accumulation.

Light-Driven Catalytic Activity of Green-Synthesized SnO2/WO3-x Hetero-nanostructures.

This work reports an environmentally friendly and economically feasible green synthesis of monometallic oxides (SnO2 and WO3) and their corresponding mixed metal oxide (SnO2/WO3-x) nanostructures from the aqueous Psidium guajava leaf extract for light-driven catalytic degradation of a major industrial contaminant, methylene blue (MB). P. guajava is a rich source of polyphenols that acts as a bio-reductant as well as a capping agent in the synthesis of nanostructures. The chemical composition and redox behavior of the green extract were investigated by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and cyclic voltammetry, respectively. Results acquired by X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirm the successful formation of crystalline monometallic oxides (SnO2 and WO3) and bimetallic SnO2/WO3-x hetero-nanostructures capped with polyphenols. The structural and morphological aspects of the synthesized nanostructures were analyzed by transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Photocatalytic activity of the synthesized monometallic and hetero-nanostructures was investigated for the degradation of MB dye under UV light irradiation. Results indicate a higher photocatalytic degradation efficiency for mixed metal oxide nanostructures (93.5%) as compared to pristine monometallic oxides SnO2 (35.7%) and WO3 (74.5%). The hetero-metal oxide nanostructures prove to be better photocatalysts with reusability up to 3 cycles without any loss in degradation efficiency or stability. The enhanced photocatalytic efficiency is attributed to a synergistic effect in the hetero-nanostructures, efficient charge transportation, extended light absorption, and increased adsorption of dye due to the enlarged specific surface area.