Trade-Off between Degradation Efficiency and Recyclability: Zeolite-Enhanced Ni3-xCoxS4 Catalyst for Photocatalytic Degradation of Methylene Blue.

We herein report successful syntheses of both nickel cobalt sulfide (NCS) and its composite with zeolite (NCS@Z) using a solvothermal method. Techniques such as EDX analysis, SEM, and molar ratio determination were used for product characterization. The incorporation of NCS significantly changed the surface roughness and active sites of the zeolite, improving the efficiency of methylene blue degradation and its reusability, especially under UV irradiation. In comparing the pseudo-first order rates, the highest degradation efficiency of methylene blue was achieved with NCS-2@Z, having a degradation extent of 91.07% under UV irradiation. This environmentally friendly approach offers a promising solution for the remediation of methylene blue contamination in various industries.

Photocatalytic activity of TiO2-ZnO/g-C3N4 nanocomposites for methylene orange and Rhodamine B dyes removal from water and photocatalytic hydrogen generation.

In this work, for the removal of azo dyes that cause environmental pollution, TiO2-ZnO has been modified with graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) to form an advanced hetero-linked photocatalyst. With this catalyst, photocatalytic hydrogen production and photodegradation activity against methylene orange (MO) and rhodamineB (RhB) dye removal were studied. The synthesized nanostructure was extensively characterized by several techniques such as XRD, TEM, UV-Vis and fluorescence spectrophotometer (PL) techniques. According to the analysis, a significant increase in the photocatalytic efficiency of TiO2-ZnO was determined after it was modified with g-C3N4 nanostructures. The combination between TiO2-ZnO and g-C3N4 was shown to be responsible for the improvement in photocatalytic activity because it significantly decreased electron-hole recombination. After 90 min the 62.81% of MO dye was removed but at 120 min only 57% of RhB was degraded. In addition, the antibacterial activity of TiO2-ZnO/g-C3N4 catalyst was carried out against gram positive and gram negatif bacteria. The bacterial inhibition (%) of TiO2-ZnO/g-C3N4 catalyst.was found to be 44 % against E. coli and 33 % against at 100 µg/ml concentration. In line with the analyzes obtained with this study, important results have been revealed for the application of photocatalytic methods in more industrial dimensions in the production of hydrogen, which is a valuable energy type.

Managing antibody stability: Effects of stressors on Ipilimumab from the commercial formulation to diluted solutions.

The stability of the monoclonal antibody Ipilimumab, the active ingredient of Yervoy®, used for the treatment of different types of cancer, has been investigated. Shaking/temperature, light exposure and dilution, protein drug renowned stressors, were applied on a 30-45-day series of experiments to observe the physicochemical and biological behavior of the molecule. Ipilimumab demonstrated stability under shaking and heat up to 45 days, without any unfolding during the induced combined stressors. Under artificial sunlight, the mAb showed to be sensitive even under the minimum dose tested (720 kJ/m2) with formation of aggregates, particularly when diluted in glucose solution. The light-induced soluble aggregates were higher in the case of diluted samples irradiated with much higher light doses (10460 kJ/m2). The aggregation of Ipilimumab took place also by irradiating the non-diluted formulation, indicating that the excipients did not protect completely the drug from photodegradation. Amino acid oxidation and deamidation were found. Anyway, after irradiation with both light doses, soluble Ipilimumab maintained its typical ß-sheets structure, and the tertiary structure was nearly maintained compared to the dark. As an additional stressor test, the effect of dilution on the formulation was monitored by using a saline solution (1 mg/mL Ipilimumab) applied during hospital infusion. After two days from dilution, the protein exhibited aggregation and chemical modifications including oxidation and deamidation. When stability conditions were compromised, the viability of human cell lines treated with the stressed formulation slight decreased suggesting low potential biological toxicity of the modified mAb. As this study has demonstrated the susceptibility of Ipilimumab to light, specific solutions, and excipients as well as the use of safe light in manufacturing, handling, and storage of this drug should be promoted. Moreover, the use of proper primary and secondary packaging should be indicated to avoid the detrimental effect of light on the mAb structure and efficacy. A detailed understanding of Ipilimumab physicochemical properties, integrity, and stability could assure the best storage and manipulation conditions for its safe and successful application in cancer therapy.

Effects of Artificially Reproduced Fluctuations in Sunlight Spectral Distribution on the Net Photosynthetic Rate of Cucumber Leaves.

The effects of photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) fluctuations in sunlight have already been investigated; however, the spectral photon flux density distribution (SPD) has hardly been considered. Here, sunlight SPD fluctuations recorded for 200 min in October in Tokyo, Japan were artificially reproduced using an LED-artificial sunlight source system. The net photosynthetic rate (P n) of cucumber leaves under reproduced sunlight was measured and compared with the P n estimated from a steady-state PPFD-P n curve for the same leaves. The measured and estimated P n agreed except when the PPFD was low, where the measured P n was lower than the estimated P n. The ratio of measured P n to estimated P n was 0.94-0.95 for PPFD ranges of 300-700 µmol m-2 s-1, while the value was 0.98-0.99 for 900-1,300 µmol m-2 s-1, and the overall ratio was 0.97. This 3% reduction in the measured P n compared with the P n estimated from a steady-state PPFD-P n curve was significantly smaller than the approximately 20-30% reduction reported in previous experimental and simulation studies. This result suggests that the loss of integral net photosynthetic gain under fluctuating sunlight can vary among days with different fluctuation patterns or may be non-significant when fluctuations in both PPFD and relative SPD of sunlight are taken into consideration.

Intraperitoneal Phototherapy Suppresses Inflammatory Reactions in a Surgical Model of Peritonitis.

BACKGROUND: Standard treatment for diffuse peritonitis due to colorectal perforation may be insufficient to suppress inflammatory reaction in sepsis. Thus, developing new treatments is important. This study aimed to examine whether intraperitoneal irradiation by artificial sunlight suppresses inflammatory reaction in a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced peritonitis model after surgical treatments. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Mice were divided into naive, nontreatment (NT), and phototherapy (PT) groups. In the latter two groups, LPS was intraperitoneally administered to induce peritonitis and removed by intraperitoneal lavage after laparotomy. The PT group was irradiated with artificial sunlight intraperitoneally. We evaluated the local and systemic inflammatory reactions. Murine macrophages were irradiated with artificial sunlight after stimulation by LPS, and cell viability and expression of tumor necrotizing factor-α (TNF-α) were evaluated. RESULTS: As a local inflammatory reaction, the whole cell count, the expression of interleukin-6 and TNF-α in the intra-abdominal fluid, and the peritoneal thickness were significantly lower in the PT group than in the NT group. As a systematic inflammatory reaction, the expression of serum TNF-α, granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor, monocyte chemotactic protein-1, macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1α, and MIP-1ß were significantly lower in the PT group than in the NT group. Irradiation by artificial sunlight suppressed the expression of TNF-α in murine macrophages without affecting cell viability. CONCLUSIONS: Intraperitoneal irradiation by artificial sunlight could suppress local and systemic inflammatory reactions in the LPS-induced peritonitis murine model. These effects may be associated with macrophage immune responses.

Plant architecture and phytochemical composition of basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) under the influence of light from microwave plasma and high-pressure sodium lamps.

Potted herbs such as basil are in high year-round demand in Central Europe. To ensure good quality in winter, artificial light is required. Many horticulturists, who want to replace their high-pressure­sodium (HPS) lamps with light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to save electricity energy, struggle with high investment costs. In addition, switching to LEDs can overwhelm many smaller horticultural enterprises since there is a requirement of adjusting individual light recipes and furthermore cultivation problems can occur due to the lack of infrared radiation. In this study, the influence of light from microwave plasma lamps (MPL), acting as alternative light sources, on secondary metabolites and morphology of basil plants (Ocimum basilicum L.) was tested. Basil plants were grown in a climate chamber with MPL with two different light bulbs emitting either artificial sunlight (AS) or broad white light with increased blue and green light content (sulfur plasma light; SPL). The effect of these new lamp types was compared to standard commercial HPS lamps. In addition to morphological parameters such as height, internode length and fresh weight, plant secondary metabolites were examined. Essential oils and monoterpenes were quantified by GC-MS analysis, whereby phenolic compounds were analyzed calorimetrically. Elongation growth and biomass production was increased under the AS spectrum in comparison to HPS-grown plants. Increased stem elongation was attributed to a higher content of far-red light in the AS spectrum. Furthermore, basil plants grown under the AS spectrum contained the highest total phenolic and total flavonoid content compared to plants grown under the SPL and HPS lamps, probably due to the higher content of UV-A radiation. The lowest content of phenolic compounds was observed when HPS light was used, which was assumed to be caused by a low blue light content in the emission spectrum. An impact of the different light spectra on essential oil composition was determined. A significantly increased content of linalool was found in basil leaves developed under both tested MPL spectra compared to HPS-grown plants. The total yield of the four major essential oils was lowest under HPS treatment.

Psychophysiological Effects of a Single, Short, and Moderately Bright Room Light Exposure on Mildly Depressed Geriatric Inpatients: A Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND: Light interventions typically exert their mood-related effects during morning bright light exposures over several weeks. Evidence about immediate ambient room light effects on depressed individuals is still sparse. OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed at examining the acute effects of a single moderately bright room light exposure on mood, and behavioural and cardiac stress reactions of mildly depressed geriatric inpatients during a short cognitive stimulation and while resting. METHODS: Twenty-one inpatients were tested in a balanced cross-over design on 2 consecutive days under either conventional room light (standard light) or artificial sunlight conditions for 30 min. Room illumination was implemented with an artificial skylight, which perfectly imitated solar indoor illumination (e.g., cloudless sky and bright artificial sun). Light-induced changes of mood, heart rate, and heart rate variability were recorded while performing a perseveration test (acted as cognitive stimulation) twice. Additionally, light-related behaviour was observed during a resting period between the cognitive tests and various subjective ratings were obtained. RESULTS: Compared to standard light, exposure to artificial sunlight had a subjective calming effect over time (p = 0.029) as well as decreased heart rate and increased vagal tone (root mean squared of successive inter-beat intervals), both under cognitive workload and in resting conditions. Effect sizes of reported cardiac reactions were large. Cognitive variables were not influenced by light. Additionally, under the higher corneal illuminance of the artificial sunlight, patients perceived stronger glare (p = 0.030) and kept their eyes closed for longer times (p = 0.033) during the resting period. However, patients did not avoid bright light exposure while resting but voluntarily stayed within the area directly lit by the artificial sun nearly all the time (97%). CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this study for the first time demonstrated immediate psychophysiological effects of a single, short room light exposure in mildly depressed geriatric inpatients during a short cognitive stimulation and while resting. The findings complement reported evidence on immediate alerting and mood-related effects of bright light exposures.

Artificial sunlight and ultraviolet light induced photo-epoxidation of propylene over V-Ti/MCM-41 photocatalyst.

The light irradiation parameters, including the wavelength spectrum and intensity of light source, can significantly influence a photocatalytic reaction. This study examines the propylene photo-epoxidation over V-Ti/MCM-41 photocatalyst by using artificial sunlight (Xe lamp with/without an Air Mass 1.5 Global Filter at 1.6/18.5 mW·cm(-2)) and ultraviolet light (Mercury Arc lamp with different filters in the range of 0.1-0.8 mW·cm(-2)). This is the first report of using artificial sunlight to drive the photo-epoxidation of propylene. Over V-Ti/MCM-41 photocatalyst, the propylene oxide (PO) formation rate is 193.0 and 112.1 µmol·gcat (-1)·h(-1) with a PO selectivity of 35.0 and 53.7% under UV light and artificial sunlight, respectively. A normalized light utilization (NLU) index is defined and found to correlate well with the rate of both PO formation and C3H6 consumption in log-log scale. The light utilization with a mercury arc lamp is better than with a xenon lamp. The selectivity to PO remains practically unchanged with respect to NLU, suggesting that the photo-epoxidation occurs through the same mechanism under the conditions tested in this study.