Advanced photocatalysis as a viable and sustainable wastewater treatment process: A comprehensive review.

In our era, water pollution not only poses a serious threat to human, animal, and biotic life but also causes serious damage to infrastructure and the ecosystem. A set of physical, chemical, and biological technologies have been exploited to decontaminate and/or disinfect water pollutants, toxins, microbes, and contaminants, but none of these could be ranked as sustainable and scalable wastewater technology. The photocatalytic process can harmonize the sunlight to degrade certain toxins, chemicals, microbes, and antibiotics, present in water. For example, transition metal oxides (ZnO, SnO2, TiO2, etc.), when integrated into an organic framework of graphene or nitrides, can bring about more than 90% removal of dyes, microbial load, pesticides, and antibiotics. Similarly, a modified network of graphitic carbon nitride can completely decontaminate petrochemicals. The present review will primarily highlight the mechanistic aspects for the removal and/or degradation of highly concerned contaminants, factors affecting photocatalysis, engineering designs of photoreactors, and pros and cons of various wastewater treatment technologies already in practice. The photocatalytic reactor can be a more viable and sustainable wastewater treatment opportunity. We hope the researcher will find a handful of information regarding the advanced oxidation process accomplished via photocatalysis and the benefits associated with the photocatalytic-type degradation of water pollutants and contaminants.

Genomic analysis of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 action in mouse intestine reveals compartment and segment-specific gene regulatory effects.

1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (VD) regulates intestinal calcium absorption in the small intestine (SI) and also reduces risk of colonic inflammation and cancer. However, the intestine compartment-specific target genes of VD signaling are unknown. Here, we examined VD action across three functional compartments of the intestine using RNA-seq to measure VD-induced changes in gene expression and Chromatin Immunoprecipitation with next generation sequencing to measure vitamin D receptor (VDR) genomic binding. We found that VD regulated the expression of 55 shared transcripts in the SI crypt, SI villi, and in the colon, including Cyp24a1, S100g, Trpv6, and Slc30a10. Other VD-regulated transcripts were unique to the SI crypt (162 up, 210 down), villi (199 up, 63 down), or colon (102 up, 28 down), but this did not correlate with mRNA levels of the VDR. Furthermore, bioinformatic analysis identified unique VD-regulated biological functions in each compartment. VDR-binding sites were found in 70% of upregulated genes from the colon and SI villi but were less common in upregulated genes from the SI crypt and among downregulated genes, suggesting some transcript-level VD effects are likely indirect. Consistent with this, we show that VD regulated the expression of other transcription factors and their downstream targets. Finally, we demonstrate that compartment-specific VD-mediated gene expression was associated with compartment-specific VDR-binding sites (<30% of targets) and enrichment of intestinal transcription factor-binding motifs within VDR-binding peaks. Taken together, our data reveal unique spatial patterns of VD action in the intestine and suggest novel mechanisms that could account for compartment-specific functions of this hormone.

EFFECT OF INCISOR INCLINATION CHANGES ON CEPHALOMETRIC POINTS A AND B.

BACKGROUND: The position of cephalometric points A and B are liable to be affected by alveolar remodelling caused by orthodontic tooth movement during incisor retraction. This study was conducted to evaluate the change in positions of cephalometric points A and B in sagittal and vertical dimensions due to change in incisor inclinations. METHODS: Total sample of 31 subjects were recruited into the study. The inclusion criteria were extraction of premolars in upper and lower arches, completion of growth and orthodontic treatment. The exclusion criteria were patients with craniofacial anomalies and history of orthodontic treatment. By superimposition of pre and post treatment tracings, various linear and angular parameters were measured. Various tests and multiple linear regression analysis were performed to determine changes in outcome variables. Statistically significant p-value was < or = 0.05. RESULTS: One-sample t-test showed that change in position of only point A was statistically significant which was 1.61 mm (p<0.01) in sagittal direction and 1.49 mm (p<0.01) in vertical direction. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that if we retrocline upper incisor by 10 degrees, the point A will move superiorly by 0.6 mm. CONCLUSIONS: Total change in the position of point A is in a downward and forward direction. Total Change in upper incisors inclinations causes change in position of point A only in vertical direction.

Esthetic impact of tooth extraction in Pakistani patients.

BACKGROUND: The norms of Pakistani female patients differ from other Asian patients, this difference should be considered during diagnosis and treatment planning and they should be treated with different protocols in terms of tooth extraction and non-extraction treatments. The present study will provide clinical guidelines to assist in the decision-making process for borderline patients when considering extraction or non-extraction in the orthodontic treatment plan. METHODS: Panels of 40 dentists and 40 laypersons evaluated randomly presented pre- treatment and post-treatment soft-tissue profiles of 30 extraction and 30 non-extraction female patients. Borderline patients were selected based on their initial diagnostic records. Two panels were asked to compare the pre-treatment and post-treatment soft tissue profile tracings and to quantify their perceptions of the aesthetic impact of treatment change using a visual analogue scale (VAS). RESULTS: The mean VAS scores of dentists and laypersons for extraction treatment strategy were +23.03±27.89 and +19.41±26.79 mm (p=0.182) respectively. For non-extraction treatment strategy, mean VAS scores of dentists and laypersons were +12.51?26.56 and +14.55±21.22 mm (p=0.448) respectively. The mean change in lower lip protrusion after extraction treatment was 2.15±3.38 mm (p=0.002) and after non-extraction treatment was 0.83+2.75 mm (p=0.109). CONCLUSIONS: No significant difference was found between dentists and laypersons in their perception of aesthetic impact of a treatment strategy. There was significant change in lower lip protrusion only after the extraction treatment strategy.

Acid-suppressive therapy is associated with spontaneous bacterial peritonitis in cirrhotic patients: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Proton pump inhibitors (PPI) and H(2) -receptor antagonists (H2RA) are frequently prescribed in hospitalized patients with cirrhosis. There are conflicting reports regarding the role of acid-suppressive therapy in predisposing hospitalized patients with cirrhosis to spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP). The aim of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the association between acid-suppressive therapy and the risk of SBP in hospitalized patients with cirrhosis. METHODS: We searched MEDLINE and four other databases for subject headings and text words related to SBP and acid-suppressive therapy. All observational studies that investigated the risk of SBP associated with PPI/H2RA therapy and utilized SBP as an endpoint were considered eligible. Data from the identified studies were combined by means of a random-effects model and odds ratios (ORs) were calculated. RESULTS: Eight studies (n = 3815 patients) met inclusion criteria. The risk of hospitalized cirrhotic patients developing SBP increased when using acid-suppressive therapy. The risk was greater with PPI therapy (n = 3815; OR 3.15, 95% confidence interval 2.09-4.74) as compared to those on H2RA therapy (n = 562; OR 1.71, 95% confidence interval 0.97-3.01). CONCLUSIONS: Pharmacologic acid suppression was associated with a greater risk of SBP in hospitalized patients with cirrhosis. Cirrhotic patients receiving a PPI have approximately three times the risk of developing SBP compared with those not receiving this medication. Prospective studies may help clarify this relationship and shed light on the mechanism(s) by which acid-suppressive therapy increases the risk of SBP in hospitalized patients with cirrhosis.

"Frenemies" of innovation: understanding the role of coopetition in service innovation in emerging markets.

Coopetition is considered an important strategy for innovation. However, the literature provides limited evidence on how coopetition relates to innovation in service sector, particularly in emerging markets. Moreover, little is known about the effects of the formal and informal aspects of coopetition on innovation and how absorptive capacity of firm may influence this relationship. Against this background, using the official national innovation surveys of Nigeria (2008 and 2011), this study contributes to the ongoing debate by empirically examining the innovation endeavors of 421 Nigerian SMEs. The study employs logistic regression methods to model and explore the relationships between coopetition and innovation in the sample. The results show that that formal coopetition hinders innovation while informal coopetition supports it and absorptive capacity moderates these relationships. The study provides important insights about the concept of coopetition in emerging markets, especially vis-à-vis their institutional idiosyncrasies. Finally, the study highlights its implications and suggests some avenues for future research.

Identifying entrepreneurial discovery processes with weak and strong technology signals: a text mining approach.

This study aims to propose methods for identifying entrepreneurial discovery processes with weak/strong signals of technological changes and incorporating technology foresight in the design and planning of the Smart Specialization Strategy (S3). For this purpose, we first analyse patent abstracts from 2000 to 2009, obtained from the European Patent Office and use a keyword-based text mining approach to collect weak and strong technology signals; the word2vec algorithm is also employed to group weak signal keywords. We then utilize Correlation Explanation (CorEx) topic modelling to link technology weak/strong signals to invention activities for the period 2010-2018 and use the ANOVA statistical method to examine the relationship between technology weak/strong signals and patent values. The results suggest that patents related to weak rather than strong signals are more likely to be high-impact innovations and to serve as a basis for future technological developments. Furthermore, we use latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) topic modelling to analyse patent activities related to weak/strong technology signals and compute regional topic weights. Finally, we present implications of the research.

Moringa isothiocyanate-1 inhibits LPS-induced inflammation in mouse myoblasts and skeletal muscle.

This study aims to investigate the anti-inflammatory effects of moringa isothiocyanate-1 (MIC-1) extracted from seeds of Moringa oleifera Lam. in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation models. MIC-1 decreased nitric oxide production and reduced the expression of pro-inflammatory markers (TNF-α, Ifn-α, IL-1ß, IL-6) in C2C12 myoblasts. The daily oral treatment of MIC-1 (80 mg/kg) for three days significantly reduced the expression of pro-inflammatory markers in gastrocnemius muscle tissue of LPS-treated C57BL/6 male mice. Transcriptomic analysis provided further insights into the inhibitory effects of MIC-1 on the LPS-induced inflammation, which suggested that MIC-1 affects inflammation and immunity-related genes in myoblasts and skeletal muscle tissue. MIC-1 inhibited the nuclear accumulation of the nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) in the LPS-treated myoblasts. Our data support the hypothesis that the MIC-1's effects in the muscle cells are mediated through the inhibition of the NF-κB translocation in the nucleus, which, in turn, results in immunomodulating and anti-inflammatory responses at the gene expression levels.