Design of biocompatible gelatin hydrogels reinforced with magnetite nanoparticles: Effective removal of chromium from water environment.

The development of biocompatible adsorbents is vital for environmental remediation to control and reduce pollution and waste accumulation in ecosystems. Biocompatible hydrogels represent an innovative class of materials that are primarily composed of polymer chain units forming their structural framework. They have a high affinity for water molecules. This research thus aims to incorporate iron oxide particles into the gelatin matrix to produce gelatin hydrogel beads to remove hexavalent chromium from an aqueous solution. The synthesized beads, known for their consistent size, low friction, high specific surface area, mechanical stability, and lightweight characteristics, demonstrated their suitability for various industrial applications. The effectiveness of these hydrogels in removing hexavalent chromium ions was confirmed through a thorough analysis using techniques such as FTIR, TGA, SEM, EDX, VSM, and XPS. Batch experiments revealed that the gelatin-based nanocomposite beads exhibited optimal adsorption efficiency under acidic conditions, lower initial concentrations of chromium ions, extended contact time, and elevated temperature (50-60 °C). The composite achieved a maximum removal efficiency of 99% at pH 1, with an adsorbent dose of 0.5 g at 50 °C, and an initial concentration of 50 mg per liter. The use of 0.7 N NaOH in the regeneration process resulted in a commendable 70.5% desorption efficiency, enabling potential reuse and regeneration. Significantly, the desorption efficiency remained consistently high even after four desorption-readsorption cycles, contributing to the economic and environmental sustainability of chromium removal. Additionally, the study determined that the sorption process was feasible, spontaneous, and endothermic. These collective findings suggest that magnetic gelatin hydrogel beads could serve as a cost-effective alternative adsorbent for the efficient removal of chromium ions from aqueous solutions.

Current status of community resources and priorities for weed genomics research.

Weeds are attractive models for basic and applied research due to their impacts on agricultural systems and capacity to swiftly adapt in response to anthropogenic selection pressures. Currently, a lack of genomic information precludes research to elucidate the genetic basis of rapid adaptation for important traits like herbicide resistance and stress tolerance and the effect of evolutionary mechanisms on wild populations. The International Weed Genomics Consortium is a collaborative group of scientists focused on developing genomic resources to impact research into sustainable, effective weed control methods and to provide insights about stress tolerance and adaptation to assist crop breeding.

Prospecting true ScYLV resistance in Saccharum hybrid parental population in India by symptom phenotyping and viral titre quantification.

In sugarcane (Saccharum spp. hybrids) cultivation, viral diseases pose a great challenge across the globe. Yellow leaf (YL) disease is one of the important viral diseases caused by Sugarcane yellow leaf virus (ScYLV), a positive-sense ssRNA virus, genus Polerovirus, family Solemoviridae. The disease symptoms appear in later stages of crop growth during grand growth to maturity phase with intense midrib yellowing in the abaxial leaf surface. At present, this disease is managed through tissue (meristem) culture and healthy seed nurseries in India. However, the virus-free plants are infected quickly by secondary inoculum from aphid vectors in the field, which necessitates the importance of developing YL-resistant varieties. We screened about 600-625 sugarcane parental clones to identify true YL resistance based on 0-5 disease rating scale since 2015 and categorised them as resistant, moderately resistant, moderately susceptible, susceptible and highly susceptible. Leaf samples were collected from all these categories of plants during 2018-20 for the viral titre estimation through absolute quantification method (qRT-PCR assay). The viral load was invariably high in all categories of susceptible samples that ranged from 4.40 × 102 to 8.429 × 106, whereas in YL-free asymptomatic clones, the viral load ranged from 82.35 ± 5.90 to 5.121 × 104. The results clearly indicated that highest viral titre of 105-107 copies was present in all the susceptible clones irrespective of their disease severity grades. Our results clearly established that about 22.85% of apparently resistant sugarcane clones remained free from YL symptoms with significantly low ScYLV titre although we could not find a significant correlation between virus titre and symptom expression. The identified resistant parents will serve as sources of YL resistance to develop virus resistant sugarcane varieties. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-023-03541-y.

A review on current progress of graphene-based ternary nanocomposites in the removal of anionic and cationic inorganic pollutants.

The current review aims to summarize the ongoing advances in high-performing graphene-based ternary nanocomposites for removing cationic and anionic inorganic pollutants. Graphene derivatives are extensively utilized for the development of composites due to their high synergism with co-functional materials, rational design, flexible surface chemistry, high mobile charge carriers, improved binding properties, and many more. The past ten years have witnessed progressive research on graphene-based ternary nanocomposites in a multitude of pollution remediation applications. Therefore, the focus falls on understanding how these ternary nanocomposites are tailored to capture the inorganic cationic and anionic contaminants with particular emphasis on graphene derivatives as base matrix and filler. The review investigates the synthesis, categorization, and characterization techniques of graphene-based ternary composites. Besides, the study broadens the understanding of the binding mechanism of the pollutants onto graphene ternary composites. The review also assesses the separation and recycling efficacy of the composites in detail. The future prospects in improving the practical application of the ternary systems also have been discussed. The comprehensive review on graphene based ternary systems detailing their structural and functional aspects, as well as their performance as inorganic decontaminants can provide deep insights for researchers in improvising wastewater treatment technologies.

Recycled mesoporous magnetic composites with high surface area derived from plastic and de-oiled sludge wastes: An empirical comparison on their competitive performance for toxic Cr (VI) removal.

The current study focused on the comparative removal of hexavalent chromium using two magnetically modified hybrid adsorbent composites. Their precursor chars were prepared from bio sludge and plastic waste derivatives. The coating of magnetite on the chars' surface was evident from the SEM micrographs. Infusion of magnetite nanoparticles in the native chars aided in the reduction of the composite particles' sizes, thus, forming high surface area composites. Screening of uptake capacities among various blends of char and magnetite were surveyed. Composites of both kinds with a 1:5 ratio of char: iron salts composition answered well. The pHZPC and zeta potential values of the composites indicated the neutral charge on the composites' surface. This suggested the need for a highly acidic environment for efficient Cr(VI) removal. Optimum economic conditions for Cr(VI) removal were obtained from the batch studies (solution pH - 1.5; contact time - (a) MPC [magnetic plastic char] - 60 min (b) MBC [magnetic biochar] - 40 min; temperature - 25 °C). The maximum monolayer adsorption capacity of MPC and MBC were found to be 84.67 mg/g and 53.83 mg/g respectively. Isotherm, kinetic and thermodynamic studies revealed the adsorption systems' inclination towards physisorption. From the characterization and modeling results, electrostatic force of attraction and pore filling was anticipated to be the mechanism of adsorption for both MPC and MBC. Thus, in the relative removal studies, MBC was found to compete better than MPC due to its enhanced porosity and surface area.

The three-dimensional distribution of minerals in potato tubers.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The three-dimensional distributions of mineral elements in potato tubers provide insight into their mechanisms of transport and deposition. Many of these minerals are essential to a healthy human diet, and characterizing their distribution within the potato tuber will guide the effective utilization of this staple foodstuff. METHODS: The variation in mineral composition within the tuber was determined in three dimensions, after determining the orientation of the harvested tuber in the soil. The freeze-dried tuber samples were analysed for minerals using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Minerals measured included those of nutritional significance to the plant and to human consumers, such as iron, zinc, copper, calcium, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium and sulphur. KEY RESULTS: The concentrations of most minerals were higher in the skin than in the flesh of tubers. The potato skin contained about 17 % of total tuber zinc, 34 % of calcium and 55 % of iron. On a fresh weight basis, most minerals were higher in tuber flesh at the stem end than the bud end of the tuber. Potassium, however, displayed a gradient in the opposite direction. The concentrations of phosphorus, copper and calcium decreased from the periphery towards the centre of the tuber. CONCLUSIONS: The distribution of minerals varies greatly within the potato tuber. Low concentrations of some minerals relative to those in leaves may be due to their low mobility in phloem, whereas high concentrations in the skin may reflect direct uptake from the soil across the periderm. In tuber flesh, different minerals show distinct patterns of distribution in the tuber, several being consistent with phloem unloading in the tuber and limited onward movement. These findings have implications both for understanding directed transport of minerals in plants to stem-derived storage organs and for the dietary implications of different food preparation methods for potato tubers.

Validation of functional polymorphisms affecting maize plant height by unoccupied aerial systems discovers novel temporal phenotypes.

Plant height (PHT) in maize (Zea mays L.) has been scrutinized genetically and phenotypically due to relationship with other agronomically valuable traits (e.g., yield). Heritable variation of PHT is determined by many discovered quantitative trait loci; however, phenotypic effects of such loci often lack validation across environments and genetic backgrounds, especially in the hybrid state grown by farmers rather than the inbred state more often used by geneticists. A previous genome-wide association study using a topcrossed hybrid diversity panel identified two novel quantitative trait variants controlling both PHT and grain yield. Here, heterogeneous inbred families demonstrated that these two loci, characterized by two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), cause phenotypic variation in inbred lines, but that size of these effects were variable across four different genetic backgrounds, ranging from 1 to 10 cm. Weekly unoccupied aerial system flights demonstrated the two SNPs had larger effects, varying from 10 to 25 cm, in early growth while effects decreased toward the end of the season. These results show that allelic effect sizes of economically valuable loci are both dynamic in temporal growth and dynamic across genetic backgrounds, resulting in informative phenotypic variability overlooked following traditional phenotyping methods. Public genotyping data show recent favorable allele selection in elite temperate germplasm with little change across tropical backgrounds. As these loci remain rarer in tropical germplasm, with effects most visible early in growth, they are useful for breeding and selection to expand the genetic basis of maize.

Reference-Guided De Novo Genome Assembly to Dissect a QTL Region for Submergence Tolerance Derived from Ciherang-Sub1.

Global climate change has increased the number of severe flooding events that affect agriculture, including rice production in the U.S. and internationally. Heavy rainfall can cause rice plants to be completely submerged, which can significantly affect grain yield or completely destroy the plants. Recently, a major effect submergence tolerance QTL during the vegetative stage, qSub8.1, which originated from Ciherang-Sub1, was identified in a mapping population derived from a cross between Ciherang-Sub1 and IR10F365. Ciherang-Sub1 was, in turn, derived from a cross between Ciherang and IR64-Sub1. Here, we characterize the qSub8.1 region by analyzing the sequence information of Ciherang-Sub1 and its two parents (Ciherang and IR64-Sub1) and compare the whole genome profile of these varieties with the Nipponbare and Minghui 63 (MH63) reference genomes. The three rice varieties were sequenced with 150 bp pair-end whole-genome shotgun sequencing (Illumina HiSeq4000), followed by performing the Trimmomatic-SOAPdenovo2-MUMmer3 pipeline for genome assembly, resulting in approximate genome sizes of 354.4, 343.7, and 344.7 Mb, with N50 values of 25.1, 25.4, and 26.1 kb, respectively. The results showed that the Ciherang-Sub1 genome is composed of 59-63% Ciherang, 22-24% of IR64-Sub1, and 15-17% of unknown sources. The genome profile revealed a more detailed genomic composition than previous marker-assisted breeding and showed that the qSub8.1 region is mostly from Ciherang, with some introgressed segments from IR64-Sub1 and currently unknown source(s).

SMAD4 mutation and the combined syndrome of juvenile polyposis syndrome and hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia.

Juvenile polyposis syndrome (JPS) and hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) are autosomal dominant disorders with characteristic clinical phenotypes. Recently, reports of the combined syndrome of JPS and HHT have been described in individuals with mutations in the SMAD4 gene, whose product-SMAD4-is a critical intracellular effector in the signalling pathway of transforming growth factor beta (TGFbeta). This report describes a 24-year-old man who presented to the Respiratory Institute after colectomy for JPS with a SMAD4 mutation and who was subsequently diagnosed to have HHT with asymptomatic cerebral and pulmonary arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). Patients with JPS due to a SMAD4 mutation should be screened for the vascular lesions associated with HHT, especially occult AVMs in visceral organs, which may potentially present catastrophically with serious medical consequences.

SOD1 Gene +35A/C (exon3/intron3) Polymorphism in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus among South Indian Population.

Superoxide dismutase is an antioxidant enzyme that is involved in defence mechanisms against oxidative stress. Cu/Zn SOD is a variant that is located in exon3/intron3 boundary. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the Cu/Zn SOD (+35A/C) gene polymorphism is associated with the susceptibility to type 2 diabetes mellitus among south Indian population. The study included patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (n = 100) and healthy controls (n = 75). DNA was isolated from the blood and genotyping of Cu/Zn SOD gene polymorphism was done by polymerase chain reaction based restriction fragment length polymorphism method. Occurrence of different genotypes and normal (A) and mutant (C) allele frequencies were determined. The frequency of the three genotypes of the total subjects was as follows: homozygous wild-type A/A (95%), heterozygous genotype A/C (3%), and homozygous mutant C/C (2%). The mutant (C) allele and the mutant genotypes (AC/CC) were found to be completely absent among the patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Absence of mutant genotype (CC) shows that the Cu/Zn SOD gene polymorphism may not be associated with the susceptibility to type 2 diabetes mellitus among south Indian population.

Prevalence of catalase (-21 A/T) gene variant in south Indian (Tamil) population.

Catalase, an endogenous antioxidant enzyme, is responsible for regulating reactive species levels. Several epidemiologic studies have suggested that single nucleotide polymorphism in catalase gene may be associated with many diseases. The genotype of CAT (-21 A/T) point mutation in promoter region of catalase gene was determined by polymerase chain based restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis in the DNA of 100 healthy volunteers. The frequency of CAT (-21 A/T) gene polymorphism AA, AT, and TT genotypes was found to be 7, 23, and 70 percent, respectively. The mutant "T" allele frequency was found to be 0.82 among the south Indian (Tamil) population. Chi square analysis showed that the study population lies within the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The wild type genotype (AA) was found to be very low (7%) and the mutant genotype (AT/TT) was found to be more prevalent (93%) among the south Indian population. This suggests that the high prevalence of mutant genotype may increase the susceptibility to oxidative stress associated diseases.

Growth and characterization of Fe3+-doped bis(thiourea)zinc(II) chloride crystals.

Fe3+-doping at ∼10 mol% in aqueous medium during crystal growth by slow evaporation solution method in bis(thiourea)zinc(II) chloride (BTZC) leads to form a new compound C2H8Cl2N4S2Zn0.93Fe0.07 (BTZCF) which crystallizes in orthorhombic structure with centrosymmetric space group Pnma though the parent compound BTZC crystallizes in noncentrosymmetric structure with space group Pn2(1)a. The interesting feature observed in this new crystal is that though it crystallizes in centrosymmetric structure, it exhibits positive SHG result (weak signal), quite likely due to possible surface effects or internal stress. The calculated first-order hyperpolarizability is 1.457×10(-30) esu which is ∼5.5 times that of urea. Fe3+-doping enhances the transmittance to a significant extent. Comparison of the thermal analysis results by DSC reveals the incorporation of dopant into the crystalline matrix. The high resolution XRD studies reveal that the crystalline quality is improved considerably when the doping level is reached to ∼10 mol%.