Nutrient sequestration and lipid production potential of Chlorella vulgaris under pharmaceutical wastewater treatment: experimental, optimization, and prediction modeling studies.

The efficient management and treatment of pharmaceutical industry wastewater (PIWW) have become a serious environmental issue due to its high toxicity. To overcome this problem, the present study deals with the phycoremediation of PIWW using Chlorella vulgaris microalga isolated from the Ganga River at Haridwar, India. For this, response surface methodology (RSM) and artificial neural network (ANN) tools were used to identify the best reduction of total phosphorus (TP) and total Kjeldahl's nitrogen (TKN) based pollutants along with the lipid production efficiency of C. vulgaris. Three different concentrations of pharmaceutical wastewater (0, 50, and 100%), operating temperatures (20, 25, and 30 °C), and light intensity (2000, 3000, and 4000 lx) were used to design the phycoremediation experiments having 6:18 h of dark/light period and reactor functional volume of 15L. Findings revealed that C. vulgaris was good enough to remove maximum TP (90.35%), TKN (83.55%) along 20.88% of lipid yield at 25.62 °C temperature, 60.73% PIWW concentration, and 4000 lx of light intensity, respectively. Based on the model performance and validation results, ANN showed more accuracy as compared to the RSM tool. Therefore, the findings of this study showed that C. vulgaris is capable of treating PIWW efficiently along with significant production of lipid content which can further be used in various applications including biofuel production.

Social network size and mental health outcomes in youth with neuroinflammatory disorders.

BACKGROUND: 75 % of youth with MS report symptoms of fatigue, depression, and anxiety. Social network size (number of people in an individual's network) is known to have positive impacts on health and health behavior in pediatric populations and in individuals with multiple sclerosis. OBJECTIVES: To estimate associations between social network size (SNS) and depression, anxiety, symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and quality of life among youth with recurrent neuroinflammatory disorders (RNI) in comparison to that of youth with monophasic acquired demyelinating syndrome (mono-ADS). METHODS: Youth with RNI and mono-ADS were recruited from the Pediatric Neuroinflammatory Disorders Clinic at the Hospital for Sick Children between September 2020 and August 2022. After consent, participants completed the questionnaires on social network composition, depression, anxiety, PTSD, and quality of life. Descriptive and inferential analyses were conducted for differences between cohorts and correlations. RESULTS: Youth with RNI (n = 37, Female= 22, Median age= 15, IQR= 3) and mono-ADS (n = 23, Female= 12, Median age= 14, IQR= 4.5) did not differ in: SNS, depression, anxiety, PTSD, and quality of life. Larger SNS was associated with lower anxiety (rs= -0.350, p<0.05) in youth with RNI and youth with RNI who presented anxiety disorder had significantly lower number of social contacts than those who did not (t = 2.23, p = 0.033, ES= 0.90) but not in mono-ADS. When analyzing the two cohorts grouped together, all youth who screened for anxiety had significantly smaller network size than those who did not (t = 2.06, p = 0.045, ES= 0.66). This was similar with those who screened for depression (t = 2.05, p = 0.046, ES= 0.58). CONCLUSIONS: In youth with RNI, SNS was associated with anxiety. SNS is one important aspect of social networks that have the potential to shape mental health in youth with neuroinflammatory disorders. Future studies should focus on social network composition, strength of ties, and types of support in shaping health outcomes.

Biosolids application enhances the growth of Aloe vera plants and provides a sustainable practice for nutrient recirculation in agricultural soils.

In the present study, the fertilization potential of biosolids (sewage sludge; SS) for the cultivation of Aloe vera plants was investigated using block design. Pot experiments were conducted in this study using 50, 100, 150, and 200 g/kg of SS. Results showed that SS-fertilized soils significantly (p < 0.05) affected the proximate, biochemical, and heavy metal parameters of A. vera plants. In particular, the T4 treatment gave the best results with maximum plant height 62.21 ± 0.10 cm, number of leaves per plant 18.00 ± 4.00, shoot-to-root ratio 6:1, fresh weight 1972.10 ± 0.07 g per plant, dry weight 175.49 ± 0.15 g per plant, total chlorophyll content (TCC) 0.41 ± 0.02 mg/g fwt., carotenoids 0.25 ± 0.04 mg/g, total flavonoids 7.55 ± 0.05 mg/g, total tannins 3.87 ± 0.06 µg/g, ascorbic acid 532.14 ± 0.10 µg/g, superoxide dismutase (SOD) 46.28 ± 0.19 µg/g, catalase (CAT) 119.23 ± 0.17 µg/g, salicylic acid 3.05 ± 0.12 mg/ml and anthraquinones 0.45 ± 0.04 mg/ml, respectively. The proximate plant characteristics were 96.25 ± 2.71% moisture content, crude protein 0.93 ± 0.05%, crude fiber 5.78 ± 0.44%, crude lipid 3.25 ± 0.02%, lignin 10.74 ± 0.30%, cellulose 13.56 ± 1.06%, hemicellulose 7.24 ± 0.14%, ash 8.75 ± 0.03%, and carbohydrate contents 52.18 ± 1.10% in comparison with control treatment. The bioaccumulation factor showed that heavy metal accumulation was in the order of Cd < Ni < Cu < Pb < Cr < Zn < Fe. The prediction models developed on the basis of soil properties showed good fitness results for the prediction of heavy metal uptake by A. vera plants. The study presented a sustainable approach for managing SS in an eco-friendly way while producing good-quality A. vera plants.

Layered double hydroxides and their tailored hybrids/composites: Progressive trends for delivery of natural/synthetic-drug/cosmetic biomolecules.

Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) are well-known and important class of hydrotalcite-type anionic clays (HTs) materials that are cost-effective with additional advantages of facile synthesis, composition, tenability, and reusability. These convincing characteristics are liable for their applications in various fields related to energy, environment, catalysis, biomedical, and biotechnology. HTs/LDHs are generally synthesized from low cost abundantly available chemical precursors through the aqueous synthetic pathways under mild reaction conditions. These materials can be termed green materials based on their non-toxic nature, availability of precursors, facile and low-cost production using aqueous medium conditions with less hazardous effluents. Diverse and fascinating characteristics have been attributed to HTs/LDHs like anion exchange ability, surface basicity, biocompatibility, controlled release of the anion specific area, porosity, easy surface modification, and pH dependent biodegradability. Hence, HTs/LDHs and their modified and/or functionalized nanohybrids/nanocomposites are reported as the potential drug delivery carriers with a capability to stabilize the susceptible bioactive molecules, may enhance the solubility of poorly soluble drugs along with controlled drug/bioactive molecule release and delivery. These clay and bioactive hybrid materials have good biocompatibility, less cytotoxicity, and better site-targeting with improved cellular uptake than that of free parent biomolecules. These lamellar solids of micro/nanostructure are compatible, host-guest materials and able to fabricate with drugs/cosmeceutical/bio- or synthetic polymers without any change in their molecular structure and reactivity along with improvement in their stabilities. Other important features are facile synthesis, basicity, high stability with easy storage, and efficient administration with low bio-toxicity. This study enlightens the applications of HTs/LDHs along with their hybrids/composites in the field of drug/cosmeceutical/gene delivery systems of natural/synthetic biomolecules.

Multifaceted potential applicability of hydrotalcite-type anionic clays from green chemistry to environmental sustainability.

Hydrotalcite-like anionic clays (HTs) also known as Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) have been developed as multifunctional materials in numerous applications related to catalysis, adsorption, and ion-exchange processes. These materials constitute an important class of ionic lamellar solid clays of Brucite-like structure which comprise of consecutive layers of divalent and trivalent metal cations with charge balancing anions and water molecules in interlayer space. These materials have received increasing attention in research due to their interesting properties namely layered structure, ease of preparation, flexible tunability, ability to intercalate different types of anions, electronic properties, high thermal stability, high biocompatibility, and easy biodegradation. Moreover, HTs/LDHs have unique tailorable and tuneable characteristics such as both acidic and basic sites, anion exchange capability, surface area, basal spacing, memory effect, and also exhibit high exchange capacities, which makes them versatile materials for a wide range of applications and extended their horizons to diverse areas of science and technology. This study enlightens the various rational researches related to the synthetic methods and features focusing on synthesis and/or fabrication with other hybrids and their applications. The diverse applications (namely catalyst, adsorbent to toxic chemicals, agrochemicals management, non-toxic flame retardants, and recycling of plastics) of these multifunctional materials related to a clean and sustainable environment were also summarized.

Experimental and optimization studies on phycoremediation of dairy wastewater and biomass production efficiency of Chlorella vulgaris isolated from Ganga River, Haridwar, India.

Dairy wastewaters (DWW) are rich in several pollutants, including high biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD), and their unsafe disposal may cause damage to the environment. In this study, Chlorella vulgaris (identified as NIES:227 strain based on 28s rRNA sequencing) was isolated from the freshwater habitat of the Ganga River at Haridwar, India, and further tested for its efficacy in treating DWW. The phycoremediation experiments were conducted using three different DWW concentrations (0, 50, and 100%), operating temperatures (20, 25, and 30 °C), and light intensities (2000, 3000, and 4000 lx) using response surface methodology. Results showed that after 16 days of experiments, a significant (P < 0.05) reduction in BOD (96.65%) and COD (87.50%) along with a maximum biomass production of 1.757 g/L was achieved using 57.72% of dairy industry wastewater, 24.16 °C of reactor temperature, and 3874.51 lx of light intensity. The RSM models had coefficient of determination (R2) values above 0.9459 with a minimum difference between measured and predicted responses. Therefore, the findings of this study suggest that the isolated C. vulgaris can be effectively used to treat dairy wastewater along with significant production of algal biomass which can be further used for the generation of low-cost biofuel and other materials.

Modeling of mineral elements uptake and localization in cabbage inflorescence (Brassica oleracea var. capitata) grown on sugar mill pressmud-amended soils.

Sugar mill pressmud is highly considered and used as a supplement to improve soil fertility and crop yield, especially in India. This study investigated the growth and yield performance of cultivated cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata) on sugar mill pressmud amended soil. Pot experiments were performed using various pressmud amendment rates (0, 50, 100, and 150 g/kg soil) to study the fertilization impact on cabbage inflorescence yield (g) and size (diameter: cm). Moreover, mineral element (Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, and Zn) accumulation in the cabbage inflorescence was also studied using a modified polynomial non-linear model. Results showed that the sugar mill pressmud had significantly (p < 0.05) higher nutrient elements which induced their concentration in the soil after mixing. Also, the highest yield (849.25 ± 7.47 g), size (15.10 ± 1.50 cm diameter), and dry weight (42.13 g) of cabbage inflorescence were attained using 100 g/kg pressmud treatment with a maximum significant (p < 0.05) accumulation of mineral elements. However, the highest accumulation of mineral elements was observed in the outer zones (Z1 and Z2) of leafy inflorescence as compared to inner zones (Z3 and Z4), respectively. The mineral elements in both outer and inner zones of cabbage followed an order of Fe > Mn > Zn > Cu > Cr > Zn. Furthermore, the developed modified polynomial quadratic model precisely predicted the total mineral element uptake (mg dwt.) by cabbage inflorescence. The models had good fitness as described by the coefficient of determination (R2 > 0.992) values. This study suggested that sugar mill pressmud was a promising resource for cabbage cultivation, and the developed models were helpful in the precise prediction of mineral elements accumulated by its inflorescence.

A time-efficient model of spreading health awareness which also provides good experiential learning to medical students.

Background: Although alcohol and tobacco are leading causes of mortality and morbidity, their use continues to be common. We hypothesized that awareness about this issue can be spread in a time-efficient way if health talks are conducted within hospital premises itself. Furthermore, this could potentially provide good experiential learning to medical students. Methods: In this longitudinal study, we implemented such an awareness activity and evaluated the outcome. Students who showed interest to volunteer were helped to develop an in-depth understanding of the issue, through detailed presentation and discussions. They conducted health talks near the wards, with patients and their relatives, after routine college hours. An iterative process was used to improve the health talk, based on self-reflection and formative feedback. A pre- and post-self-assessment of students regarding their knowledge and skills on this issue was obtained. A structured, anonymous questionnaire was administered to the audience before and after three of the educational talks. Results: In 29 days, our team of 24 students gave 21 health talks reaching out to 1090 rural people. Pre-post analysis of audience showed improvement in their awareness level and many developed the motivation to quit their addictions. Self-rating of students across all knowledge domains increased by at least 2 points (scale of 1-7) and across all skill domains, it increased by 3 points (P < 0.0001). Conclusion: This model of conducting health talks in hospital premises can enable us to spread health awareness effectively, in a time-efficient and cost-effective way. Furthermore, this model can prove to be a novel and effective academic tool for grooming medical students.

In silico analysis and experimental validation of lipoprotein and novel Tat signal peptides processing in Anabaena sp. PCC7120.

Signal peptide (SP) plays a pivotal role in protein translocation. Lipoprotein- and twin arginine translocase (Tat) dependent signal peptides were studied in All3087, a homolog of competence protein of Synechocystis PCC6803 and in two putative alkaline phosphatases (ALPs, Alr2234 and Alr4976), respectively. In silico analysis of All3087 is shown to possess the characteristics feature of competence proteins such as helix-hairpin-helix, N and C-terminal HKD endonuclease domain, calcium binding domain and N-terminal lipoprotein signal peptide. The SP recognition-cleavage site in All3087 was predicted (AIA-AC) using SignalP while further in-depth analysis using Pred-Lipo and WebLogo analysis for consensus sequence showed it as IAA-C. Activities of putative ALPs were confirmed by heterologous overexpression, activity assessment and zymogram analysis. ALP activity in Anabaena remains cell bound in log-phase, but during late log/stationary phase, an enhanced ALP activity was detected in extracellular milieu. The enhancement of ALP activity during stationary phase was not only due to inorganic phosphate limitation but also contributed by the presence of novel bipartite Tat-SP. The Tat signal transported the folded active ALPs to the membrane, followed by anchoring into the membrane and successive cleavage enabling transportation of the ALPs to the extracellular milieu, because of bipartite architecture and processing of transit Tat-SP.