Isolation and characterization of bio-prospecting gut strains Bacillus safensis CGK192 and Bacillus australimaris CGK221 for plastic (HDPE) degradation.

The present work reports the application of novel gut strains Bacillus safensis CGK192 (Accession No. OM658336) and Bacillus australimaris CGK221 (Accession No. OM658338) in the biological degradation of synthetic polymer i.e., high-density polyethylene (HDPE). The biodegradation assay based on polymer weight loss was conducted under laboratory conditions for a period of 90 days along with regular evaluation of bacterial biomass in terms of total protein content and viable cells (CFU/cm2). Notably, both strains achieved significant weight reduction for HDPE films without any physical or chemical pretreatment in comparison to control. Hydrophobicity and biosurfactant characterization were also done in order to assess strains ability to form bacterial biofilm over the polymer surface. The post-degradation characterization of HDPE was also performed to confirm degradation using analytical techniques such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Field emission scanning electronic microscopy (FE-SEM) coupled with energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), and Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Interestingly strain CGK221 was found to be more efficient in forming biofilm over polymer surface as indicated by lower half-life (i.e., 0.00032 day-1) and higher carbonyl index in comparison to strain CGK192. The findings reflect the ability of our strains to develop biofilm and introduce an oxygenic functional group into the polymer surface, thereby making it more susceptible to degradation.

The ganglioside GM1a functions as a coreceptor/attachment factor for dengue virus during infection.

Dengue virus (DENV) is a flavivirus causing an estimated 390 million infections per year around the world. Despite the immense global health and economic impact of this virus, its true receptor(s) for internalization into live cells has not yet been identified, and no successful antivirals or treatments have been isolated to this date. This study aims to improve our understanding of virus entry routes by exploring the sialic acid-based cell surface molecule GM1a and its role in DENV infection. We studied the interaction of the virus with GM1a using fluorescence correlation spectroscopy, fluorescence crosscorrelation spectroscopy, imaging fluorescence correlation spectroscopy, amide hydrogen/deuterium exchange mass spectrometry, and isothermal titration calorimetry. Additionally, we explored the effect of this interaction on infectivity and movement of the virus during infection was explored using plaque assay and fluorescence-based imaging and single particle tracking. GM1a was deemed to interact with DENV at domain I (DI) and domain II (DII) of the E protein of the protein coat at quaternary contacts of a fully assembled virus, leading to a 10-fold and 7-fold increase in infectivity for DENV1 and DENV2 in mammalian cell systems, respectively. We determined that the interaction of the virus with GM1a triggers a speeding up of virus movement on live cell surfaces, possibly resulting from a reduction in rigidity of cellular rafts during infection. Collectively, our results suggest that GM1a functions as a coreceptor/attachment factor for DENV during infection in mammalian systems.

Glutamate synapses in human cognitive disorders.

Accumulating data, including those from large genetic association studies, indicate that alterations in glutamatergic synapse structure and function represent a common underlying pathology in many symptomatically distinct cognitive disorders. In this review, we discuss evidence from human genetic studies and data from animal models supporting a role for aberrant glutamatergic synapse function in the etiology of intellectual disability (ID), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and schizophrenia (SCZ), neurodevelopmental disorders that comprise a significant proportion of human cognitive disease and exact a substantial financial and social burden. The varied manifestations of impaired perceptual processing, executive function, social interaction, communication, and/or intellectual ability in ID, ASD, and SCZ appear to emerge from altered neural microstructure, function, and/or wiring rather than gross changes in neuron number or morphology. Here, we review evidence that these disorders may share a common underlying neuropathy: altered excitatory synapse function. We focus on the most promising candidate genes affecting glutamatergic synapse function, highlighting the likely disease-relevant functional consequences of each. We first present a brief overview of glutamatergic synapses and then explore the genetic and phenotypic evidence for altered glutamate signaling in ID, ASD, and SCZ.

Utilization of Bacillus cereus strain CGK5 associated with cow feces in the degradation of commercially available high-density polyethylene (HDPE).

The accumulation and mismanagement of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) waste in the environment is a complex problem in the present scenario. Biodegradation of this thermoplastic polymer is a promising environmentally sustainable method that offers a significant opportunity to address plastic waste management with minimal negative repercussion on the environment. In this framework, HDPE-degrading bacterium strain CGK5 was isolated from the fecal matter of cow. The biodegradation efficiency of strain was assessed, including percentage reduction in HDPE weight, cell surface hydrophobicity, extracellular biosurfactant production, viability of surface adhered cells, as well as biomass in terms of protein content. Through molecular techniques, strain CGK5 was identified as Bacillus cereus. Significant weight loss of 1.83% was observed in the HDPE film treated with strain CGK5 for 90 days. The FE-SEM analysis revealed the profused bacterial growth which ultimately caused the distortions in HDPE films. Furthermore, EDX study indicated a significant decrease in percentage carbon content at atomic level, whereas FTIR analysis confirmed chemical groups' transformation as well as an increment in the carbonyl index supposedly caused by bacterial biofilm biodegradation. Our findings shed light on the ability of our strain B. cereus CGK5 to colonize and use HDPE as a sole carbon source, demonstrating its applicability for future eco-friendly biodegradation processes.

Dengue virus 2 capsid protein chaperones the strand displacement of 5'-3' cyclization sequences.

By virtue of its chaperone activity, the capsid protein of dengue virus strain 2 (DENV2C) promotes nucleic acid structural rearrangements. However, the role of DENV2C during the interaction of RNA elements involved in stabilizing the 5'-3' panhandle structure of DENV RNA is still unclear. Therefore, we determined how DENV2C affects structural functionality of the capsid-coding region hairpin element (cHP) during annealing and strand displacement of the 9-nt cyclization sequence (5CS) and its complementary 3CS. cHP has two distinct functions: a role in translation start codon selection and a role in RNA synthesis. Our results showed that cHP impedes annealing between 5CS and 3CS. Although DENV2C does not modulate structural functionality of cHP, it accelerates annealing and specifically promotes strand displacement of 3CS during 5'-3' panhandle formation. Furthermore, DENV2C exerts its chaperone activity by favouring one of the active conformations of cHP. Based on our results, we propose mechanisms for annealing and strand displacement involving cHP. Thus, our results provide mechanistic insights into how DENV2C regulates RNA synthesis by modulating essential RNA elements in the capsid-coding region, that in turn allow for DENV replication.

Biodegradation of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) through application of indigenous strain Alcaligenes faecalis ISJ128.

The resiliency of plastic products against microbial degradation in natural environment often creates devastating changes for humans, plants, and animals on the earth's surface. Biodegradation of plastics using indigenous bacteria may serve as a critical approach to overcome this resulting environmental stress. In the present work, a polyethylene degrading bacterium Alcaligenes faecalis strain ISJ128 (Accession No. MK968769) was isolated from partially degraded polyethylene film buried in the soil at plastic waste disposal site. The biodegradation studies were conducted by employing various methods such as hydrophobicity assessment of the strain ISJ128, measurement of viability and total protein content of bacterial biofilm attached to the polyethylene surface. The proliferation of bacterial cells on polyethylene film, as indicated by high growth response in terms of protein content (85.50 µg mL-1) and viability (1010 CFU mL-1), proposed reasonable suitability of our strain A. faecalis ISJ128 toward polyethylene degradation. The results of biodegradation assay revealed significant degradation (10.40%) of polyethylene film within a short period of time (i.e., 60 days), whereas no signs of degradation were seen in control PE film. A. faecalis strain ISJ128 also demonstrated a removal rate of 0.0018 day-1 along with half-life of 462 days. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy studies not only displayed changes on polyethylene surface but also altered level of intensity of functional groups and an increase in the carbonyl indexes justifying the degradation of polyethylene film due to bacterial activity. In addition, the secondary structure prediction (M fold software) of 16SrDNA proved the stable nature of the bacterial strain, thereby reflecting the profound scope of A. faecalis strain ISJ128 as a potential degrader for the eco-friendly disposal of polyethylene waste. Schematic representation of methodology.

Micrococcus luteus strain CGK112 isolated from cow dung demonstrated efficient biofilm-forming ability and degradation potential toward high-density polyethylene (HDPE).

Biodegradation is the most promising environmentally sustainable method that offers a significant opportunity with minimal negative environmental consequences while searching for solutions to this global problem of plastic pollution that has now spread to almost everywhere in the entire world. In the present work, HDPE-degrading bacterial strain CGK112 was isolated from the fecal matter of a cow. The bacterial strain was identified as Micrococcus luteus CGK112 by 16S rRNA sequence coding analysis. Significant weight loss, i.e., 3.85% was recorded in the HDPE film treated with strain CGK112 for 90 days. The surface micromorphology was examined using FE-SEM, which revealed spectacular bacterial colonization as well as structural deformation. Furthermore, the EDX study indicated a significant decrease in the atomic percentage of carbon content, whereas FTIR analysis confirmed functional groups alternation as well as an increase in the carbonyl index which can be attributed to the metabolic activity of biofilm. Our findings provide insight into the capacity of our strain CGK112 to colonize and utilize HDPE as a single carbon source, thus promoting its degradation.

Sleep Apnea Screening in Children With Sickle Cell Anemia.

BACKGROUND: Screening for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is recommended by current guidelines in children with sickle cell anemia (SCA), but no specific approach is described. The Pediatric Sleep Questionnaire (PSQ) is a validated detection tool for OSA in children. We assessed the utility of PSQ to screen for OSA in children with concomitant SCA and snoring. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective study, in children 4 to 18 years old with SCA. Subjects were assessed for snoring and PSQ administered at the same visit. All children with snoring were then referred for polysomnography. RESULTS: A total of 106 subjects were screened. Habitual snoring prevalence was 51/106 (48.1%). In the snoring group, OSA was detected in 83.9% (apnea-hypopnea index [AHI] ≥1.0/h) and 22.6% (AHI ≥5.0/h), respectively. Sensitivity and specificity of PSQ in children with snoring was 46.2% and 20.0% (AHI ≥1.0/h), and 57.1% and 50.0% (AHI ≥5.0/h), respectively. Physician assessment for snoring had a high sensitivity of 70.3% but low specificity of 58.4% (AHI ≥1.0/h), and 87.5% and 41.5% (AHI ≥5.0/h), respectively. CONCLUSION: PSQ is a poor screening tool for detection of OSA in those children with SCA who snore. Physician assessment for snoring could however be an initial approach before polysomnography.

'Omics' approaches in developing combined drought and heat tolerance in food crops.

Global climate change will significantly increase the intensity and frequency of hot, dry days. The simultaneous occurrence of drought and heat stress is also likely to increase, influencing various agronomic characteristics, such as biomass and other growth traits, phenology, and yield-contributing traits, of various crops. At the same time, vital physiological traits will be seriously disrupted, including leaf water content, canopy temperature depression, membrane stability, photosynthesis, and related attributes such as chlorophyll content, stomatal conductance, and chlorophyll fluorescence. Several metabolic processes contributing to general growth and development will be restricted, along with the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that negatively affect cellular homeostasis. Plants have adaptive defense strategies, such as ROS-scavenging mechanisms, osmolyte production, secondary metabolite modulation, and different phytohormones, which can help distinguish tolerant crop genotypes. Understanding plant responses to combined drought/heat stress at various organizational levels is vital for developing stress-resilient crops. Elucidating the genomic, proteomic, and metabolic responses of various crops, particularly tolerant genotypes, to identify tolerance mechanisms will markedly enhance the continuing efforts to introduce combined drought/heat stress tolerance. Besides agronomic management, genetic engineering and molecular breeding approaches have great potential in this direction.

The nucleic acid chaperone activity of the HIV-1 Gag polyprotein is boosted by its cellular partner RPL7: a kinetic study.

The HIV-1 Gag protein playing a key role in HIV-1 viral assembly has recently been shown to interact through its nucleocapsid domain with the ribosomal protein L7 (RPL7) that acts as a cellular co-factor promoting Gag's nucleic acid (NA) chaperone activity. To further understand how the two proteins act together, we examined their mechanism individually and in concert to promote the annealing between dTAR, the DNA version of the viral transactivation element and its complementary cTAR sequence, taken as model HIV-1 sequences. Gag alone or complexed with RPL7 was found to act as a NA chaperone that destabilizes cTAR stem-loop and promotes its annealing with dTAR through the stem ends via a two-step pathway. In contrast, RPL7 alone acts as a NA annealer that through its NA aggregating properties promotes cTAR/dTAR annealing via two parallel pathways. Remarkably, in contrast to the isolated proteins, their complex promoted efficiently the annealing of cTAR with highly stable dTAR mutants. This was confirmed by the RPL7-promoted boost of the physiologically relevant Gag-chaperoned annealing of (+)PBS RNA to the highly stable tRNALys3 primer, favoring the notion that Gag recruits RPL7 to overcome major roadblocks in viral assembly.

Breeding and Genomics Interventions for Developing Ascochyta Blight Resistant Grain Legumes.

Grain legumes are a key food source for ensuring global food security and sustaining agriculture. However, grain legume production is challenged by growing disease incidence due to global climate change. Ascochyta blight (AB) is a major disease, causing substantial yield losses in grain legumes worldwide. Harnessing the untapped reserve of global grain legume germplasm, landraces, and crop wild relatives (CWRs) could help minimize yield losses caused by AB infection in grain legumes. Several genetic determinants controlling AB resistance in various grain legumes have been identified following classical genetic and conventional breeding approaches. However, the advent of molecular markers, biparental quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping, genome-wide association studies, genomic resources developed from various genome sequence assemblies, and whole-genome resequencing of global germplasm has revealed AB-resistant gene(s)/QTL/genomic regions/haplotypes on various linkage groups. These genomics resources allow plant breeders to embrace genomics-assisted selection for developing/transferring AB-resistant genomic regions to elite cultivars with great precision. Likewise, advances in functional genomics, especially transcriptomics and proteomics, have assisted in discovering possible candidate gene(s) and proteins and the underlying molecular mechanisms of AB resistance in various grain legumes. We discuss how emerging cutting-edge next-generation breeding tools, such as rapid generation advancement, field-based high-throughput phenotyping tools, genomic selection, and CRISPR/Cas9, could be used for fast-tracking AB-resistant grain legumes to meet the increasing demand for grain legume-based protein diets and thus ensuring global food security.

To Evaluate the 'Real World' Clinical Performance of Bisoprolol in Post-Myocardial Infarction with Left Ventricular Dysfunction: Tenacity Study.

Beta-blockers are the cornerstone in management of heart failure and are well studied in Acute Coronary Syndromes (ACS). There is paucity of data of Bisoprolol in acute ICU setting in patients admitted with left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) with recent ACS, especially amongst Asian Indians. We evaluated the impact of Bisoprolol on Heart Rate (HR) and Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction (LVEF) along with metabolic indicators of HbA1C and lipid profile in post-ACS patients with LVSD at 1 year as compared to baseline. MATERIAL: This non-interventional, retrospective, single center, secondary data collection study captured demographics, comorbidities, hemodynamics, concomitant medications and assessed the effectiveness of oral Bisoprolol (1.25, 2.5 mg, 5 mg and 10mg) treatment over a 1-year follow up period, in post-ACS patients with LVSD (i.e., HFmrEF and HFrEF; LVEF <50%). Data-records of 400 patients hospitalized between August 1, 2016 to November 30, 2018 were evaluated for change in LVEF as primary endpoint and change in HR and Lipid profile, HBA1C and ST segment deviation of J point at 1 year as compared to baseline as secondary outcomes. OBSERVATION: The mean age of 400 patients was 55.28±7.9 years of which 29.75% were female. Significant improvement in LVEF (41.45±5.1% vs 48.73±5.5%) with significant reduction in heart rate (85.06±5.64 bpm vs 76.73±4.6 bpm) was observed at the end of 1-year treatment as compared to baseline (p=0.0001 and p=0.0001 respectively) on treatment with Bisoprolol (mean 4.15 + 1.4 mg). NYHA class improved from 1.6 + 0.5 to 1.11 + 0.31 at the end of 1 year. Bisoprolol along with GDMT was neutral for HbA1C (6.2±0.6 % vs 6.1±0.7%; p=0.64), while serum lipids (Total Cholesterol: 199.7 + 7.6 vs 127.6 + 4.85 mg% p=0.001; TG: 196.2 +12.1 vs 111.7 + 6.88 mg%, p=0.001; LDL: 126.9 + 9.1 vs 62.4 + 5.51 p=0.001; HDL: 33.7 + 3 vs 42.8 +1.9 p=0.001) improved at 1 year due to statins. Maximum ST deviation at J point in resting ECG was also lesser at 1 year as compared to baseline (0.29 + 1.5 mm vs 0.05 + 0.22 mm; p=0.0001). CONCLUSION: Bisoprolol administered along with GDMT to patients post-ACS with LVSD significantly improved LVEF with significant reduction in heart rate and ST segment deviation at J point at 1 year without adverse effect on lipid and HBA1C.

Consensus document: management of heart failure in type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a known predisposing factor for heart failure (HF). The growing burden of these two conditions and their impact on health of the individual and on society in general needs urgent attention from the health care professionals. Availability of multiple treatment choices for managing T2DM and HF may make therapeutic decisions more complex for clinicians. Recent cardiovascular outcome trials of antidiabetic drugs have added very robust evidence to effectively manage subjects with this dual condition. This consensus statement provides the prevalence trends and the impact of this dual burden on patients. In addition, it concisely narrates the types of HF, the different treatment algorithms, and recommendations for physicians to comprehensively manage such patients.

Multiple unplanned readmissions after discharge for an admission with percutaneous coronary intervention.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to describe temporal trends, characteristics, and clinical outcomes of patients with more than one unplanned readmission within 30 and 180 days after admission with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). BACKGROUND: There is limited understanding of multiple readmissions after PCI. METHODS: Patients undergoing PCI between 2010 and 2014 in the U.S. Nationwide Readmission Database were evaluated for unplanned readmissions at 30 and 180 days after discharge. Trends in multiple readmissions, characteristics of patients, and causes of first readmissions are described. RESULTS: A total of 2,324,194 patients were included in the analysis of 30-day unplanned readmissions and 1,327,799 patients in the analysis of 180-day unplanned readmission. The proportions of patients with a single readmission and multiple readmissions within 30 days were 8.5 and 1.0% and at 180 days were 15.4 and 9.1%, respectively. Common reasons for first readmission among patients with multiple readmissions were coronary artery disease, including angina, heart failure, and acute myocardial infarction. Factors associated with multiple readmissions were discharge against medical advice, discharge to care home, renal failure, and liver failure. The total cost of multiple readmissions is significant, with an increase from ~$20,000 for no readmission to over $60,000 at 30-day follow up and $86,000 at 180-day follow up. CONCLUSIONS: Multiple readmissions are rare within 30 days after PCI but increase to nearly 1 in 10 patients at 180 days, and 20-25% of patients who have multiple readmissions are readmitted for the same cause as for the first and second readmissions.

Trends of repeat revascularization choice in patients with prior coronary artery bypass surgery.

OBJECTIVE: To examine rates and predictors repeat revascularization strategies (percutaneous coronary intervention [PCI] and coronary artery bypass grafting [CABG]) in patients with prior CABG. METHODS: Using the National Inpatient Sample, patients with a history of CABG hospitalized for revascularization by PCI or CABG from January 2004 to September 2015 were included. Regression analyses were performed to examine predictors of receipt of either revascularization strategy as well as in-hospital outcomes. RESULTS: The rate of redo CABG doubled between 2004 (5.3%) and 2015 (10.3%). Patients who underwent redo CABG were more comorbid and experienced significantly worse major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (odds ratio [OR]: 5.36 95% CI 5.11-5.61), mortality (OR 2.84 95% CI 2.60,-3.11), bleeding (OR 5.97 95% CI 5.44-6.55) and stroke (OR 2.15 95% CI 1.92-2.41), but there was no difference in cardiac complications between groups. Thoracic complications were high in patients undergoing redo CABG (8%), especially in females. Factors favoring receipt of redo CABG compared to PCI included male sex, age < 80 years, and absence of diabetes and renal failure. CONCLUSION: Reoperation in patients with prior CABG has doubled in the United States over a 12-year period. Patients undergoing redo CABG are more complex and associated with worse clinical outcomes than those receiving PCI.

Dengue virus strain 2 capsid protein switches the annealing pathway and reduces intrinsic dynamics of the conserved 5' untranslated region.

The capsid protein of dengue virus strain 2 (DENV2C) promotes nucleic acid structural rearrangements using chaperone activity. However, the role of DENV2C during the interaction of RNA elements in the conserved 5' untranslated region (5'UTR) to the 3' untranslated region (3'UTR) is still unclear. Thus, we investigated the effect of DENV2C on the annealing mechanism of two RNA hairpin elements from the 5'UTR to their complementary sequences during (+)/(-) ds-RNAformation and (+) RNA circularization. DENV2C was found to switch the annealing pathway for RNA elements involved in (+)/(-) ds-RNA formation, but not for RNA elements related to (+) RNA circularization. In addition, we also determined that DENV2C modulates intrinsic dynamics and reduces kinetically trapped unfavourable conformations of the 5'UTR sequence. Thus, our results provide mechanistic insights by which DENV2C chaperones the interactions between RNA elements at the 5' and 3' ends during genome recombination, a prerequisite for DENV replication.

Loss of δ-catenin function in severe autism.

Autism is a multifactorial neurodevelopmental disorder affecting more males than females; consequently, under a multifactorial genetic hypothesis, females are affected only when they cross a higher biological threshold. We hypothesize that deleterious variants at conserved residues are enriched in severely affected patients arising from female-enriched multiplex families with severe disease, enhancing the detection of key autism genes in modest numbers of cases. Here we show the use of this strategy by identifying missense and dosage sequence variants in the gene encoding the adhesive junction-associated δ-catenin protein (CTNND2) in female-enriched multiplex families and demonstrating their loss-of-function effect by functional analyses in zebrafish embryos and cultured hippocampal neurons from wild-type and Ctnnd2 null mouse embryos. Finally, through gene expression and network analyses, we highlight a critical role for CTNND2 in neuronal development and an intimate connection to chromatin biology. Our data contribute to the understanding of the genetic architecture of autism and suggest that genetic analyses of phenotypic extremes, such as female-enriched multiplex families, are of innate value in multifactorial disorders.

Impact of malignancy on In-hospital mortality, stratified by the cause of admission: An analysis of 67 million patients from the National Inpatient Sample.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the patient characteristics and the reason for admission of patients with malignancy by malignancy, and to study mortality rates for the different causes of admissions among the different types of cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Using the nationwide Inpatient Sampling (2015-2017) we examined the cause of admission and associated in-hospital mortality, stratified by presence and type of malignancy. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to examine the association between in-hospital mortality and malignancy sites for different primary admission causes. RESULTS: Out of 67 819 693 inpatient admissions, 8.8% had malignancy. Amongst those with malignancy, haematological malignancy was the most common (20.2%). The most common cause of admission amongst all cancers were malignancy-related admissions, where up to 57% of all colorectal admissions were malignancy-related. The most common non-malignancy cause of admission was infectious causes, which were most frequent among patients with haematological malignancy (18.4%). Patients with malignancy had higher crude mortality rates (5.7% vs 1.9%). Mortality rates were highest among patients with lung cancer (8.7%). Among all admissions, the adjusted rates of mortality were higher for patients with lung (OR 3.65, 95% CI [3.59-3.71]), breast (OR 2.06, 95% CI [1.99-2.13]), haematological (OR 1.79, 95% CI [1.76-1.82]) and colorectal (OR 1.71, 95% CI [1.66-1.76]) malignancies compared with patients with no malignancy. CONCLUSION: Our work highlights the need to consider the burden of cancer on our hospital services and consider how the prognostic impact of different types of admissions may relate to the type of cancer diagnosis and understand whether these differences relate to disparities in clinical care/treatments.

Utilization of solar energy for wastewater treatment: Challenges and progressive research trends.

This article offers a trend of inventions and implementations of photocatalysis process, desalination technologies and solar disinfection techniques adapted particularly for treatment of industrial and domestic wastewater. Photocatalysis treatment of wastewater using solar energy is a promising renewable solution to reduce stresses on global water crisis. Rendering to the United Nation Environment Programme, 1/3 of world population live in water-stressed countries, while by 2025 about 2/3 of world population will face water scarcity. Major pollutants exhibited from numerous sources are critically discussed with focus on potential environmental impacts & hazards. Treatment of wastewater by photocatalysis technique, solar thermal electrochemical process, solar desalination of brackish water and solar advanced oxidation process have been presented and systematically analysed with challenges. Both heterogenous and homogenous photocatalysis techniques employed for wastewater treatment are critically reviewed. For treating domestic wastewater, solar desalination technologies adopted for purifying brackish water into potable water is presented along with key challenges and remedies. Advanced oxidation process using solar energy for degradation of organic pollutant is an important technique to be reviewed due to their effectiveness in wastewater treatment process. Present article focused on three key issues i.e. major pollutants, wastewater treatment techniques and environmental benefits of using solar power for removal of pollutants. The review also provides close ideas on further research needs and major concerns. Drawbacks associated with conventional wastewater treatment options and direct solar energy-based wastewater treatment with energy storage systems to make it convenient during day and night both listed. Although, energy storage systems increase the overall cost of the wastewater treatment plant it also increases the overall efficiency of the system on environmental cost. Cost-efficient wastewater treatment methods using solar power would significantly ensure effective water source utilization, thereby contributing towards sustainable development goals.

Half-sandwich (η5-Cp*)Rh(iii) complexes of pyrazolated organo-sulfur/selenium/tellurium ligands: efficient catalysts for base/solvent free C-N coupling of chloroarenes under aerobic conditions.

Three new pyrazolated chalcogenoether ligated Rh(iii) half-sandwich complexes (1-3) were synthesised by the thermal reaction of chalcogenoether (S, Se and Te) substituted 1H-pyrazole ligands (L1-L3) and [(η5-C5Me5)RhCl]2 in methanol. The complexes were fully characterised by various spectroscopic techniques, and the molecular structures of complexes 1 and2 were also established through single crystal X-ray crystallographic analysis, which indicates a pseudo-octahedral half-sandwich piano-stool geometry around the rhodium metal. All three complexes were found to be thermally stable and insensitive towards air and moisture. One mol% of Rh(iii) complexes (1-3) along with 10 mol% of Cu(OAc)2 were explored for the Buchwald-Hartwig type C-N coupling reactions of amine and aryl chloride. Good to excellent yields (89-92%) of the coupling products were obtained with seleno- and thio-ether functionalised pyrazolated Rh(iii) complexes (1 and 2), while an average yield (39%) was obtained with the telluro-ether functionalised complex (3). In contrast to the previously reported C-N coupling reactions the present reaction works under solvent- and base-free conditions, and the coupling reaction is accomplished in just 6 h with a high yield of the coupling product. The present methodology was also found to be efficient for a wide variety of functionalised aryl halides, and aliphatic or aromatic amines (1° and 2°). Moreover, the reaction also enables the C-N coupling of electron-withdrawing substrates and base-sensitive functionalities.