Bioacoustics in population control of insects of medical importance: A review.

Vector transmitted diseases are accountable for more than 17% of all infectious disease cases worldwide according to World Health Organization. Insect vectors play a key role in transmitting diseases and loss of lives. Modified and advanced vector control strategies with chemical insecticides are needed as vectors are resistant to a particular insecticide. Moreover, chemical control is cost-inductive and may give rise to health issues. In this review, bioacoustics have been narrated as a novel technology for eco-friendly and cost-effective control of insect vectors. Many insects that rely on sounds for communication and copulation can be trapped, killed, and repelled through the mimicked sounds of conspecific males or females, generating disturbing noises. Sound can also be harnessed to prevent the mating success of insects. There is need for future studies on rejection calls and harmonic convergences in insect vectors. In-depth investigations on the higher harmonics of insect calls, along with artificial intelligence, will be beneficial for the development of successful sound- evoked control of insects of medical importance.

Pyrethroids toxicity in vertebrates and invertebrates and amelioration by bioactive compounds: A review.

Generations of different synthetic pesticides have been launched over time to maintain balance between production and consumption of the agricultural yield, control various disease programmes, store grains, etc. Pyrethroids, which are supposed to be non-toxic, have been excessively implemented and have contaminated soil and water bodies. Thus, pyrethroids cause severe and dreadful pernicious effects on various life forms residing in soil, air, and water. Various obnoxious effects of pyrethroids have been analyzed in the vertebrate and invertebrate systems of the animal kingdom. Pyrethroids, namely, Cypermethrin, Deltamethrin, Beta-cyfluthrin, Esfenvalerate, Fenvalerate, and Bifenthrin, have set out various types of degenerative and toxic impacts that include oxidative stress, hepatotoxicity, immunotoxicity involving thymic and splenic toxicity, neurotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, foetal toxicity, alterations in serum calcium and phosphate levels, cerebral and bone marrow degeneration, degeneration of the reproductive system, histological alteration, and DNA damage. Bioactive compounds like Diosmin, Curcumin, Rutin, Spirulina platensis, sesame oil, Naringin, Allicin, Piperine, alpha-lipoic acid, alpha-tocopherol, Cyperus rotundus L. tuber extract, herbal syrup from chicory and artichoke leaves, green tea extract, Quercetin, Trans-ferulic acid, Ascorbic acid, Propolis, ethanolic extract of grape pomace, and Melatonin have been reported to sublime the toxic effects of these pesticides. The expanding harmfulness of pesticides is a real and demanding issue that needs to be overcome, and bioactive compounds have been shown to reduce the toxicity in vivo as well as in vitro.

Langmuir-Based Modeling Produces Steady Two-Dimensional Simulations of Capacitive Deionization via Relaxed Adsorption-Flow Coupling.

The growing world population creates an ever-increasing demand for fresh drinkable water, and many researchers have discovered the emerging capacitive deionization (CDI) technique to be highly promising for desalination. Traditional modeling of CDI has focused on charge storage in electrical double layers, but recent studies have presented a dynamic Langmuir (DL) approach as a simple and stable alternative. We here demonstrate, for the first time, that a Langmuir-based approach can simulate CDI in multiple dimensions. This provides a new perspective of different physical pictures that could be used to describe the detailed CDI processes. As CDI emerges, effective modeling of large-scale and pilot CDI modules is becoming increasingly important, but such a modeling could also be especially complex. Leveraging the stability of the DL model, we propose an alternative fundamental approach based on relaxed adsorption-flow computations that can dissolve these complexity barriers. Literature data extensively validate the findings, which show how the Langmuir-based approach can simulate and predict how key changes in operational and structural conditions affect the CDI performance. Crucially, the method is tractable for simple simulations of large-scale and structurally complex systems. Put together, this work presents new avenues for approaching the challenges in modeling CDI.

Sodium to cesium ions: a general ladder mechanism of ion diffusion in prussian blue analogs.

Prussian blue analogs (PBAs) form crystals with large lattice voids that are suitable for the capture, transport and storage of various interstitial ions. Recently, we introduced the concept of a ladder mechanism to describe how sodium ions inside a PBA crystal structure diffuse by climbing the frames formed by aligned cyanide groups in the host structure. The current work uses semi-empirical tight-binding density functional theory (DFTB) in a multiscale approach to investigate how differences in the size of the monovalent cation affect the qualitative and quantitative aspects of the diffusion process. The results show that the ladder mechanism represents a unified framework, from which both similarities and differences between cation types can be understood. Fundamental Coulombic interactions make all positive cations avoid the open vacant areas in the structure, while cavities surrounded by partially negatively charged cyanide groups form diffusion bottlenecks and traps for larger cations. These results provide a new and quantitative way of understanding the suppression of cesium adsorption that has previously been reported for PBAs characterized by a low vacancy density. In conclusion, this work provides a unified picture of the cation adsorption in PBAs based on the newly formulated ladder mechanism.

ZnO Nanorods Coated Single-Mode-Multimode-Single-Mode Optical Fiber Sensor for VOC Biomarker Detection.

This work demonstrated a ZnO-coated optical fiber sensor for the detection of a volatile organic compound (VOC) biomarker for diabetes for detecting isopropanol (IPA) markers. A coreless silica fiber (CSF) was connected to a single-mode fiber (SMF) at both ends to achieve a SMF-CSF-SMF structure. CSF is the sensing region where multimode interference (MMI) generates higher light interaction at the interface between the fiber and sensing medium, leading to enhanced sensitivity. Optimization of the CSF length was conducted numerically to attain the highest possible coupling efficiency at the output. Surface functionalization was achieved via hydrothermal growth of ZnO nanorods directly onto the CSF at low temperatures. The optical fiber-based sensor was successfully fabricated and tested with 20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, and 100% of IPA. The sensor response was recorded using an optical spectrometer and analyzed for sensor sensitivity. The fabricated sensor shows the potential to detect isopropanol with the sensitivity of 0.053 nm/%IPA vapor. Further improvement of the sensor sensitivity and selectivity is also proposed for future work.

Prediction of heterogeneous Fenton process in treatment of melanoidin-containing wastewater using data-based models.

Predictive capability of response surface methodology (RSM) and ant colony optimization combined with support vector regression (ACO-SVR) models are applied for determining optimal parameters in the process of heterogeneous Fenton oxidation of melanoidin, a high molecular weight polymer widely produced during fermentation processes generating large quantities of wastewater with intense brown color and extremely high chemical oxygen demand (COD). Prediction of the performance of nano zero-valent iron supported on activated carbon cloth-chitosan (ACC-CH-nZVI) catalysts was carried out using Box-Behnken design (BBD) and analysis of variance to evaluate the interaction of independent variables involved in heterogeneous Fenton reaction. The optimized condition with minimal consumption of H2O2 (173 mM) resulted in 77.1% decolorization of melanoidin-contaminated water corresponding to 74.4% COD removal at pH 3 (600 mg/l Fe dosage) for 90 min reaction time. The corresponding weight ratio of H2O2 to COD was 0.98, much lower than the stoichiometric value 2.125, indicating the effectiveness of ACC-CH-nZVI as a heterogeneous Fenton-like catalyst. In comparison to previously published experimental results, ACO-SVR model shows higher coefficient of determination (R2; 0.9983) but lower root mean squared error (RMSE) and mean absolute error (MAE) than those of RSM model, indicating relative superiority in prediction capability. Besides, ACO algorithm appears to be a promising tool for improving forecasting accuracy of SVR model. This work demonstrates the applicability of ACO-SVR model in predicting the performance of wastewater treatment using Fenton process with limited number of experiment and exhibits satisfactory prediction results.

Functionalized graphene oxide tablets for sample preparation of drugs in biological fluids: Extraction of ritonavir, a HIV protease inhibitor, from human saliva and plasma using LC-MS/MS.

In this work, graphene oxide-based tablets (GO-Tabs) were prepared by applying a thin layer of functionalized GO on a polyethylene substrate. The GO was functionalized with amine groups (-NH2 ) by poly(ethylene glycol)bis(3-aminopropyl) terminated (GO-NH2 -PEG-NH2 ). The functionalized GO-Tabs were used for the extraction of ritonavir (RTV) in human saliva samples. RTV in plasma and saliva samples was analyzed using LC-MS/MS. Gradient LC system with MS/MS in the positive-ion mode [electrospray ionization (ESI+)] was used. The transitions m/z 721 → 269.0 and m/z 614 → 421 were used for RTV and the internal standard indinavir, respectively. This study determined the human immunodeficiency virus protease inhibitor RTV in human saliva samples using functionalized GO-Tab and LC-MS/MS, and the method was validated. The standard calibration curve for plasma and saliva samples was constructed from 5.0 to 2000 nmol L-1 . The limit of detection was 0.1 nmol L-1 , and the limit of quantification was 5.0 nmol L-1 in both plasma and saliva matrices. The intra- and inter-assay precision values were found to be between 1.5 and 5.8%, and the accuracy values ranged from 88.0 to 108% utilizing saliva and plasma samples. The extraction recovery was more than 80%, and the presented functionalized GO-Tabs could be reused for more than 10 extractions without deterioration in recovery.

Chitosan Nanocomposite Coatings Containing Chemically Resistant ZnO-SnOx Core-shell Nanoparticles for Photocatalytic Antifouling.

Functional nanocomposites with biopolymers and zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles is an emerging application of photocatalysis in antifouling coatings. The reduced chemical stability of ZnO in the acidic media in which chitosan is soluble affects the performance of chitosan nanocomposites in antifouling applications. In this study, a thin shell of amorphous tin dioxide (SnOx) was grown on the surface of ZnO to form ZnO-SnOx core-shell nanoparticles that improved the chemical stability of the photocatalyst nanoparticles, as examined at pH 3 and 6. The photocatalytic activity of ZnO-SnOx in the degradation of methylene blue (MB) dye under visible light showed a higher efficiency than that of ZnO nanoparticles due to the passivation of electronic defects. Chitosan-based antifouling coatings with varying percentages of ZnO or ZnO-SnOx nanoparticles, with or without the glutaraldehyde (GA) crosslinking of chitosan, were developed and studied. The incorporation of photocatalysts into the chitosan matrix enhanced the thermal stability of the coatings. Through a mesocosm study using running natural seawater, it was found that chitosan/ZnO-SnOx/GA coatings enabled better inhibition of bacterial growth compared to chitosan coatings alone. This study demonstrates the antifouling potential of chitosan nanocomposite coatings containing core-shell nanoparticles as an effective solution for the prevention of biofouling.

Predicting and Enhancing the Ion Selectivity in Multi-Ion Capacitive Deionization.

Lack of potable water in communities across the globe is a serious humanitarian problem promoting the desalination of saline water (seawater and brackish water) to meet the growing demands of human civilization. Multiple ionic species can be present in natural water sources in addition to sodium chloride, and capacitive deionization (CDI) is an upcoming technology with the potential to address these challenges because of its efficacy in removing charged species from water by electro-adsorption. In this work, we have investigated the effect of device operation on the preferential removal of different ionic species. A dynamic Langmuir (DL) model has been a starting point for deriving the theory, and the model predictions have been validated using data from reports in the literature. Crucially, we derive a simple relationship between the adsorption of different ionic species for short and long adsorption periods. This is leveraged to directly predict and enhance the selective ion removal in CDI. Furthermore, we demonstrate an example of how this selectivity could reduce excess removal of ions to avoid remineralization needs. In conclusion, the method could be valuable for predicting the impact of improved device operation on capacitive deionization with multi-ion compositions prevalent in natural water sources.

Simplified Prediction of Ion Removal in Capacitive Deionization of Multi-Ion Solutions.

Capacitive deionization (CDI) is an upcoming desalination technology being increasingly considered to be a simple and cost-effective solution for brackish water, where electrosorption leads to the removal of charged species from water. Real-world water samples typically contain a multitude of ions that must be considered apart from sodium-chloride salt. In this work, we have developed a method to quantify the competitive adsorption of different ionic species during CDI processes. The method is straightforward, requiring a single calibrating experiment to extract a 'periodic table' of competitiveness scores for all ions present in the experiment. Using a dynamic Langmuir model that was developed by our group, it is shown that these scores could subsequently be used to predict the adsorption of any ion species in a multi-ion solution. Excellent agreement with data from the literature could be achieved with this model, and the method is especially well-suited for trace ions as these can be predicted directly. The derived method is simple and accurate for quantifying and predicting adsorption in multi-ion solutions and could be valuable for predicting the effect when applying CDI to real-world water samples.

Removal of antibiotic from the water environment by the adsorption technologies: a review.

Antibiotics are known as emergent pollutants because of their toxicological properties. Due to continuous discharge and persistence in the aquatic environment, antibiotics are detected almost in every environmental matrix. Therefore antibiotics that are polluting the aquatic environment have gained significant research interest for their removal. Several techniques have been used to remove pollutants, but appropriate technology is still to be found. This review addresses the use of modified and cheap materials for antibiotic removal from the environment.

An Easy-to-Use Tool for Modeling the Dynamics of Capacitive Deionization.

Capacitive deionization is an emerging method of desalinating brackish water that has been presented as an alternative to the widely applied technologies such as reverse osmosis. However, for the technology to find more widespread use, it is important not only to improve its efficiency but also to make its modeling more accessible for researchers. In this work, a program has been developed and provided as an open-source with which a user can simulate the performance of a capacitive deionization system by simply entering the basic experimental conditions. The usefulness of this program was demonstrated by predicting how the effluent concentration in a continuous-mode constant-voltage operation varies with time, as well as how it depends on the flow rate, applied voltage, and inlet ion concentration. Finally, the generality of the program has been demonstrated using data from reports in the literature wherein various electrode materials, cell structures, and operational modes were used. Thus, we conclude that the model, termed the dynamic Langmuir model, could be an effective and simple tool for modeling the dynamics of capacitive deionization.

Plasmonic Photocatalyst Design: Metal-Semiconductor Junction Affecting Photocatalytic Efficiency.

Silver-zinc oxide nanorods (Ag-ZnO NRs) and gold-zinc oxide nanorods (Au-ZnO NRs) plasmonic photocatalysts were fabricated by the deposition of Ag and Au nanoparticles on ZnO NRs. The photocatalysts were studied with electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), UVvis optical absorption and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The effect of type of metals on the ZnO surface on its photocatalytic activity under ultra violet (UV) as well as visible light excitation are investigated and their contribution towards enhanced photo-generated charge separation in terms of the type of junction (Ohmic or Schottky) the metal forms with the semiconductor are explained.

Graphene Oxide/Polyethylene Glycol-Stick for Thin Film Microextraction of ß-Blockers from Human Oral Fluid by Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry.

A wooden stick coated with a novel graphene-based nanocomposite (Graphene oxide/polyethylene glycol (GO/PEG)) is introduced and investigated for its efficacy in solid phase microextraction techniques. The GO/PEG-stick was prepared and subsequently applied for the extraction of ß-blockers, acebutolol, and metoprolol in human oral fluid samples, which were subsequently detected by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Experimental parameters affecting the extraction protocol including sample pH, extraction time, desorption time, appropriate desorption solvent, and salt addition were optimized. Method validation for the detection from oral fluid samples was performed following FDA (Food and Drug Administration) guidelines on bioanalytical method validation. Calibration curves ranging from 5.0 to 2000 nmol L-1 for acebutolol and 25.0 to 2000 nmol L-1 for metoprolol were used. The values for the coefficient of determination (R2) were found to be 0.998 and 0.996 (n = 3) for acebutolol and metoprolol, respectively. The recovery of analytes during extraction was 80.0% for acebutolol and 62.0% for metoprolol, respectively. The limit of detections (LODs) were 1.25, 8.00 nmol L-1 for acebutolol and metoprolol and the lower limit of quantifications (LLOQ) were 5.00 nmol L-1 for acebutolol and 25.0 nmol L-1 for metoprolol. Validation experiments conducted with quality control (QC) samples demonstrated method accuracy between 80.0% to 97.0% for acebutolol and from 95.0% to 109.0% for metoprolol. The inter-day precision for QC samples ranged from 3.6% to 12.9% for acebutolol and 9.5% to 11.3% for metoprolol. Additionally, the GO/PEG-stick was demonstrated to be reusable, with the same stick observed to be viable for more than 10 extractions from oral fluid samples.

Self-decontaminating photocatalytic zinc oxide nanorod coatings for prevention of marine microfouling: a mesocosm study.

The antifouling (AF) properties of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorod coated glass substrata were investigated in an out-door mesocosm experiment under natural sunlight (14:10 light: dark photoperiod) over a period of five days. The total bacterial density (a six-fold reduction) and viability (a three-fold reduction) was significantly reduced by nanocoatings in the presence of sunlight. In the absence of sunlight, coated and control substrata were colonized equally by bacteria. MiSeq Illumina sequencing of 16S rRNA genes revealed distinct bacterial communities on the nanocoated and control substrata in the presence and absence of light. Diatom communities also varied on nanocoated substrata in the presence and the absence of light. The observed AF activity of the ZnO nanocoatings is attributed to the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) through photocatalysis in the presence of sunlight. These nanocoatings are a significant step towards the production of an environmentally friendly AF coating that utilizes a sustainable supply of sunlight.

Optimization of the sublethal dose of silver nanoparticle through evaluating its effect on intestinal physiology of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus L.).

Silver nanoparticles (SNPs) are widely used in a variety of biomedical and consumer products as an antimicrobial additive. The present study was conducted to evaluate the impacts of low-dose SNPs on intestinal physiology of tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus L.) for assessing its apparent environmental risk due to extensive commercial use. SNPs were synthesized by a chemical reduction method yielding 1-27 nm oval shaped particles. Early fingerlings of tilapia were exposed with two sublethal concentrations (0.8 and 0.4 mg L(-1)) of SNPs for twenty one days period and its impact on the intestinal physiology was evaluated by histochemistry, catalase expression, glutamate dehydrogenase activity, SDS-PAGE and gut micro flora count. Histological analysis showed thinning of intestinal wall, swelling on mucosal layer and immunohistochemical assay exhibited an enhanced catalase expression in SNPs treated fishes. Gut microflora count elicited a dose-dependent depletion and a variable SDS-PAGE profile followed by significant (P < 0.05) elevations in glutamate dehydrogenase activity in SNPs-treated fishes. This study was designed to provide a better understanding of environmentally acceptable, dose-dependent SNPs delivery in fishes and to formulate guidelines in aquatic toxicology.

Effect of Cypermethrin on the Growth of Ciliate Protozoan Paramecium caudatum.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to assess the effect of cypermethrin on the growth of ciliate protozoan Paramecium caudatum. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Monoxenic culture of P. caudatum, were exposed to different doses (0.01, 0.05, 0.1, 0.15, and 0.2 µg/L) of cypermethrin along with control for 24, 48, 72, and 96 h time interval. The total numbers of live and dead cells were counted after trypan blue staining in Neubauer hemocytometer. RESULTS: Marked decrease in the number of living cells with the increase in the concentration of cypermethrin and with increasing exposure time intervals was recorded. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that cypermethrin is toxic to P. caudatum even at low concentrations when it enters in the aquatic system through runoff.

Applications of nanotechnology in wastewater treatment--a review.

Water on Earth is a precious and finite resource, which is endlessly recycled in the water cycle. Water, whose physical, chemical, or biological properties have been altered due to the addition of contaminants such as organic/inorganic materials, pathogens, heavy metals or other toxins making it unsafe for the ecosystem, can be termed as wastewater. Various schemes have been adopted by industries across the world to treat wastewater prior to its release to the ecosystem, and several new concepts and technologies are fast replacing the traditional methods. This article briefly reviews the recent advances and application of nanotechnology for wastewater treatment. Nanomaterials typically have high reactivity and a high degree of functionalization, large specific surface area, size-dependent properties etc., which makes them suitable for applications in wastewater treatment and for water purification. In this article, the application of various nanomaterials such as metal nanoparticles, metal oxides, carbon compounds, zeolite, filtration membranes, etc., in the field of wastewater treatment is discussed.

Antifouling properties of zinc oxide nanorod coatings.

In laboratory experiments, the antifouling (AF) properties of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorod coatings were investigated using the marine bacterium Acinetobacter sp. AZ4C, larvae of the bryozoan Bugula neritina and the microalga Tetraselmis sp. ZnO nanorod coatings were fabricated on microscope glass substrata by a simple hydrothermal technique using two different molar concentrations (5 and 10 mM) of zinc precursors. These coatings were tested for 5 h under artificial sunlight (1060 W m(-2) or 530 W m(-2)) and in the dark (no irradiation). In the presence of light, both the ZnO nanorod coatings significantly reduced the density of Acinetobacter sp. AZ4C and Tetraselmis sp. in comparison to the control (microscope glass substratum without a ZnO coating). High mortality and low settlement of B. neritina larvae was observed on ZnO nanorod coatings subjected to light irradiation. In darkness, neither mortality nor enhanced settlement of larvae was observed. Larvae of B. neritina were not affected by Zn(2+) ions. The AF effect of the ZnO nanorod coatings was thus attributed to the reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by photocatalysis. It was concluded that ZnO nanorod coatings effectively prevented marine micro and macrofouling in static conditions.

Diagnostic Protocol for Accommodative and Vergence Anomalies - A Review.

PURPOSE: To review the diagnostic protocols of non-strabismic binocular vision anomalies. METHODS: We carried out a literature search on published articles of non-strabismic accommodative and vergence anomalies in different international optometry and ophthalmology journals found in the Pubmed, ResearchGate, Google Scholar, and MEDLINE databases. RESULTS: The diagnostic criteria and normative data from the nine articles selected show discrepancies and variability in methodologies and techniques in the overall assessment of Non-Strabismic Binocular Vision Anomalies (NSBVA). Near point of convergence measurement is the most common assessment, whereas the vergence facility is the least commonly used assessment in terms of evaluating convergence insufficiency. Near point of convergence > 10 cm alone is the most sensitive sign to detect convergence insufficiency in a community set-up but high positive relative accommodation (>3.50D) is the most sensitive sign to diagnose accommodative excess. On the other hand, monocular accommodative facility < 7 CPM has the highest sensitivity to confirm the diagnosis of accommodative infacility. This review also indicates that the more clinical signs that are included in a set of diagnostic criteria, the lower the prevalence rate for that diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: There is no standardized and diagnostically validated protocol for the assessment of NSBVAs. Variable cutoff values obtained using different methods and the selection of diagnostic criteria by various researchers have led to discrepancies that highlight the need for diagnostic validity of available protocols (combination of tests) for each anomaly. Clinical signs such as positive relative accommodation (PRA) for accommodative excess, near point of convergence (NPC) for convergence insufficiency and monocular accommodative facility (MAF) for accommodative infacility were found to be useful diagnostic signs of these anomalies. Studies should be carried out for accommodative and vergence dysfunctions using proper designs and methods to validate diagnostic criteria for all age groups. Standardization of assessment protocol and cutoff criteria will also aid in calculating prevalence for non-strabismic binocular vision anomalies.