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Facile engineering of aptamer-coupled silk fibroin encapsulated myogenic gold nanocomposites: investigation of antiproliferative activity and apoptosis induction
Nanocomposites selectively induce cancer cell death, holding potential for precise liver cancer treatment breakthroughs. This study assessed the cytotoxicity of gold nanocomposites (Au NCs) enclosed within silk fibroin (SF), aptamer (Ap), and the myogenic Talaromyces purpureogenus (TP) against a human liver cancer cell (HepG2). The ultimate product, Ap-SF-TP@Au NCs, results from a three-step process. This process involves the myogenic synthesis of TP@Au NCs derived from TP mycelial extract, encapsulation of SF on TP@Au NCs (SF-TP@Au NCs), and the conjugation of Ap within SF-TP@Au NCs. The synthesized NCs are analyzed by various characteristic techniques. Ap-SF-TP@Au NCs induced potential cell death in HepG2 cells but exhibited no cytotoxicity in non-cancerous cells (NIH3T3). The morphological changes in cells were examined through various biochemical staining methods. Thus, Ap-SF-TP@Au NCs emerge as a promising nanocomposite for treating diverse cancer cells. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V. 2024. -
Facile fabrication of 3D-?-Fe2O3@2D-g-C3N4 heterojunction composite materials: Effect of iron oxide loading on the electrochemical performance
Designing heterojunction nanocomposites is crucial for optimizing supercapacitor electrodes. This study addresses the challenge by introducing a facile synthesis method for creating 3D-?-Fe2O3@2D-g-C3N4 heterojunctions through a bulk carbon nitride-assisted hydrothermal process. During this process, the growth of ferric oxide particles coincides with the exfoliation and deposition of carbon nitride, leading to simultaneous structural changes in both iron oxide and carbon nitride phases. The resulting composite's properties strongly correlate with the iron oxide loading. Comprehensive characterization using XRD, FTIR, SEM-EDAX, XPS and TEM identified three distinct structures for ?-Fe2O3/g-C3N4 composites based on iron oxide loading: low, medium, and high. The medium-loaded sample demonstrated superior electrochemical performance, attributed to better interfacial contact and the formation of 3D-Fe2O3@2D-g-C3N4 heterojunctions. This composite, with an optimized 22 wt% iron oxide loading, exhibited a maximum specific capacitance of 925.1 Fg?1 at 5 mVs?1 and 498.6 Fg?1 at 6 Ag?1 in charge-discharge analysis, with stable performance over 2000 cycles. Overall, this research presents an enhanced hydrothermal method for facile preparation of effective ?-Fe2O3/g-C3N4 heterojunction materials. 2024 Elsevier B.V. -
Facile fabrication of dasatinib laden multifunctional polymeric micelles: Evaluation of anti-proliferative and apoptotic activities in human cancer cells
Dasatinib (DAS) has recently gained significant interest for its anticancer potential. Yet, the lipophilicity inherent in DAS limited its potential use as a chemotherapeutic drug. This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of polyethylene glycol-polycaprolactone (PEG-PCL) as a nanocarrier for DAS to increase its anticancer capabilities. The DAS-loaded PEG-PCL nanoparticles (termed as DAS@PEG-PCL NPs) were characterized using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and dynamic light scattering (DLS). Morphological staining and MTT tests were employed to investigate drug-loaded nanoparticles' apoptotic and anti-proliferative effects. The MTT assay demonstrated that incorporating DAS onto PEG-PCL NPs resulted in a dose-dependent increase in cytotoxicity in A549 (lung cancer) and HeLa (cervical cancer) cells. The A549 cancer cells were analyzed for their morphology using the acridine orange/ethidium bromide (AO/EB) and DAPI staining techniques. Overall, these findings demonstrate that the polymeric PEG-PCL nanoparticle systems hold great potential as a novel therapeutic strategy for cancer treatment. 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC. -
Facile fabrication of stable wettability gradients on elastomeric surfaces for applications in water collection and controlled cell adhesion
We have developed a simple and effective method to prepare stable wettability gradients on an elastomeric soft substrate, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). In our method, a partially cured PDMS film composed of a definite ratio of elastomer and crosslinking agent was heated over a hot surface with a temperature gradient. This causes differential thermal curing of the PDMS film and the water contact angle (wettability) of the resultant surface showed gradual variation across the length. This method allows us to design and fabricate wettability gradients with rationally controlled directionality and shapes (e.g., linear and radial gradients). The stability of the wettability gradients was studied and a chemical treatment method was developed to enhance the stability at room temperature. Stable wettability gradients prepared through this method can find applications as reliable platforms and scaffolds offering controlled or directional wetting and adhesion. We have demonstrated the practical applications of the wettability gradients in directional water collection, controlled crystallization of materials, and controlled cell adhesion of HeLa cells, osteoblasts and NIH/3T3 cells. The multi-functional characteristics of these wettable gradients are expected to be handy in other domains using soft materials and interfaces also. 2023 The Royal Society of Chemistry. -
Facile green synthesis of semiconductive ZnO nanoparticles for photocatalytic degradation of dyes from the textile industry: A kinetic approach
One-pot, facile and green synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles are synthesized using cow dung as fuel by combustion procedure. The synthesized material is characterized by using various techniques such as XRD, FTIR, UV, FESEM, and EDX. To assess the photocatalytic efficacy of the as-synthesized material, harmful cationic and anionic dyes such as methylene blue (MB) and alizarin red S (AZ) dyes, respectively, are selected as benchmark dyes. The influence of light source, dye concentration, photocatalyst dosage, and pH value on the efficiency of photocatalyst and kinetics of photodegradation are systematically studied. The photodegradation results revealed that the synthesized ZnO NPs exhibited removal efficiency of MB and AZ dyes upon irradiation with UV light. Concisely, the removal efficacy of the ZnO NPs under UV light irradiation exhibited an MB and AZ degradation of 99.9% and 96.8%, respectively. A reasonable photo-catalytic mechanism for the high photodegradation efficacy of MB and AZ dyes by the prepared photocatalyst is also proposed. The green fabricated photocatalyst is promising material and could be applied for waste-water remediation and other ecological applications. 2022 -
Facile synthesis of aluminum oxyhydroxide-PVA films and its adsorptive evaluation for the removal of methylene blue dye from water: kinetics, optimization studies and mechanism
Aluminum oxyhydroxide-polyvinyl alcohol films were synthesized by the solgel method with varying metal-polymer ratios. The results of the characterization confirmed the formation of aluminum oxyhydroxideand the incorporation of metal into the polymer. The adsorption isotherms of the film exhibited type IV isotherms indicating the mesoporous nature with a non-uniform pore size distribution. The optical profilometric studies confirmed the surface roughness of the film. The adsorptive nature of the film was tested for the removal of methylene blue dye from the aqueous solution. Optimization studies were conducted to investigate the effect of various parameters on the adsorption process. The adsorption isotherms of methylene blue fit with the Langmuir isotherm model and follow a pseudo-second-order equation. A suitable reaction mechanism was proposed, which confirms the adsorptive nature of the film is due to the electrostatic attraction. The synergetic effect of the metal-polymer blend, surface roughness and pore size of the film, which ranges from 0.01 to 0.025nm,enhances the adsorption of methylene blue. The comparison of results obtained in the current study with earlier reports confirms that the aluminum oxyhydroxide-polyvinyl alcohol films can be considered an eco-friendly, cost-effective adsorbent for removing methylene blue. 2023, The Polymer Society, Taipei. -
Facile synthesis of Bi2WO6-NiO nanocomposite for supercapacitor application
In order to prepare for future high-power storage-related applications, a tremendous amount of studies have been conducted on the manufacturing of high-performance supercapacitor electrodes. The hydrothermal technique was used to synthesize Bi2WO6NiO nanocomposite (NC), which was examined using FTIR, XRD, HR-TEM, EDX, FESEM, and XPS techniques. Furthermore, the Bi2WO6-NiO NC performs with an elevated specific capacity of 398.2C/g at 10 mV/s. The charge transfer resistance (Rct) and solution resistance (Rs) of Bi2WO6-NiO NC were determined as 0.81 and 0.23 ? using electrochemical impedance spectra (EIS). Bi2WO6-NiO NC extended the chargedischarge time and rate capacities, as shown by the galvanostatic chargedischarge (GCD) analysis. Even after 2000 cycles, Bi2WO6-NiO NC cyclic stability was superior with a capacitive retention of 89.3 %. A power density of 6750 W/kg resulted from the constructed asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) device based on Bi2WO6-NiO/AC, exhibiting an energy density of 32.5 Wh/kg. Additionally, the ASC maintains high cyclic stability with 90.8 % of initial capacity, even after 2000 chargedischarge cycles in a row. 2024 Elsevier B.V. -
Facile Synthesis of Few-Layer Graphene Oxide from Cinnamomum camphora
Abstract: This study presents a facile synthesis technique to produce few-layer graphene oxide from Cinnamomum camphora (Camphor L.). Camphor upon carbonization and chemical oxidation leads to the formation of few-layer graphene oxide sheets of around ten layers with a lateral size of 4.14 nm and stacking height of 3.10 nm. AFM and SEM analysis results reveal the wrinkled morphology of the graphene oxide sheets formed. The sharp G band and the relative intensity of the defect to the graphitic band in the Raman spectrum indicate the formation of nanocrystalline graphene oxide sheets with fewer defects. The FTIR spectrum and the deconvoluted C 1s XPS spectrum of graphene oxide synthesized reveal the presence of predominant sp2 hybridized carbon along with carbon bound to various oxygen functionalities. In brief, the formation of high-quality few-layer graphene oxide from an abundant, low-cost, and readily available botanical precursor is herein reported. 2021, Pleiades Publishing, Ltd. -
Facile synthesis of graphene-tin oxide nanocomposite derived from agricultural waste for enhanced antibacterial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Antibacterial screening of graphene-tin oxide nanocomposites synthesized from carbonized wood and coconut shell is investigated against Pseudomonas aeruginosa for the first time. Efficient and facile one step hydrothermal process adopted in the present work for the synthesis of graphene-tin oxide nanoparticles provides an ideal method for the economic large-scale production of the same. Graphene-tin oxide nanocomposites derived from wood charcoal possess a spherical morphology whereas rod like structures are seen in the case of coconut shell derivatives. An excitation independent fluorescence response is observed in graphene-tin oxide nanohybrids while graphene oxide nanostructures exhibited an excitation dependent behavior. These hydrophilic nanostructures are highly stable and exhibited no sign of luminescence quenching or particle aggregation even after a storage of 30 months. Bactericidal effects of the nanostructures obtained from coconut shell is found to be relatively higher compared to those procured from wood. This variation in antibacterial performance of the samples is directly related to their morphological difference which in turn is heavily influenced by the precursor material used. MIC assay revealed that coconut shell derived graphene-tin oxide composite is able to inhibit the bacterial growth at a lower concentration (250 ?g/mL) than the other nanostructures. Nanocomposites synthesized from agro-waste displayed significantly higher antimicrobial activity compared to the precursor and graphene oxide nanostructures thereby making them excellent candidates for various bactericidal applications such as disinfectants, sanitary agents etc. 2019, The Author(s). -
Facile synthesis of Mn-Ni bimetal organic framework decorated with amine as an electrode for a high-performance supercapacitor
In the recent years, the whole world is looking for better energy storage devices. Supercapacitors are among the mostpromising high-capacity energy storage devices. Manganese-based material has gained more importance among transition metals due to its cost, easy fabrication, and wide potential applications. Here, we report the synthesis of a novel MOF using metal centers, dicarboxylate ligand, and aminoterephthalic acid as a co-ligand {Mn-Ni-NH2(h2fipbb)}MOF. The synthesized material has a unique hierarchical morphology consisting of manganese and nickel connected with NH2 through h2fipbb ligand linkage, which is highly efficient for the permeation of the electrolyte and electron transfer. The {Mn-Ni-NH2(h2fipbb)}MOF shows an excellent specific capacitance of 711.60 F g?1 using 2M KOH at a current density of 1 A g?1. The two electrode system material exhibitsa high-power and energy density of 743.99Wkg?1 and 20.49 Wh kg?1, respectively. From the above results, the synthesized {Mn-Ni-NH2(h2fipbb)}MOF can be considered a promising material for electrochemical energy storageapplications. 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature. -
Facile synthesis of nickel nanoparticles and its efficient dye degradation
The present investigation involves the synthesis of nickel (Ni) nanoparticles (NPs) by the chemical reduction of nickel chloride using hydrazine hydrate without the need for an inert atmosphere from an external source. The photocatalytic activity, structure and morphology of the NPs were studied by employing UV-Visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Degradation of methylene blue(MB) and rhodamine B(Rh-B) dyes using Ni NPs was investigated to see the feasibility in degrading these dyes from polluted water at low cost. Ni NPs showed a good photocatalytic activity of 84.1% under visible light for the degradation of MB when compared to Rh-B which showed an efficiency of 47.3 %. 2020 World Research Association. All rights reserved. -
Facile synthesis of novel antimony selenide nanocrystals with hierarchical architecture by physical vapor deposition technique
Stoichiometric antimony selenide (Sb 2 Se 3 ) nanocrystals have been successfully engineered by a facile physical vapor deposition method, employing a single precursor of polycrystalline Sb 2 Se 3 charge in a closed quartz ampoule under high vacuum without any foreign seed or extraneous chemical elements. This work underscores the efficacy of the vapor deposition process and provides synthetic strategies to scale down bulk Sb 2 Se 3 into novel nanostructures. The morphological evolution of the tailored architecture was examined on micro and nano size scales by scanning electron microscopy and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The intrinsic mechanism governing the nanostructure formation is revealed as layer-by-layer growth, related to the unique layered structure of Sb 2 Se 3 . The optical properties of the grown crystals were probed by UVvisNIR and photoluminescence tools. The band-gap values of the microfibers, nanorods, nanooctahedra and nanospheres estimated from UVvisNIR analysis are found to be 1.25, 1.47, 1.51 and 1.75 eV, respectively. Powder X-ray diffraction, energy-dispersive analysis by X-rays, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy and photoluminescence studies confirmed the quality, phase purity and homogeneity of the as-grown nanostructures. The adopted physical vapor deposition method is thus shown to be a simple and elegant route which resulted in the enhancement of the band gap for the Sb 2 Se 3 samples compared with their counterparts grown by chemical methods. This approach has great potential for further applications in optoelectronics. International Union of Crystallography, 2019 -
Facile synthesis of novel SrO 0.5:MnO 0.5 bimetallic oxide nanostructure as a high-performance electrode material for supercapacitors
Perovskite bimetallic oxides as electrode material blends can be an appropriate method to enhance the supercapacitor properties. In the present research, SrO 0.5:MnO 0.5 nanostructures (NS) were synthesized by a facile co-precipitation method and calcinated at 750800C. Crystal structure of SrO 0.5:MnO 0.5 NS were characterized by X-ray diffraction, surface chemical composition and chemical bond analysis, and dispersion of SrO into MnO was confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectral studies. Structural morphology was analyzed from scanning electron microscopy. Optical properties of SrO 0.5:MnO 0.5 NS were studied using UV-Visible spectrophotometer and SrO 0.5 and MnO 0.5 NS showed ?75nm grain, ? 64nm grain boundary distance, with two maxima at 261nm and 345nm as intensity of absorption patterns, respectively. The synthesized SrO 0.5:MnO 0.5 NS exhibited high specific capacitance of 392.8F/g at a current density of 0.1A/g. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy results indicated low resistance and very low time constant of 0.2s ?73% of the capacitance was retained after 1000 galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD) cycles. These findings indicate that SrO 0.5:MnO 0.5 bimetallic oxide material could be a promising electrode material for electrochemical energy storage systems. The Author(s) 2022. -
Facile Synthesis of Polymer Dot and Its Antibacterial Action Against Staphylococcus aureus
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) rising from nosocomial infections is an escalating threat to human life nowadays due to the overuse of drugs. The multidrug-resistant pathogenic bacteria have increased morbidity and mortality rates, becoming a crucial global clinical challenge. Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus bacteria is one of the nosocomial pathogens that cause severe invasive diseases and skin infections to human health worldwide. Herein, a non-conjugated polymer dot (NCPD) was synthesized from less toxic and biocompatible polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) via hydrothermal treatment. The fluorescence of the polymer dots was enhanced by nitrogen doping. The as-synthesized nitrogen-doped polymer dots (PDs) exhibit excitation-dependent luminescence emission and show green color fluorescence under UV light. The average size of the synthesized functionalized non-conjugated polymer dot is obtained as 4.08nm, and they exhibit an amorphous structure. No antibacterial property was observed for bulk polymer, but the doped polymer dots showed antibacterial activity against Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd 2024. -
Facile synthesis of preformed mixed nano-carbon structure from low rank coal
Coal is a natural energy resource which is mainly used for energy production via combustion. Coal has nanocrystals embedded in it, formed during the coalification process, and is an ideal precursor for nano-carbon dots and diamonds. Herein, we report a facile top-down method to synthesise nanodots and diamonds of the size of 5 nm to 10 nm from three different types of coal by simple chemical leaching. TEM analysis revealed the formation of a mixture of carbon dots, graphene layers, and quantum dots in bituminous coal and sub-bituminous coal. Raman analysis confirmed the existence of synthesized nano-diamond and nano-carbon mixed phase with defects associated with it. It is concluded that graphene quantum dots, nano-diamonds, graphene sheets and carbon dots present in coal can be extracted by simple chemical treatment. These structures can be tuned to photoluminescent material for various optoelectronic applications or energy harvesting devices like super capacitors. 2018. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License. -
Facilitating Faculty Development for Training in Multicultural Competence in Health Service Psychology Graduate Programs Through an International Collaboration
A critical aspect of strengthening graduate-level clinical and counseling psychology training in cultural competence is to build capacity among faculty teaching in these programs to provide effective training. We addressed this need through an international collaboration between a university in India and another in the United States that included faculty travel to another country, peer mentoring groups, and review of curricula. This article describes faculty perceptions of this program and its perceived impact on their professional development and outlines curricular and research outcomes that resulted from the program. Across 4 years, a total of eight faculty visits took place with Indian faculty (n = 13) visiting the United States and US faculty (n = 11) visiting India. After each visit, faculty at both institutions responded to open-ended questions about the usefulness of these visits and completed a rating scale at the end of the program through an online survey. Faculty from both countries indicated that the visits contributed to enhanced cultural awareness and sensitivity by broadening their perspectives and learning about cultural similarities and differences. Indian faculty described learning about new pedagogical methods and enhanced motivation to engage in research and publish, along with new collaborative opportunities. US faculty described incorporating cultural competence more centrally in their teaching and clinical supervision through increased commitment, as well as inclusion of more global and diverse content and assignments aimed to increase students cultural competence. These responses provide preliminary support for the usefulness of cultural immersion experiences for faculty professional development. 2024 American Psychological Association Inc.. All rights reserved. -
Facilitating the New Normal: Challenges and Opportunities of Facility Management Companies in India
Covid 19 has brought the world to a standstill. The hospitality, Travel and tourism being affected the most due to travel restrictions across the world and within India. One of the sectors that have been affected majorly are the industries providing Facility Management services to core businesses. FM is dependent on the type of client business, the client organisation's structure and the market sector. This paper aims to gauge the impact of the pandemic on the Facility management companies in India. This also captures the positive and negative aspect of pandemic on the FM. An empirical research design has adopted to address the study objectives. This research involves both primary and secondary data. Primary data for the study have been collected in the form of structured questionnaire distributed among 300 respondents who are senior executives heading selected Facility Management companies in India. The target respondents have been selected based on simple random sampling to ensure the normal distribution of data. The Electrochemical Society -
Factor Analysis for Portfolio Returns: Investigating How Macroeconomic Factors Impact the Performance of the equity Portfolio
This paper investigates the complex relationship between macroeconomic factors and equity portfolio performance using regression analysis. In today's volatile financial environment, it emphasizes the importance of understanding how variables such as interest rates, inflation, money supply and GDP influence investment outcomes. Exact statistical techniques and historical data from a specific time period are used to uncover hidden factors affecting portfolio returns, with a particular focus on interest rates, inflation, money supply, and GDP. The goal of the research is to provide a comprehensive understanding of how these macroeconomic factors influence the equity investments. 2024 IEEE. -
Factor investing: evidence of long-only factor portfolios from the Indian market
The study examines the performance of long-only factor portfolios in the Indian market. An extended 8-factors model and well-known factor models are used to analyse the exposure and risk-adjusted performance of factor portfolios. The results reveal a mixed portfolio performance: market-driven factors like illiquid, winner, stable, and small offered better performance than those based on fundamental data like value, strong, and conservative. While the market factor is the primary return driver, the SMB and HML factors are the other standard return drivers. The portfolios showed exposure to the specific factor they are constructed upon, except for the strong portfolio. 2024 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. -
Factors Affecting Consumer Buying Behaviour, Consumer Satisfaction and Consumer Loyalty in the Ghee Industry- A Perspective of Bangalore Ghee Market
Asian Journal of Research in Business Economics and Management, Vol. 7, Issue 2, pp. 18-34, ISSN No. 2249- 7307