Facile hydrothermal synthesis of a tri-metallic Cu-Mn-Ni oxide-based electrochemical pseudo capacitor.

Transition metal oxide nanocomposites with heterostructures have gained a lot of attention for use in supercapacitors owing to their low cost, high surface area, fast transport of ions and electrons and high specific capacitance due to efficacious interplay between the electrode and the electrolytes. In this study, we fabricated tri-metallic Cu, Mn, Ni(CMNO), bi-metallic Mn, Ni(MNO) and mono-metallic Ni(NO) oxides through a facile hydrothermal route. All the fabricated materials were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDX), and their electrochemical properties were studied using cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD). The CMNO material showed remarkable electrochemical performance with a specific capacitance of 790.63 F g-1 at a current density of 1 A g-1, surpassing the performance of MNO (438.4 F g-1) and NO (290.82 F g-1). Furthermore, CMNO showed high cycling stability with a retention of 96.7% specific capacitance after 8000 cycles. Based on remarkable and unique properties, the CMNO material is regarded as a promising material for new-generation pseudo-capacitor applications.

Chronic stress intensify PTZ-induced seizures by triggering neuroinflammation and oxidative stress.

BACKGROUND: Epilepsy is a paroxysmal abnormal hypersynchronous electrical discharge characterized by recurrent seizures. It affects more than 50 million people worldwide. Stress is the leading cause of neurodegeneration and can produce seizures that may lead to or aggravate epilepsy. Inflammation plays a vital role in epilepsy by modulating oxidative stress, and levels of neuroinflammatory cytokines including NF-κB, TNF-α, and IL-1ß. METHODS: Stress-induced changes in behavior were evaluated in mice by employing behavioral assessment tests such as an elevated plus maze, light-dark box, open field test, tail suspension test, Y-maze, novel object recognition test, and Morris water maze in pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) kindled mice. Behavioral changes in all these paradigms including seizure score, latency, and frequency showed an increase in symptoms in PTZ (35 mg/kg) induced seizures in stressed mice (RS-PTZ) as compared to PTZ, Stress, and normal animals. RESULTS: The Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) results confirmed increased in serum cortisol levels. Histological examinations showed neurodegenerative changes in the hippocampus and cortex regions. The spectrophotometric evaluation showed an increase in oxidative stress by decreasing antioxidant production i.e. reduced glutathione, glutathione -s- transferase, and catalase (CAT), and increasing oxidant levels such as maloaldehyde and nitric oxide. Immunohistochemistry results showed increased expression of NF-κB, TNF-α, and IL-1ß in the cortex and hippocampus of mice brains. CONCLUSIONS: Results from the study conclude that stress increases the likelihood of eliciting an epileptic attack by increasing the level of reactive oxygen species and neuroinflammation.

Machine learning trained poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) functionalized carbon matrix suspended Cu nanoparticles for precise monitoring of nitrite from pickled vegetables.

Precise monitoring of nitrite from real samples has gained significant attention due to its detrimental impact on human health. Herein, we have fabricated poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) functionalized carbon matrix suspended Cu nanoparticles (PEDOT-C@Cu-NPs) through a facile green synthesis approach. Additionally, we have used machine learning (ML) to optimize experimental parameters such as pH, drying time, and concentrations to predict current of the designed electrochemical sensor. The ML optimized concentration of fabricated C@Cu-NPs was further functionalized by PEDOT (π-electron mediator). The designed PEDOT functionalized C@Cu-NPs (PEDOT-C@Cu-NPs) electrode has shown excellent electro-oxidation capability towards NO2- ions due to highly exposed Cu facets, defects rich graphitic C and high π-electron density. Additionally, the designed material has shown low detection limit (3.91 µM), high sensitivity (0.6372 µA/µM/cm2), and wide linear range (5-580 µM). Additionally, the designed electrode has shown higher electrochemical sensing efficacy against real time monitoring from pickled vegetables extract.

Optimizing water relations, gas exchange parameters, biochemical attributes and yield of water-stressed maize plants through seed priming with iron oxide nanoparticles.

Drought poses significant risks to maize cultivation by impairing plant growth, water uptake and yield; nano priming offers a promising avenue to mitigate these effects by enhancing plant water relations, stress tolerance and overall productivity. In the current experiment, we tested a hypothesis that seed priming with iron oxide nanoparticles (n-Fe2O3) can improve maize performance under water stress by improving its growth, water relations, yield and biochemical attributes. The experiment was conducted on a one main plot bisected into two subplots corresponding to the water and drought environments. Within each subplot, maize plants were raised from n-Fe2O3 primed seeds corresponding to 0 mg. L- 1 (as control treatment), 25, 50, 75, and 100 mg. L- 1 (as trial treatments). Seed priming with n-Fe2O3 at a concentration of 75 mg. L- 1 improved the leaf relative water content, water potential, photosynthetic water use efficiency, and leaf intrinsic water use efficiency of maize plants by 13%, 44%, 64% and 17%, respectively compared to control under drought stress. The same treatments improved plant biochemical attributes such as total chlorophyll content, total flavonoids and ascorbic acid by 37%, 22%, and 36%, respectively. Seed priming with n-Fe2O3 accelerated the functioning of antioxidant enzymes such as SOD and POD and depressed the levels of leaf malondialdehyde and hydrogen peroxide significantly. Seed priming with n-Fe2O3 at a concentration of 75 mg. L- 1 improved cob length, number of kernel rows per cob, and 100 kernel weight by 59%, 27% and 33%, respectively, under drought stress. Seed priming with n-Fe2O3 can be used to increase maize production under limited water scenarios.

In vivo evaluation of efficacy and safety of Coagulansin-A in treating arthritis.

The current study aimed to determine the safety and efficacy of Coag-A through in vivo analysis in CFA induced mice model. Treatment of CFA induced arthritis in mice with Coagulansin-A (10 mg/kg i.p. daily for 28 days), a withanolide obtained from Withania coagulans, as well as standard drug treatment with Dexamethasone (5 mg/kg i.p) was provided. The effect of Coag-A on body weight, relative organ weight, hematology, serum biochemistry, survival rate, oxidative stress markers, and antioxidant enzymes was evaluated. The liver and kidney histopathology were also assessed to ascertain its safety profile. Treatment of arthritic mice with Coag-A considerably improved body weight, relative organ weight of liver, kidney, and spleen, ameliorated hematology and serum biochemistry, and increased survival and antioxidant potential. Coag-A was found to be safer with fewer adverse effects showing hepato-protective, nephroprotective, and anti-inflammatory effect. It also significantly (p < 0.001) improved histopathology of CFA-induced mice when compared with Dexa. In conclusion, compared to dexamethasone, Coag-A has demonstrated a greater therapeutic benefit and fewer side effects in the treatment of arthritis against the CFA-induced model.

Optimal surgical approach for mid-transverse colon cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The incidence of cancer colon has increased dramatically. In addition, the database lacks a review to analyze the outcomes of surgeries for mid-transverse colon cancer with several recent controversial studies. We aimed to compare the outcomes of extended hemicolectomy versus transverse colectomy for mid-transverse colon cancer. METHOD: PubMed, Scopes, Web of Science and Cochrane Library were searched for eligible studies from inception to 1 December 2022 and a systematic review and meta-analysis were done to detect. RESULTS: According to eligibility criteria, 8 studies (2237 patients) were included in our study. The pooled results of the included studies showed no difference in the 5-year OS, 3-year DFS and 5-year DFS between the two types of surgery (5-year OS, RR = 1.15, 95% CI 0.94-1.39, P = 0.17), (3-year OS, RR = 0.96, 95% CI 0.88-1.06, P = 0.42) and (5-year DFS, RR = 1.21, 95% CI 0.91-1.62, P = 0.20). In addition to that, the recurrence rate and the incidence of complications were similar in the two groups (Recurrence rate, RR = 1.08, 95% CI 0.62-1.89, P = 0.79) and (Complications, RR = 1.07, 95% CI 0.74-1.54, P = 0.72). However, the number of LN harvest and the time of the operation were more in case of extended hemicolectomy. CONCLUSION: Despite harvesting less LN, transverse colectomy has similar oncological outcomes to extended hemicolectomy for mid-transverse colon cancer. In addition to that, there was no significant difference in the incidence of complications between the two surgeries.

Anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic potential of Coagulansin-A: in vitro and in vivo studies.

The current work was designed to evaluate the anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic potential of Coagulansin-A (Coag-A) using mouse macrophages and arthritic mice. In the LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells, the effects of Coag-A on the release of nitric oxide (NO), reactive oxygen species (ROS), and pro-inflammatory cytokines were analyzed. In addition, the mediators involved in the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) pathways were evaluated by the RT-qPCR and western blotting. Coag-A did not show significant cytotoxicity in the RAW 264.7 cells in the tested concentration range (1-100 µM). Coag-A significantly inhibited the production of NO, ROS, and key pro-inflammatory cytokines. The anti-inflammatory effects of Coag-A might be through inhibiting the NF-κB pathway and activating the Nrf2 pathway. In the arthritic mouse models, behavioral studies and radiological and histological analyses were performed. We found that the i.p. injection of Coag-A dose-dependently (1-10 mg/kg) reduced the Carrageenan-induced acute inflammation in the mice. In Complete Freund's Reagent-induced arthritic mouse model, Coag-A (10 mg/kg) showed significant anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic effects in terms of the arthritic index, hematological parameters, and synovium inflammation. After the Coag-A treatment, the bone and tissue damage was ameliorated significantly in the arthritic mice. Moreover, immunohistochemistry of mouse paw tissues revealed a significant reduction in the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the NF-κB pathway, confirming Coag-A's therapeutic potential and mechanism.

Clinical outcomes of a dedicated bifurcation stent system.

INTRODUCTION: Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of bifurcation lesions is technically challenging and associated with higher rates of complications such as stent thrombosis or in-stent restenosis. In this paper, we present the clinical outcomes of BiOSS LIM C (Balton, Poland), a dedicated bifurcation stent. METHODS: In this retrospective single-center study we analyzed the outcome of patients with bifurcation coronary artery disease treated with the BiOSS LIM C stent system. The primary endpoint was the cumulative rate of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) including cardiac death, myocardial infarction (MI) and target lesion revascularisation (TLR) at the longest available follow-up. RESULTS: The study population consisted of 25 patients (mean age 73.6 ± 9.7 years, 25 % females). In 80 % of the cases (n = 20) BiOSS LIM C stent was implanted in the left main coronary artery. Intravascular imaging was used in 70 % of the cases and an additional regular drug-eluting stent (DES) was deployed in the side branch in 24 % of the cases. The device success rate was 100 % and we observed no in-hospital adverse events. At a median follow-up of 15 ± 6 months, the MACE rate was 56 %, cardiac death was 4 %, and clinically driven TLR was 55 %. One patient died in the LM subgroup, 5 months after the index PCI, due to NSTEMI complicated by cardiogenic shock. Two patients died due to non-cardiac causes. CONCLUSIONS: In this consecutive series of patients treated with BiOSS LIM C in major coronary bifurcation lesions, mostly in the left main stem, the mid-term clinical outcomes demonstrated a high incidence of major adverse events, mainly caused by TLR, despite an adequate implantation technique.

Immunostimulant, hepatoprotective, and nephroprotective potential of Bacillus subtilis (NMCC-path-14) in comparison to dexamethasone in alleviating CFA-induced arthritis.

To investigate and compare efficacy as well as safety of Bacillus subtilis and dexamethasone (Dexa) in complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA)-induced arthritis, we used glucocorticoid monotherapy (Dexa 5 mg/kg/day) and B. subtilis (1 × 108 CFU/animal/day p.o) as pre-treatment and concurrent treatment for a duration of 35 days. Specific emphasis was on chronic aspect of this study since long-term use of Dexa is known to produce undesirable side effects. Treatment with Dexa significantly attenuated the arthritic symptoms but produced severe side effects like weight loss, increased mortality, immunosuppression, and altered histology of liver, kidney, and spleen. Oxidative stress was also elevated by Dexa in these organs which contributed to the damage. Treatment with B. subtilis improved symptoms of arthritis without producing any deleterious side effects as seen with Dexa therapy. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) profile revealed decreased expression of nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB), interleukin (IL)-1ß, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), and increased nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf-2) expression by B. subtilis and Dexa treatment in ankle joint of arthritic mice. Radiological scores were also improved by both treatments. This study concludes that B. subtilis could be an effective alternative for treating arthritis than Dexa since it does not produce life-threatening side effects on prolong treatment.

Comparative Analysis of the GNAI Family Genes in Glioblastoma through Transcriptomics and Single-Cell Technologies.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is one of the most aggressive cancers with a low overall survival rate. The treatment of GBM is challenging due to the presence of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which hinders drug delivery. Invasive procedures alone are not effective at completely removing such tumors. Hence, identifying the crucial pathways and biomarkers for the treatment of GBM is of prime importance. We conducted this study to identify the pathways associated with GBM. We used The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) GBM genomic dataset to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs). We investigated the prognostic values of the guanine nucleotide-binding protein G(i) alpha subunit (GNAI) family of genes in GBM using a Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA) dataset. Within this dataset, we observed the association in the tumor microenvironment between the gene expression of GNAI subunit 3 (GNAI3) and a poor prognosis. MetaCore and gene ontology (GO) analyses were conducted to explore the role of GNAI3 in co-expressed genes and associated signaling pathways using a transcript analysis. Notable pathways included "Cytoskeleton remodeling regulation of actin cytoskeleton organization by the kinase effectors of Rho GTPases" and "Immune response B cell antigen receptor (BCR) pathway". A single-cell analysis was used to assess GNAI3 expression in GBM. The results demonstrated that GNAI family genes, specifically GNAI3, were significantly associated with carcinogenesis and malignancy in GBM patients. Our findings suggest that the GNAI3 gene holds potential as a prognostic biomarker for GBM.

Prevalence and Risk Factors of Dry Eye Disease among Adults in Saudi Arabia.

Background: Environmental and epidemiological factors increase the risk of dry eye in Saudi Arabia, but most studies have limited generalizability. Objective: To determine the prevalence of dry eye disease (DED) among adults across Saudi Arabia and the associated risk factors. The secondary objective was to estimate the economic burden of DED by calculating lubricant usage and its annual costs. Methods: This cross-sectional study invited adults from across Saudi Arabia to complete a questionnaire that collected data regarding demographics, symptoms related to DED, previous diagnosis of DED, use of contact lenses, and use of eye lubricants. Results: A total of 2042 responses were received, of which 784 (38.4%) respondents had previously been diagnosed with DED and 752 (36.8%) were symptomatic but undiagnosed. Between the DED diagnosed and symptomatic-undiagnosed groups, a significant difference was found in terms of age (P < 0.001), gender (P = 0.002), presence of diabetes mellitus (P = 0.004), smoking status (P = 0.007), duration of electronic screen use (P = 0.05), number of ocular complaints (P < 0.001), and frequency of lubricants use (P < 0.001). Between the DED-diagnosed and non-DED groups, significant differences were found in terms of age (P < 0.001), gender (P < 0.001), presence of diabetes mellitus (P = 0.001), allergy (P = 0.001), autoimmune disease (P = 0.005), smoking status (P < 0.001), and history of refractive surgery (P < 0.001). The mean estimated annual cost of using lubricating agents was SAR 328.2 ± 210.3 (USD 87.5 ± 56.1), and this was significantly higher in the diagnosed group (P = 0.01) than the symptomatic-undiagnosed group. Conclusions: The prevalence of DED is high among adults in Saudi Arabia. High-risk population include elderly, female, and using electronic screens for >2 hours/day.

The balanced unsaturated fatty acid supplement constituted by woody edible oils improved lipid metabolism and gut microbiota in high-fat diet mice.

The dietary intervention has demonstrated effectiveness in improving hyperlipidemia and obesity. Woody edible oils are rich in unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs) that could positively affect lipid metabolism. In this study, the blended oil (BLO), a balanced UFA supplement, constituted by Zanthoxylum bungeanum (Chinese Red Pepper) seed oil, walnut (Juglans regia) oil, camellia (Camema oleifera) seed oil and perilla (Perilla frutescens) seed oil was established referring to the Chinese dietary reference intakes, in which the ratios of monounsaturated/polyunsaturated fatty acids and ω-6/ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids were 1:1 and 4:1, respectively. The BLO was administrated to KM mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD) by gavage every day at a dose of 3.0 mL/kg·bw for 10 weeks to assess its effects on serum lipid levels, liver antioxidant activities and gut microbial composition. The results showed that the BLO improved hepatic steatosis, liver oxidative stress, and serum lipid levels. Additionally, there was an increased abundance of Lactobacillus, Allobaculum, and Blautia, along with a decreased abundance of Staphylococcus in cecal contents. These changes were found to be positively correlated with the metabolic improvements, as indicated by Spearman's correlation analysis. These findings implied the practicality of the balanced unsaturated fatty acid consumption in preventing hyperlipidemia and obesity.

Antioxidants improve ß-cypermethrin degradation by alleviating oxidative damage and increasing bioavailability by Bacillus cereus GW-01.

Microbial degradation of pesticide residues has the potential to reduce their hazards to human and environmental health. However, in some cases, degradation can activate pesticides, making them more toxic to microbes. Here we report on the ß-cypermethrin (ß-CY) toxicity to Bacillus cereus GW-01, a recently described ß-CY degrader, and effects of antioxidants on ß-CY degradation. GW-01 exposed to ß-CY negatively affected the growth rate. The highest maximum specific growth rate (µm) appeared at 25 mg/L ß-CY. ß-CY induced the oxidative stress in GW-01. The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalyse (CAT), and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) were significantly higher than that in control (p < 0.01); but they are decreased as growth phase pronged, which is contrary to the ß-CY degradation by GW-01 cells obtaining from various growth phase. Ascorbic acid (Vc), tea polyphenols (TP), and adenosine monophosphate (AMP) improved the degradation through changing the physiological property of GW-01. TP and AMP prompted the expression of gene encoding ß-CY degradation in GW-01, while Vc does the opposite. Biofilm formation was significantly inhibited by ß-CY, while was significantly enhanced by certain concentrations of TP and AMP (p < 0.05); while cell surface hydrophobicity (CSH) was negatively associated with ß-CY concentrations from 25 to 100 mg/L, and these 4 antioxidants all boosted the CSH. Cells grown with ß-CY had lower levels of saturated fatty acids but increased levels of some unsaturated and branched fatty acids, and these antioxidants alleviated the FA composition changes and gene expression related with FA metabolism. We also mined transcriptome analyses at lag, logarithmic, and stationary phases, and found that ß-CY induced oxidative stress. The objective of this study was to elaborate characteristics in relation to the microbial resistance of pesticide poisoning and the efficiency of pesticide degradation, and to provide a promising method for improving pesticide degradation by microbes.

Synergistic Influence of Yeast Extract and Calcium Oxide Nanoparticles on the Synthesis of Bioactive Antioxidants and Metabolites in Swertia chirata In Vitro Callus Cultures.

The challenges in the production of metabolites of medicinal potential from wild plants include low yields, slow growth rates, seasonal variations, genetic variability and regulatory as well as ethical constraints. Overcoming these challenges is of paramount significance and interdisciplinary approaches and innovative strategies are prevalently applied to optimize phytoconstituents' production, enhance yield, biomass, ensure sustainable consistency and scalability. In this study, we investigated the effects of elicitation with yeast extract and calcium oxide nanoparticles (CaONPs) on in vitro cultures of Swertia chirata (Roxb. ex Fleming) Karsten. Specifically, we examined the effects of different concentrations of CaONPs in combination with different concentrations of yeast extract on various parameters related to callus growth, antioxidant activity, biomass and phytochemical contents. Our results showed that elicitation with yeast extract and CaONPs had significant effects on the growth and characteristics of callus cultures of S. chirata. The treatments involving yeast extract and CaONPs were found to be the most effective in increasing the contents of total flavonoid contents (TFC), total phenolic contents (TPC), amarogentin and mangiferin. These treatments also led to an improvement in the contents of total anthocyanin and alpha tocopherols. Additionally, the DPPH scavenging activity was significantly increased in the treated samples. Furthermore, the treatments involving elicitation with yeast extract and CaONPs also led to significant improvements in callus growth and characteristics. These treatments promoted callus response from an average to an excellent level and improved the color and nature of the callus from yellow to yellow-brown and greenish and from fragile to compact, respectively. The best response was observed in treatments involving 0.20 g/L yeast extract and 90 ug/L CaONPs. Overall, our findings suggest that elicitation with yeast extract and CaONPs can be a useful strategy for promoting the growth, biomass, phytochemical contents and antioxidant activity of callus cultures of S. chirata in comparison to wild plant herbal drug samples.

Green Synthesis of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Using Viscum album Extracts: Unveiling Bioactive Compounds, Antibacterial Potential, and Antioxidant Activities.

The current study explored the antioxidant and antibacterial capabilities of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) synthetized using methanolic leaf extracts of the medicinal herb Viscum album. Through TEM investigation and UV-Vis analysis, which peaked at 406 nm, the synthesis of ZnONPs was verified. TEM analyses showed that the synthesized ZnONPs had a size distribution with an average of 13.5 nm and a quasi-spherical shape. Forty-four phytoconstituents were found in the methanolic leaf extracts of V. album. Additionally, a comparison of the antibacterial effectiveness and antioxidant capacity of aqueous and methanolic extracts of wild-grown V. album phytomedicine and green-manufactured ZnONPs was conducted. The green-generated ZnONPs were examined against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and shown to have superior antibacterial activity by 22%, 66%, and 44%, respectively, as compared to wild herbal medicinal extracts. Since the ZnONPs' aqueous extracts had higher concentrations of DNA gyrase-B inhibitory components, they were shown to be more effective in limiting bacterial growth. In contrast to the percentages of 49% and 57% for a wild plant extract, the aqueous- and methanolic-extract-mediated green ZnONPs, with a 100 g/mL concentration, showed 94% and 98% scavenging capacity for DPPH free radicals, respectively. However, methanolic extracts were more effective than aqueous extracts in terms of the antioxidant analyses. This study establishes that greenly produced ZnONPs have the potential to be used in nanomedicine to treat bacteria that are resistant to a variety of drugs, as well as those with reactive oxygen species toxicity.

Seed Nano-Priming with Calcium Oxide Maintains the Redox State by Boosting the Antioxidant Defense System in Water-Stressed Carom (Trachyspermum ammi L.) Plants to Confer Drought Tolerance.

This paper explores the potential of nano seed priming with calcium oxide nanoparticles in maintaining the redox status in carom (Trachyspermum ammi L.) plants by modulating non-enzymatic antioxidants and enzymatic antioxidants. Calcium oxide nanoparticles were prepared in four testing regimes comprising 25, 50, 75, and 100 ppm along with the control treatment of 0 ppm (distilled water). Priming was performed by soaking the carom seeds in the aerated water, and plants were grown under split plots corresponding to drought and water. Seed priming with 75 ppm CaONPs reduced hydrogen peroxide, malondialdehyde contents and electrolyte leakage by 23.3%, 35.9% and 31.6%, respectively, in the water-stressed carom plants. The glutathione s-transferase, superoxide dismutase and peroxidase functions improved under water stress by 42.3%, 24.1% and 44.8%, respectively, in the carom plants raised through 100 ppm primed seeds with CaO_NPs. Priming induced better Ca2+ signaling, which affected the enzymes of the ascorbate glutathione cycle, enabling them to maintain redox status in the carom plants exposed to drought stress. The morpho-agronomic traits of carom plants in terms of number of umbels, hundred seeds weights, shoot and root length and biomass improved significantly upon seed priming treatments. Seed priming with CaO_NPs is a viable strategy to combat reactive oxygen species-mediated damages in the carom plants.

Seed Priming with the Selenium Nanoparticles Maintains the Redox Status in the Water Stressed Tomato Plants by Modulating the Antioxidant Defense Enzymes.

In the present research, selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) were tested for their use as seed priming agents under field trials on tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L.) for their efficacy in conferring drought tolerance. Four different seed priming regimes of SeNPs were created, comprising 25, 50, 75, and 100 ppm, along with a control treatment of 0 ppm. Seeds were planted in split plots under two irrigation regimes comprising water and water stress. The results suggest that seed priming with SeNPs can improve tomato crop performance under drought stress. Plants grown with 75 ppm SeNPs-primed seeds had lower hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels by 39.3% and 28.9%, respectively. Seed priming with 75 ppm SeNPs further increased the superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) functions by 34.9 and 25.4%, respectively. The same treatment increased the total carotenoids content by 13.5%, α-tocopherols content by 22.8%, total flavonoids content by 25.2%, total anthocyanins content by 19.6%, ascorbic acid content by 26.4%, reduced glutathione (GSH) content by 14.8%, and oxidized glutathione (GSSG) content by 13.12%. Furthermore, seed priming with SeNPs upregulated the functions of enzymes of ascorbate glutathione cycle. Seed priming with SeNPs is a smart application to sustain tomato production in arid lands.

Synergistic application of calcium oxide nanoparticles and farmyard manure induces cadmium tolerance in mung bean (Vigna radiata L.) by influencing physiological and biochemical parameters.

Mung bean (Vigna radiata L.) grown under heavy metals such as cadmium stress shows poor growth patterns and yield attributes which can be extenuated by the application of calcium and organic manure to the contaminated soil. The present study was designed to decipher the calcium oxide nanoparticles and farmyard manure-induced Cd stress tolerance through improvement in physiological and biochemical attributes of mung bean plants. A pot experiment was conducted by defining appropriate positive and negative controls under differential soil treatments with farmyard manure (1% and 2%) and calcium oxide nanoparticles (0, 5, 10, and 20 mg/L). Root treatment of 20 mg/L calcium oxide nanoparticles (CaONPs) and 2% farmyard manure (FM) reduced the cadmium acquisition from the soil and improved growth in terms of plant height by 27.4% compared to positive control under Cd stress. The same treatment improved shoot vitamin C (ascorbic acid) contents by 35% and functioning of antioxidant enzymes catalase and phenyl ammonia lyase by 16% and 51%, respectively and the levels of malondialdehyde and hydrogen peroxide decreased by 57% and 42%, respectively with the application of 20 mg/L CaONPs and 2% of FM. The gas exchange parameters such as stomata conductance and leaf net transpiration rate were improved due to FM mediated better availability of water. The FM improved soil nutrient contents and friendly biota culminating in good yields. Overall, 2% FM and 20 mg/L CaONPs proved as the best treatment to reduce cadmium toxicity. The growth, yield, and crop performance in terms of physiological and biochemical attributes can be improved by the application of CaONPs and FM under the heavy metal stress.

Effect of (Sm, In) Doping on the Electrical and Thermal Properties of Sb2Te3 Microstructures.

Doped Sb2Te3 narrow-band-gap semiconductors have been attracting considerable attention for different electronic and thermoelectric applications. Trivalent samarium (Sm)- and indium (In)-doped Sb2Te3 microstructures have been synthesized by the economical solvothermal method. Powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) was used to verify the synthesis of single-phase doped and undoped Sb2Te3 and doping of Sm and In within the crystal lattice of Sb2Te3. Further, the morphology, structure elucidation, and stability have been investigated systematically by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Raman analysis, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). These analyses verified the successful synthesis of hexagonal undoped Sb2Te3 (AT) and (Sm, In)-doped Sb2Te3 (SAT, IAT) microstructures. Moreover, the comparison of dielectric parameters, including dielectric constant, dielectric loss, and tan loss of AT, SAT, and IAT, was done in detail. An increment in the electrical conductivities, both AC and DC, from 1.92 × 10-4 to 4.9 × 10-3 Ω-1 m-1 and a decrease in thermal conductivity (0.68-0.60 W m-1 K-1) were observed due to the doping by trivalent (Sm, In) dopants. According to our best knowledge, the synthesis and dielectric properties of (Sm, In)-doped and undoped Sb2Te3 in comparison with their electrical properties and thermal conductivity have not been reported earlier. This implies that appropriate doping with (Sm, In) in Sb2Te3 is promising to enhance the electronic and thermoelectric behavior.