Transcriptional analysis of antiviral small molecule therapeutics as agonists of the RLR pathway.

The recognition of pathogen associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) by pattern recognition receptors (PRR) during viral infection initiates the induction of antiviral signaling pathways, including activation of the Interferon Regulator Factor 3 (IRF3). We identified small molecule compounds that activate IRF3 through MAVS, thereby inhibiting infection by viruses of the families Flaviviridae (West Nile virus, dengue virus and hepatitis C virus), Filoviridae (Ebola virus), Orthomyxoviridae (influenza A virus), Arenaviridae (Lassa virus) and Paramyxoviridae (respiratory syncytial virus, Nipah virus) (1). In this study, we tested a lead compound along with medicinal chemistry-derived analogs to compare the gene transcriptional profiles induced by these molecules to that of other known MAVS-dependent IRF3 agonists. Transcriptional analysis of these small molecules revealed the induction of specific antiviral genes and identified a novel module of host driven immune regulated genes that suppress infection of a range of RNA viruses. Microarray data can be found in Gene Expression Omnibus (GSE74047).

Electrochemical oxidation of bisphenol-A from aqueous solution using graphite electrodes.

Electrochemical oxidation of bisphenol-A (BPA) from aqueous solution using graphite electrodes has been investigated. The effect of the types and concentration of supporting electrolytes, initial pH and applied current density on the performance of the process were examined. During electrolysis, concentration of BPA has been monitored and determined using UV-vis spectra, chemical oxygen demand (COD) and energy consumption. NaCl has been considered as the best supporting electrolyte among the electrolytes used in the present study. Initial pH 5.0, higher concentration (0.01 to 0.1 M) of supporting electrolyte and higher applied current density (4 to 20 mA cm(-2)) facilitate the treatment process. The maximum COD removal of 78.3% has been achieved under the optimal experimental conditions such as NaCl concentration of 0.05 M, applied current density of 12 mA cm(-2), initial pH 5.0 and electrolysis time of 120 min. When the energy consumption has been found to be decreasing with increasing NaCl concentration, it has increased with increasing applied current density. SEM-EDAX analysis has confirmed that the gases such as oxygen and chlorine are produced during the anodic oxidation in graphite anode. The result of UV-vis spectrum analysis confirms the degradation of BPA from aqueous solution at the end of the treatment.

Utilization of modified silk cotton hull waste as an adsorbent for the removal of textile dye (reactive blue MR) from aqueous solution.

Carbon prepared from silk cotton hull was used to remove a textile dye (reactive blue MR) from aqueous solution by an adsorption technique under varying conditions of agitation time, dye concentration, adsorbent dose and pH. Adsorption depended on solution pH, dye concentration, carbon concentration and contact time. Equilibrium was attained with in 60 min. Adsorption followed both Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models. The adsorption capacity was found to be 12.9 mg/g at an initial pH of 2+/-0.2 for the particle size of 125-250 microm at room temperature (30+/-2 degrees C).

Activated carbon from industrial solid waste as an adsorbent for the removal of Rhodamine-B from aqueous solution: kinetic and equilibrium studies.

The activated carbon was prepared using industrial solid waste called sago waste and physico-chemical properties of carbon were carried out to explore adsorption process. The effectiveness of carbon prepared from sago waste in adsorbing Rhodamine-B from aqueous solution has been studied as a function of agitation time, adsorbent dosage, initial dye concentration, pH and desorption. Adsorption equilibrium studies were carried out in order to optimize the experimental conditions. The adsorption of Rhodamine-B onto carbon followed second order kinetic model. Adsorption data were modeled using both Langmuir and Freundlich classical adsorption isotherms. The adsorption capacity Q0 was 16.12 mg g(-1) at initial pH 5.7 for the particle size 125-250 microm. The equilibrium time was found to be 150 min for 10, 20 mg l(-1) and 210 min for 30, 40 mg l(-1) dye concentrations, respectively. A maximum removal of 91% was obtained at natural pH 5.7 for an adsorbent dose of 100mg/50 ml of 10 mg l(-1) dye concentration and 100% removal was obtained when the pH was increased to 7 for an adsorbent dose of 275 mg/50 ml of 20 mg l(-1) dye concentration. Desorption studies were carried out in water medium by varying the pH from 2 to 10. Desorption studies were performed with dilute HCl and show that ion exchange is predominant dye adsorption mechanism. This adsorbent was found to be both effective and economically viable.

Utilization of various agricultural wastes for activated carbon preparation and application for the removal of dyes and metal ions from aqueous solutions.

Activated carbons were prepared from the agricultural solid wastes, silk cotton hull, coconut tree sawdust, sago waste, maize cob and banana pith and used to eliminate heavy metals and dyes from aqueous solution. Adsorption of all dyes and metal ions required a very short time and gave quantitative removal. Experimental results show all carbons were effective for the removal of pollutants from water. Since all agricultural solid wastes used in this investigation are freely, abundantly and locally available, the resulting carbons are expected to be economically viable for wastewater treatment.

Removal of hexavalent chromium using distillery sludge.

Batch mode experiments were conducted to study the removal of hexavalent chromium from aqueous and industrial effluent using distillery sludge. Effects of pH, contact time, initial concentration and adsorbent dosage on the adsorption of Cr(VI) were studied. The data obeyed Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherms. The Langmuir adsorption capacity was found to be 5.7 mg/g. Freundlich constants K(f) and n were 2.05 [mg/g(L/mg)(n)] and 3.9, respectively. Desorption studies indicated the removal of 82% of the hexavalent chromium. The efficiency of adsorbent towards the removal of chromium was also tested using chromium-plating wastewater.

Removal of Cr(VI) from aqueous solution by adsorption onto activated carbon.

Activated carbon (AC) prepared from coconut tree sawdust was used as an adsorbent for the removal of Cr(VI) from aqueous solution. Batch mode adsorption studies were carried out by varying agitation time, initial Cr(VI) concentration, carbon concentration and pH. Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherms were applied to model the adsorption data. Adsorption capacity was calculated from the Langmuir isotherm and was 3.46 mg/g at an initial pH of 3.0 for the particle size 125-250 microm. The adsorption of Cr(VI) was pH dependent and maximum removal was observed in the acidic pH range. Desorption studies were carried out using 0.01-1 M NaOH solutions.

Use of a fluorescence microplate reader for the detection and characterization of metal-assisted peptide hydrolysis.

Metal ions and complexes that hydrolyze peptides under nondenaturing conditions of temperature and pH hold great promise for use in protein structural studies. However, the extreme stability of the peptide amide bond has placed limits on the number of reagents available. In addition, the development of new cleavage strategies has been hindered by the fact that no facile procedure exists for the detection and characterization of metal-assisted peptide hydrolysis. Here we describe a rapid assay in which a microplate reader is used to detect fluorescence produced by the reaction of fluorescamine with hydrolyzed peptides. We have employed this assay to detect Zn(II) and Pd(II)-assisted peptide hydrolysis in multiple samples and in each case have extended our approach to a successful analysis of reaction kinetics. Aliquots from multiple time points are treated with fluorescamine in a single 96-well plate. Because the plate is scanned in a microplate reader in only 58 s, the assay is very convenient compared to conventional approaches which rely on NMR and HPLC to monitor individual reactions. Using our assay, rate constants and half-lives are easily derived from the kinetic data by means of linear regression curve fits of triplicate runs.