Exploring the multifaceted role of TGF-β signaling in diabetic complications

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Diabetes is one of the most comprehensive metabolic disorders and is spread across the globe. The data from IDF Diabetes Atlas and National Diabetes...     

Conventional pyrolysis of Plastic waste for Product recovery and utilization of pyrolytic gases for carbon nanotubes production

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Inevitably increase in plastic demand has resulted in an overgrowing production on a global scale. The utilization of plastics has been applied to a...     

A critical review on different roughness geometries and their effect on heat transfer and friction factor

Solar air heater (SAH) is simple and the greatest effective approach to utilize and convert solar energy into thermal energy for heating utilizations. The employment of artificial roughness under side of the observer surface is the key technique for augmenting heat transfer with minimal friction factor penalty. Current paper summarized different kinds of artificial roughness used in SAH, which augments its performance. In this review article, 96 research papers are cited, which provide detailed information about the effect of different geometrical parameters on heat transfer and friction factor. This paper also brings the information about the optimum roughness parameters and heat transfer and friction factor correlation developed by different investigators in tabular form. Optimum roughness parameters and empirical correlations are used for comparative analysis of heat transfer, friction factor, and thermo-hydraulic performance parameter (THPP) of different roughness geometries. The best performing roughness geometry is reported on the basis of comparative analysis. Mathematical model is developed for predicting the thermal efficiency (η_th) of roughened SAH duct.

     

Metal accumulation and health risk assessment in wastewater used for irrigation around the Agra Canal in Faridabad,India

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Wastewater application for irrigation is a traditional and economic tool in developing nations. Yet prolonged use of wastewater for agricultural...     

An update on pathophysiology and treatment of sports-mediated brain injury

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a neurological disorder which represents a major health issue worldwide. It causes mortality and disability among all...     

Hydrophilic Biopolymer Matrix Antibacterial Peel-off Facial Mask Functionalized with Biogenic Nanostructured Material for Cosmeceutical Applications

Journal of Polymers and the Environment - In this study, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) incorporated antibacterial cosmeceutical peel-off mask was formulated by co-polymerization of polyvinyl alcohol...     

Toxicity,monitoring and biodegradation of the fungicide carbendazim

The increasing use of toxic pesticides is a major environmental concern. Carbendazim is a systemic fungicide having wide applications for controlling fungal diseases in agriculture, forestry and veterinary medicines. Carbendazim is a major pollutant detectable in food, soil and water. Carbendazim extensive and repeated use induces acute and delayed toxic effects on humans, invertebrates, aquatic life forms and soil microorganisms. Here, we review the pollution, non-target toxicity and microbial degradation of carbendazim for crop and veterinary purposes. We found that carbendazim causes embryotoxicity, apoptosis, teratogenicity, infertility, hepatocellular dysfunction, endocrine-disrupting effects, disruption of haematological functions, mitotic spindle abnormalities, mutagenic and aneugenic effect. We also found that carbendazim disrupted the microbial community structure in various ecosystems. The detection of carbendazim in soil and reservoir sites is performed by spectroscopic, chromatographic, voltammetric, nanoparticles, carbon electrodes and mass spectrometry. A review of the degradation of carbendazim shows that carbendazim undergoes partial to complete biodegradation in the soil and water by Azospirillum, Aeromonas, Alternaria, Bacillus, Brevibacillus, Nocardioides, Pseudomonas, Ralstonia, Rhodococcus, Sphingomonas, Streptomyces and Trichoderma.     

Variation in vegetation cover and livestock mobility needs in Sahelian West Africa

A new approach was developed to evaluate the implications of the spatiotemporal variability of green vegetation for the dispersion of livestock that is required to access quality forage in semi-arid Africa. Maximum NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) at 1 km² resolution was determined for concentric rings (0–31 km radii) around 227 individual sample locations within the study area for 14 dates (between 1 April to 1 November) annually over the 2000–2010 period. A sigmoidal curve was fitted to points within the maximum NDVI × distance radii space to determine the asymptote distance (AD) – the radius at which further dispersion from the sample location does not lead to significant gains in access to green forage. AD was found to: increase with latitude (or increasing aridity); decline as the rainy season proceeds; and show no trend over the 2000–2010 period. These results introduce much-needed empirical data to current debates surrounding the scales of governance to support livestock mobility.     

Wild fruits as a contribution to sustainable rural development: a case study from the Garhwal Himalaya

Garhwal Himalaya is an important source of wild fruit species. These wild fruit trees grow abundantly across an altitudinal gradient of Himalaya and the majority of them bear fruits during summer. Fruit varieties are eaten raw by the local inhabitants of the region and whilst they are a rich source of protein, carbohydrate, fat and other elements, compared to cultivated fruits, they have not yet been considered as a source of alternative food products. About 13 potentially exploitable species of wild fruits and one semi-domesticated species having high potential for exploitation were selected for study; six (Aegle marmelos, Berberis asiatica, Hippophae rhamnoides, Myrica nagi, Rubus ellipticus and Prunus armeniaca) were examined in detail for their economic potential. Among the wild fruits, Hippophae rhamnoides was found to be economically efficient, followed by Aegle marmelos, Rubus ellipticus and Myrica nagi, respectively. Prunus armeniaca, a semi-domesticated and less utilized fruit of the higher Himalaya, provides better economic returns on an annual basis. The authors have recently made an attempt to utilize these wild fruits as a source of income, particularly for poor rural inhabitants and unemployed youths of the region by making a variety of edible products such as jam, jelly, juice, squash, sauce, etc. The enterprise was demonstrated to the people to encourage them to adopt it in the form of a small village-level cottage industry. The present paper discusses the distribution, botany, phenology, yield, ethnobotany, and uses of these species, and the cost-benefit analysis of food products prepared from them.     

Rice seedlings under cadmium stress: effect of silicon on growth,cadmium uptake,oxidative stress,antioxidant capacity and root and leaf structures

In this study, the effect of silicon (Si) addition on cadmium (Cd) toxicity in rice seedlings was investigated. After a series of screening experiments, 50 μmol·L^?1 of Cd and 10 μ mol·L^?1 of Si were selected. Treatment of rice seedlings with Cd (50 μ mol·L^?1) resulted in significant accumulation of this metal in roots and shoots. The data revealed that accumulation of Cd resulted in oxidative stress in rice seedlings as evidenced by increased accumulation of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and malondialdehyde (MDA; a peroxidation product of lipids). However, addition of Si (10 μ mol·L^?1) together with Cd prevented accumulation of Cd, H₂O₂ and MDA. Antioxidant capacity was decreased by Cd but enhanced by Si addition. Cd decreased the length and frequency of root hairs, stomatal frequency, and distorted leaf mesophyll cells and vascular bundles. However, addition of Si together with Cd reduced these abnormalities. The results showed that addition of exogenous Si protected rice seedlings against Cd toxicity by preventing Cd accumulation and oxidative stress (H₂O₂ and MDA accumulation) by increasing Si accumulation and antioxidant capacity, which maintained the structure and integrity of leaf and root.