Annealing Temperature Influences the Cytocompatibility, Bactericidal and Bioactive Properties of Green Synthesised TiO2 Nanocomposites from Calotropis Gigantea

Annealing is a crucial functional parameter relevant to the green synthesis and bactericidal properties of TiO2 nanocomposites (TiO2-NPs). In this work, the effect of the annealing temperature on the physicochemical and bactericidal properties of TiO2-NPs obtained from Calotropis gigantea was comprehensively studied. The synthesised TiO2-NPs were characterised using scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, UV–Vis spectrophotometer and FTIR spectroscopy. The bactericidal properties were determined via the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and Kirby–Bauer disc diffusion methods. The cytocompatibility of green TiO2 was further investigated using fibroblast cells lines model. Results indicated that amorphous-phase TiO2-NPs were transformed into the anatase phase at 500 °C with a crystallite size of 40.9 nm and MIC of 100 mg/mL towards S. aureus (colony count reduction from 4.3 log10 to 1.01 log10). Whereas TiO2-NPs annealed at 400 °C demonstrated no bacterial reduction, TiO2-NPs annealed at 500 °C showed a moderate zone of inhibition of 6.33–6.83 mm towards Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Findings from this study found that TiO-500C nanocomposites concentration at 100 mg/mL is cytocompatible to the fibroblast cells lines with proliferation rate/activity higher than 116% after 24 h treatment. The plant-mediated nano-sized cubic and spherical anatase TiO2-NPs encapsulated bioactive green elements, such as carbon, sodium, magnesium, chlorine, potassium, calcium and sulphur, from the C. gigantea extract, ultimately leading to versatile and eco-friendly bactericidal agents with wound-healing properties. Further studies are necessary to support the findings of this work.

Coarse-Grained Modeling of The Calcium, Sodium, Magnesium And Potassium Cations Interacting With Proteins

Metal ions play important biological roles e.g.: activation or deactivation of enzymatic reactions and signal transduction. Moreover, they can stabilize protein structure, or even be actively involved in the protein folding process. Therefore, accurate treatment of the ions is crucial to model and investigate biological phenomena properly. In this work the coarse-grained UNRES (UNited RESidue) force field was extended to include the interactions between proteins and four alkali or alkaline earth metal cations of biological significance, i.e. calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium. Additionally, chloride anions were introduced as counter-ions. Parameters were derived from all-atom simulations and incorporate water in an implicit manner. The new force field was tested on the set of the proteins and was able to reproduce the ion-binding preferences.

The Effects of Swimming Training Program on Serum Minerals and Oxidative Stress in Men Aged 20-25 Years

In this study, the effects of 8-week swimming training applied to men aged 20-25 on sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, unsaturated iron binding capacity (UIBC), iron, CRP, creatinine, bilirubin, albumin parameters were investigated. Ten men with a mean age of 23.07±1.76 years participated in the study. A swimming training program was applied to the participants for 10 weeks/3 days. All tests and measurements were performed before starting the 8-week training program and after completing the 8-week program. The data obtained from the study were analyzed using the SPSS 15.0 package program. The normality distribution of the data was made using the shapiro-wilk test. Participants’ pre-post test measurements were analyzed with the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. According to the results of the data, there was a statistically significant difference between pre-post test data for body weight (BW), sodium, magnesium, creatinine, albumin and bilirubin (p < 0.05). As a result, it can be said that the changes in the minerals and some biochemical parameters necessary for the body with the training programs applied regularly can affect the performance.

Hydraulic fracturing flowback chemical composition diversity as a factor determining possibilities of its management

The chemical characteristic of flowback fluid from hydraulic fracturing for shale gas exploration/production in various localizations is presented. The results of statistical analysis have shown that variability in the chemical composition of these fluids is statistically significant and depends on the time difference between fracturing process and flowback sampling as well as sampling spot within the installation for flowback collection. Parameters which depend on sampling schedule (time and spot of sampling) are as follows: electrical conductivity and concentration of ammonia, boron, barium, calcium, lithium, sodium, magnesium, manganese, sodium, strontium, silicate, bromide, and chloride. Independent parameters are pH, total organic carbon (TOC), concentration of potassium, and iron. The ranges of the values of the characteristic parameters were determined, taking into account the representativeness of the samples, supported by statistical tests. The methods for the reuse of flowback fluids in terms of chemical composition are presented.

Optimization of the Mechanical Properties and the Cytocompatibility for the PMMA Nanocomposites Reinforced with the Hydroxyapatite Nanofibers and the Magnesium Phosphate Nanosheets

Commercial poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA)-based cement is currently used in the field of orthopedics. However, it suffers from lack of bioactivity, mechanical weakness, and monomer toxicity. In this study, a PMMA-based cement nanocomposite reinforced with hydroxyapatite (HA) nanofibers and two-dimensional (2D) magnesium phosphate MgP nanosheets was synthesized and optimized in terms of mechanical property and cytocompatibility. The HA nanofibers and the MgP nanosheets were synthesized using a hydrothermal homogeneous precipitation method and tuning the crystallization of the sodium-magnesium-phosphate ternary system, respectively. Compressive strength and MTT assay tests were conducted to evaluate the mechanical property and the cytocompatibility of the PMMA-HA-MgP nanocomposites prepared at different ratios of HA and MgP. To optimize the developed nanocomposites, the standard response surface methodology (RSM) design known as the central composite design (CCD) was employed. Two regression models generated by CCD were analyzed and compared with the experimental results, and good agreement was observed. Statistical analysis revealed the significance of both factors, namely, the HA nanofibers and the MgP nanosheets, in improving the compressive strength and cell viability of the PMMA-MgP-HA nanocomposite. Finally, it was demonstrated that the HA nanofibers of 7.5% wt and the MgP nanosheets of 6.12% wt result in the PMMA-HA-MgP nanocomposite with the optimum compressive strength and cell viability.

A novel ternary bismuthide, NaMgBi: crystal and electronic structure and electrical properties

A new ternary sodium magnesium bismuthide, NaMgBi, has been synthesized from the constituent metals, and its crystal structure was determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. NaMgBi crystallizes in a tetragonal PbFCl-type structure corresponding to the space group P4/nmm, where Z = 2, a = 4.7123(4) and c = 7.8158(7) Å. The structure is composed of layers formed by edge-sharing Bi tetrahedra centered with Mg stacked in the c-axis direction, and these layers sandwich the Na atoms. First-principles computations based on density functional theory calculations have verified that the most stable atomic configuration is the one in which the Na and Mg atoms occupy the 2a and 2c sites, respectively. The electrical resistivity measured for a sintered polycrystalline sample of NaMgBi with a relative density of 70% was found to gradually decrease from 868 to 26.4 mΩ cm upon increasing the temperature from 297 to 506 K, and the Seebeck coefficient decreased from 273 to 180 μV K−1 upon increasing the temperature from 298 to 496 K. Electronic structure calculations have revealed that NaMgBi must be a semiconductor with a small band gap of ∼0.1 eV.

Peculiarities of neuroendocrine and metabolic effects of sulfate-chloride sodium-magnesium mineral waters "Myroslava" and "Khrystyna" of Truskavets’ spa in healthy female rats

Background. Earlier we found that the newly created sulfate-chloride sodium-magnesium drinking mineral waters of Truskavets’ spa have similar neuroendocrine and metabolic effects on healthy old female rats significantly different from daily water. The aim of this study is to elucidate the effects of these mineral waters on the neuroendocrine status and metabolism of these animals. Materials and Methods. Experiment was performed on 50 healthy female Wistar rats. Animals of the first group remained intact, using tap water from drinking ad libitum. Rats of the control group for 6 days injected a tap water through the tube at a dose of 1,5 mL/100 g of body mass. The rats of the main groups received the water "Myroslava" and "Khrystyna". The day after the completion of the drinking course in all rats, at first, assessed the state of autonomous regulation by parameters of the HRV. The plasma levels of the hormones of adaptation were determined: corticosterone, triiodothyronine and testosterone (by the ELISA) as well as electrolytes: calcium, magnesium, phosphates, chloride, sodium and potassium; nitric metabolites: creatinine, urea, uric acid, medium molecular polypeptides, bilirubin; lipid peroxidation products and antioxidant enzymes, as well as cholesterol, amylase and glucose. Most of the listed parameters of metabolism were also determined in daily urine. In the adrenals the thickness of glomerular, fascicular, reticular and medullar zones was measured. Results. To identify exactly those parameters, the set of which all four groups of animals differ significantly from each other, the information field of the registered parameters was subjected to discriminant analysis. The program included in the model 8 endocrine and 16 metabolic parameters, information about which is condensed into three roots. The first root reflects directly the SOD and corticosterone and inversely the reticular zone as well as plasma uric acid and glucose. The second root contains information about Nap/Kp ratio, natrihistia, amylasemia, magnesiumuria as well as inversely about kaliemia. The third root reflects directly the triiodothyronine, parathyroid activity, plasma Ca, natriuria and chloriduria as well as urine malondyaldehide. Inversely displays the root information about the testosterone, Ku/Nau ratio, glomerular zone, plasma katalase and Na as well as uricosuria and amylasuria. In the information space of the three discriminant roots, all four groups are quite clearly distinguished. Classification accuracy is 94% (three errors). Conclusion. The newly created sulfate-chloride sodium-magnesium drinking mineral waters of Truskavets resort have specific endocrine and metabolic effects on healthy old female rats with weekly use. This provides a basis for preclinical studies.

Analysis of Physico-chemical and Macro Element Concentration in Soils of Six Farmlands in Khartoum State, Central Sudan

Analysis of some selected physico-chemical parameters and macro-elements in soil samples collected from six farmlands (Agricultural schemes) in Khartoum State, Central Sudan : EL-Gomouya, Wad Ramli, Umm Arda, EL-Waha, EL-Silait and EL-Shaab schemes) were carried out The soil characterization was carried out for parameters like pH, organic carbon, moisture content, electrical conductivity , soil texture , potassium, sodium, magnesium, calcium and phosphorus in the soil samples. The physicochemical analysis of soil samples understudy showed different concentrations of various parameters at different farmlands. Correlation analysis was employed to examine the relationship between the various parameters in the soil samples.

Groundwater quality evaluation for irrigation, Modjo River catchment, a wash basin, Central Ethiopia

Irrigated agriculture is dependent on an adequate water supply of usable quality. Water containing impurities, which are injurious to plant growth, are not satisfactory for irrigation. Water quality for agricultural purposes is determined on the basis of the effects of the water on the quality and yield of the crops, as well as the effects on drainage efficiency and characteristic changes in the soil [16]. This study aims to assess the quality of groundwater in Modjo river catchment for irrigation. Hence, the groundwater samples were collected from well and borehole situated at different site within the catchment to analyze for necessary parameters. Consequently, in-situ measurements such as; EC, pH and TDS were carried out in the field inventory using portable ( pH) meters, whereas major ions are analyzed in Sinana Agricultural Research Center Soil laboratory. The chemical analysis of the samples shows that Na-Ca-HCO3 water type in the recharge area, intermediate water type Ca-Mg-Na HCO3 in northern and central part of the area and Ca-Mg-HCO3 water type towards the east of the subbasin. Most of the water in the study area is clustered as Calcium-Sodium-Magnesium-Bicarbonate type, which is characterized by a high concentration of HCO3 and Ca. Generally water quality analysis shows that as the concentrations in the water sample is below the maximum allowable limits for irrigation (i.e.EC<2000 µS/cm and SAR<9) and therefore the groundwater could be used safely for irrigation.