Visible light assisted photocatalytic degradation of crystal violet dye and electrochemical detection of ascorbic acid using a BiVO4/FeVO4 heterojunction composite

A BiVO₄/FeVO₄ nanocomposite photocatalyst was successfully synthesized via a hydrothermal method. The prepared heterojunction photocatalyst was characterized physically and chemically using XRD, SEM, EDX, XPS, BET, FT-IR, Raman, UV-vis DRS, EPR and photoluminescence techniques. BiVO₄/FeVO₄ was explored for its photocatalytic activity by the decomposition of crystal violet (CV) organic dye under visible radiation. This experiment showed that BiVO₄/FeVO₄ at a ratio of 2 : 1 completely degrades CV within 60 min. In addition, BiVO₄/FeVO₄ was investigated for the electrochemical detection of the useful analyte ascorbic acid using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and cyclic voltammetry techniques. This work reveals the potential of the BiVO₄/FeVO₄ nanocomposite for applications in environmental disciplines as well as in biosensing.

A highly pure BiVO₄/FeVO₄ heterojunction nanocomposite photocatalyst was synthesized by a facile hydrothermal method. The simple and economical manufacturing process allows easier industrial scale-up and the results contribute to the design of more effective photocatalysts.     

Combined Effect of Pseudomonas spp. Consortium and Fertilizer with Micronutrients on Enhanced yield of Amaranthus tricolor (L.)

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, India Section B: Biological Sciences - Application of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) affects the enhancement of growth and yield of...     

Correction: Variation in surface properties,metabolic capping,and antibacterial activity of biosynthesized silver nanoparticles: comparison of bio-fabrication potential in phytohormone-regulated cell cultures and naturally grown plants

Correction for ‘Variation in surface properties, metabolic capping, and antibacterial activity of biosynthesized silver nanoparticles: comparison of bio-fabrication potential in phytohormone-regulated cell cultures and naturally grown plants’ by Tariq Khan et al., RSC Adv., 2020, 10, 38831–38840, DOI: 10.1039/D0RA08419K.

The authors regret that an incorrect version of Fig. 7 was included in the original article. The correct version of Fig. 7 is presented below.Open in a separate windowFig. 7Venn diagram for the comparative analysis of compounds detected through LC-MS/MS.The Royal Society of Chemistry apologises for these errors and any consequent inconvenience to authors and readers.     

Cytotoxicity and molecular docking analysis of racemolactone I,a new sesquiterpene lactone isolated from Inula racemosa

ContextTraditionally, Inula racemosa Hook. f. (Asteraceae) has been reported to be effective in cancer treatment which motivated the authors to explore the plant for novel anticancer compounds.ObjectiveTo isolate and characterize new cytotoxic phytoconstituents from I. racemosa roots.Materials and methodsThe column chromatography of I. racemosa ethyl acetate extract furnished a novel sesquiterpene lactone whose structure was established by NMR (1D/2D), ES-MS and its cytotoxic properties were assessed on HeLa, MDAMB-231, and A549 cell lines using MTT and LDH (lactate dehydrogenase) assays. Further, morphological changes were analyzed by flow cytometry, mitochondrial membrane potential, AO-EtBr dual staining, and comet assay. Molecular docking and simulation were performed using Glide and Desmond softwares, respectively, to validate the mechanism of action.ResultsThe isolated compound was identified as racemolactone I (compound 1). Amongst the cell lines tested, considerable changes were observed in HeLa cells. Compound 1 (IC₅₀ = 0.9 µg/mL) significantly decreased cell viability (82%) concomitantly with high LDH release (76%) at 15 µg/mL. Diverse morphological alterations along with significant increase (9.23%) in apoptotic cells and decrease in viable cells were observed. AO-EtBr dual staining also confirmed the presence of 20% apoptotic cells. A gradual decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential was observed. HeLa cells showed significantly increased comet tail length (48.4 µm), indicating broken DNA strands. In silico studies exhibited that compound 1 binds to the active site of Polo-like kinase-1 and forms a stable complex.ConclusionsRacemolactone I was identified as potential anticancer agent, which can further be confirmed by in vivo investigations.     

Predicting response to initial therapy with interferon plus ribavirin in chronic hepatitis C using serum HCV RNA results during therapy

In patients with chronic hepatitis C, 48 weeks of therapy with interferon (IFN) plus ribavirin results in a sustained virologic response of 40%. Preliminary analysis suggests that measuring HCV RNA at week 24, rather than week 12, might provide the best prediction of treatment response. To assess the clinical utility of serum HCV RNA determinations at different times during therapy as a predictor of a sustained virologic response we evaluated 912 treatment‐naïve patients. Patients were randomized to receive IFN‐α2b, 3 million units (MU) three times weekly (tiw), for 24 or 48 weeks with either ribavirin or placebo, and then followed for 24 weeks. Serum HCV RNA was measured at weeks 4 and 12 in patients treated for 24 weeks; at 4, 12, and 24 weeks during therapy in those treated for 48 weeks, and week 24 post‐therapy in all patients. Sustained response was defined as loss of serum HCV RNA at week 24 follow‐up. Other patients were considered virologic nonresponders. For patients receiving 48 weeks of combination therapy, detectable serum HCV RNA at week 24 predicted nonresponse (positive predictive value) in 99% of patients compared to 89% at week 12. In patients treated for 24 weeks, testing at week 12 was more predictive of nonresponse than testing at week 4 in the combination‐therapy group but not in the monotherapy group. Hence, for combination therapy, testing for serum HCV RNA as a predictor of nonresponse is most accurate at week 24 of therapy; a positive test correctly identified 99% of nonresponders.     

Papillary Fibroelastoma Incidentally Found on Left Atrial Wall During Minimally Invasive Aortic Valve Replacement

A 60-year-old man was about to undergo minimally invasive aortic valve replacement when transesophageal echocardiography revealed an intracardiac mass on the left atrial free wall. Multimodal images from 5 months earlier had shown no mass. We converted the procedure to open surgery. The excised mass resembled a cardiac myxoma but was determined to be a papillary fibroelastoma. This case illustrates that papillary fibroelastomas can form and grow rapidly, warranting alertness for their unexpected discovery before and during cardiac surgical procedures.