Siksha O Anusandhan University

About: Siksha O Anusandhan University is a education organization based out in Bhubaneswar, Orissa, India. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Dielectric & PID controller. The organization has 2502 authors who have published 5009 publications receiving 44876 citations.

Metabolism via Arginase or Nitric Oxide Synthase: Two Competing Arginine Pathways in Macrophages.

Abstract: Macrophages play a major role in the immune system, both as antimicrobial effector cells and as immunoregulatory cells, which induce, suppress or modulate adaptive immune responses. These key aspects of macrophage biology are fundamentally driven by the phenotype of macrophage arginine metabolism that is prevalent in an evolving or ongoing immune response. M1 macrophages express the enzyme nitric oxide synthase (NOS), which metabolizes arginine to nitric oxide (NO) and citrulline. NO can be metabolized to further downstream reactive nitrogen species, while citrulline might be reused for efficient NO synthesis via the citrulline-NO cycle. M2 macrophages are characterized by expression of the enzyme arginase, which hydrolyzes arginine to ornithine and urea. The arginase pathway limits arginine availability for NO synthesis and ornithine itself can further feed into the important downstream pathways of polyamine and proline syntheses, which are important for cellular proliferation and tissue repair. M1 versus M2 polarization leads to opposing outcomes of inflammatory reactions, but depending on the context, M1 and M2 macrophages can be both pro- and antiinflammatory. Notably, M1/M2 macrophage polarization can be driven by microbial infection or innate danger signals without any influence of adaptive immune cells, secondarily driving the T helper (Th)1/Th2 polarization of the evolving adaptive immune response. Since both arginine metabolic pathways cross-inhibit each other on the level of the respective arginine break-down products and Th1 and Th2 lymphocytes can drive or amplify macrophage M1/M2 dichotomy via cytokine activation, this forms the basis of a self-sustaining M1/M2 polarization of the whole immune response. Understanding the arginine metabolism of M1/M2 macrophage phenotypes is therefore central to find new possibilities to manipulate immune responses in infection, autoimmune diseases, chronic inflammatory conditions and cancer.

Visible light-driven novel g-C3N4/NiFe-LDH composite photocatalyst with enhanced photocatalytic activity towards water oxidation and reduction reaction

Abstract: Exploiting the advantage of a layered architecture, layered graphitic carbon nitride (CN) and NiFe-layered double hydroxide (LDH) have been coupled in the present investigation to design a series of highly efficient novel CNLDH composites for visible light-induced photocatalytic H2 and O2 evolution. The syntheses of these composites were carried out using a facile weight impregnation method while varying the wt% of CN on LDH. The structural, optical, and morphological properties of these composites were characterized by various physicochemical techniques. The results indicate a tuned-in band gap energy within the range of pure LDH to pure CN. In addition, the remarkable quenching of the PL signal and prolonged photogenerated charge lifetime confirmed by TRPL spectra demonstrates the excellent photocatalytic activity of these composites. The activity could be ascribed to the dispersion of exfoliated CN over the brucite layer of LDH, in which strong energy transfer takes place in terms of charge carriers. The visible light-induced photocatalytic H2 and O2 evolution study resulted in an enhancement in the activity of the CNLDH10 composite with a H2 evolution rate of 1488 μmol 2 h−1 and O2 evolution rate of 886 μmol 2 h−1. The high photocatalytic activities of these composites may be due to good dispersion of exfoliated CN over the brucite layer of edge-shared MO6 octahedra, higher life time of charge carriers, low PL intensity, appropriate band gap energy and enhancement in photocurrent density.

A review on the recent progress, challenges and perspective of layered double hydroxides as promising photocatalysts

Abstract: Considering the previous work on layered double hydroxides (LDHs) as novel photocatalysts, research on this group of materials has become one of the most exciting subjects of today. LDH has become an important class of layered materials having prospects in photocatalysis, wherein great attention has been paid to the exhaustive aerobic degradation of pollutants, photocatalytic water splitting, and CO2 photo-reduction. The unique structure, uniform distribution of different metal cations in the brucite layer, surface hydroxyl groups, flexible tunability, intercalated anions with interlayer spaces, swelling properties, oxo-bridged linkage, and high chemical stability are some of the important advantages of this group of materials. This article provides an up-to-date review on significant progress in the fabrication of LDH photocatalytic systems aiming at environmental clean-up and energy production, such as degradation of pollutants, photocatalytic H2 generation and photocatalytic CO2-reduction. This article, after discussing the recent significant progress in the synthesis of different photoactive LDH materials and photocatalytic applications through their structural and electronic properties, considers many typical examples. In particular, recent progress on the emerging strategies of LDH to improve their photocatalytic activity is also presented. Eventually, the future challenges and outlooks for this group of materials are also discussed.

Ocimum sanctum Linn. A reservoir plant for therapeutic applications: An overview.

Abstract: The medicinal plants are widely used by the traditional medicinal practitioners for curing various diseases in their day to day practice. In traditional system of medicine, different parts (leaves, stem, flower, root, seeds and even whole plant) of Ocimum sanctum Linn. have been recommended for the treatment of bronchitis, malaria, diarrhea, dysentery, skin disease, arthritis, eye diseases, insect bites and so on. The O. sanctum L. has also been suggested to possess anti-fertility, anticancer, antidiabetic, antifungal, antimicrobial, cardioprotective, analgesic, antispasmodic and adaptogenic actions. Eugenol (1-hydroxy-2-methoxy-4-allylbenzene), the active constituents present in O. sanctum L. have been found to be largely responsible for the therapeutic potentials. The pharmacological studies reported in the present review confirm the therapeutic value of O. sanctum L. The results of the above studies support the use of this plant for human and animal disease therapy and reinforce the importance of the ethno-botanical approach as a potential source of bioactive substances.