Browsing by Author "Prakash R."
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Item A non-covalently cross-linked self-healing hydrogel for drug delivery: characterization, mechanical strength, and anti-cancer potential(Royal Society of Chemistry, 2024) Jaiswal S.; Kumar S.; Yadav P.; Pal K.; Afgan S.; Acharya A.; Prakash R.; Maiti P.; Kumar R.This research article introduced a novel one-pot method for synthesizing hydrogels, utilizing iron ions (Fe3+) and guar gum succinate (GGS) as cross-linkers. These hydrogels were characterized as cross-linked networks, with hydrogen bonds forming a sacrificial network and coordination bonds serving as the primary network. The reversible nature of these networks was attributed to the hydrogels� exceptional toughness and remarkable self-healing properties. The hydrogel's chemical structure was confirmed through FTIR spectroscopy. XRD analysis highlighted the disruption of the crystalline nature of GGS upon cross-linking with Fe3+. By controlling the Fe3+ concentration, the hydrogels� mechanical properties were tailored. Rheological measurements demonstrated mechanical and self-healing properties, while swelling studies revealed pH-dependent behavior. In vitro studies showed the hydrogels� significant anti-proliferative effect against U-87MG (human glioblastoma) cancer cells, while remaining biocompatible with normal cell lines (HEK-293). These results indicated the potential application of these hydrogels in advancing cancer treatment strategies. � 2024 The Royal Society of Chemistry.Item Allylthiourea-mediated self-healing hydrogels based on poly(vinyl alcohol): Enhanced cell viability/biocompatibility and sustained drug release(John Wiley and Sons Inc, 2024) Yadav P.; Afgan S.; Pal K.; Jaiswal S.; Goswami P.; Prakash R.; Kumar R.; Koch B.; Maiti P.Hydrogel-based materials represent promising candidates for drug delivery. In our research, we synthesized a series of hydrogels�PVATU-1 (2:1), PVATU-2 (1:1), and PVATU-3 (0.5:1)�by adjusting the poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) ratio while maintaining a constant ratio of allylthiourea (ATU) monomer and glutaraldehyde cross-linker, aiming to understand their impacts on gelation. These PVATU hydrogels displayed impressive swelling in neutral conditions and exhibited visible self-healing capabilities. Notably, PVATU-1 shows superior mechanical strength among the variants. Surface analysis using AFM and SEM unveiled porous structures within the hydrogels, while thermal stability tests indicated their resilience up to 200�C. DSC analysis revealed minimal variation in glass transition temperatures (Tg), affirming stability. A distinct endothermic peak around 250�350�C across all hydrogels confirmed their semi-crystalline nature, corroborated by powder XRD. Noteworthy, PVATU-1 demonstrated optimal loading and releasing efficiency for levofloxacin, with 74.5% loading and 82.8% releasing efficiency within 18 h. Biocompatibility assessments on HeLa cells affirmed the nontoxicity of PVATU hydrogel treatments. � 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC.Item Engineered Ni�Fe prussian blue analogue nanocubes and their transformation into nanocages and mixed oxide for applications as bifunctional electrocatalyst(Elsevier Ltd, 2024) Pal S.; Jana S.; Singh D.K.; Ganesan V.; Azad U.P.; Prakash R.3D nanostructured Prussian blue analogues (PBA) are promising candidates in the family of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) for applications as bifunctional electrocatalysts due to their open framework structures, high specific surface areas and variable metal active sites. Due to their facile synthesis approach and unique framework structures, these nanostructures can be easily transformed into different structures/materials having different compositions. Herein, we have synthesized Ni�Fe Prussian blue analogue nanocubes (NiFe-PBA-NC) via a simple precipitation method and converted them into Ni�Fe Prussian blue analogue nanocages (NiFe-PBA-NG) and porous mixed metal oxide (NiFe-oxide). For the conversion of nanocubes to nanocages a very controlled etching process is carried out by using an ammonia solution while for the formation of porous mixed metal oxide, nanocubes are annealed in the presence of air. The transformation of nanocubes to nanocages and mixed metal-oxide is thoroughly characterized by various spectroscopic and microscopic techniques and employed as a bifunctional electrocatalyst for oxygen evolution and oxygen reduction reactions (OER and ORR, respectively) in which NiFe-oxide proved to be the best bifunctional catalyst. This thorough and systematic study reveals the fundamentals of the structure-property co-relation towards engineering novel bifunctional electrocatalysts. � 2023 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLCItem Multipath phase based vegetation correction scheme for improved field-scale soil moisture retrieval over agricultural cropland using GNSS-IR technique(Elsevier Ltd, 2024) Shekhar S.; Prakash R.; Kumar Pandey D.; Vidyarthi A.; Srivastava P.K.; Putrevu D.; Desai N.M.Global Navigation Satellite Systems-Interferometric Reflectometry (GNSS-IR) is an emerging remote sensing technique studied and demonstrated for soil moisture retrieval over bare soil using multipath GNSS data. However, retrieval of soil moisture in the presence of vegetation/crops is still a very challenging task even becoming a more complex problem without using any ancillary datasets to compensate the vegetation effect for soil moisture retrievals in higher crop growth stages. This paper presents a novel multipath phase-based vegetation correction scheme for improved field-scale soil moisture retrieval using L-band data from Navigation with Indian Constellations (NavIC) based on GNSS-IR technique. The proposed three steps vegetation correction scheme categorized the crop as per growth stages for sensitivity analysis of NavIC derived multipath phase as GNSS-IR observables and significantly compensated vegetation effects on multipath phase for improved soil moisture retrievals. The proposed method utilized only multipath phase data as single SNR metrics without any ancillary data sets and validated during complete growth cycle of winter wheat crop (sowing to harvesting stages). It has been shown that the soil moisture retrieved using proposed vegetation correction scheme provides a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.87 and ubRMSD of 0.0341 m3/m3 with in situ measured soil moisture, which is better than bare scheme with Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.71 and ubRMSD of 0.0480 m3/m3. Overall, proposed scheme has found highly effective for vegetation correction and has shown a good potential candidate for VSM retrievals over crop-covered soil using other GNSS constellations (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and BeiDou etc.). � 2024 COSPARItem Nanozymes-based multifunctional platforms for uric acid detection in patients(Elsevier, 2024) Ojha R.P.; Srivastava S.K.; Srivastava M.; Prakash R.Uric acid (UA), a metabolic by-product arising from purine metabolism, can result in hyperuricemia and related ailments like gout and kidney stones when accumulated excessively. In recent times, nanotechnology's emergence has opened avenues for innovative approaches in diagnostics and therapeutics. Notably, nanozymes, categorized as nanomaterials exhibiting inherent enzyme-like properties, have garnered significant interest for their potential applications in fabricating sensors for monitoring UA levels in patients. Nanozymes boast qualities, such as stability, tunability, cost-effectiveness, specificity, biocompatibility, and resilience, against challenging conditions. These attributes highlight their versatility, making them valuable for applications in sensors for the detection of ions, biomolecules, and disease biomarkers. This chapter comprehensively explores the conceptualization, fabrication, and multifaceted utilities of nanozyme-based platforms tailored for UA detection. � 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights are reserved including those for text and data mining AI training and similar technologies.Item Neurogenic and angiogenic poly(N-acryloylglycine)-co-(acrylamide)-co-(N-acryloyl-glutamate) hydrogel: preconditioning effect under oxidative stress and use in neuroregeneration(Royal Society of Chemistry, 2024) Wasnik K.; Gupta P.S.; Singh G.; Maity S.; Patra S.; Pareek D.; Kumar S.; Rai V.; Prakash R.; Acharya A.; Maiti P.; Mukherjee S.; Mastai Y.; Paik P.Traumatic injuries, neurodegenerative diseases and oxidative stress serve as the early biomarkers for neuronal damage and impede angiogenesis and subsequently neuronal growth. Considering this, the present work aimed to develop a poly(N-acryloylglycine)-co-(acrylamide)-co-(N-acryloylglutamate) hydrogel [p(NAG-Ac-NAE)] with angiogenesis/neurogenesis properties. As constituents of this polymer modulate their vital role in biological functions, inhibitory neurotransmitter glycine regulates neuronal homeostasis, and glutamatergic signalling regulates angiogenesis. The p(NAG-Ac-NAE) hydrogel is a highly branched, biodegradable and pH-responsive polymer with a very high swelling behavior of 6188%. The mechanical stability (G?, 2.3-2.7 kPa) of this polymeric hydrogel is commendable in the differentiation of mature neurons. This hydrogel is biocompatible (as tested in HUVEC cells) and helps to proliferate PC12 cells (152.7 � 13.7%), whereas it is cytotoxic towards aggressive cancers such as glioblastoma (LN229 cells) and triple negative breast cancer (TNBC; MDA-MB-231 cells) and helps to maintain the healthy cytoskeleton framework structure of primary cortical neurons by facilitating the elongation of the axonal pathway. Furthermore, FACS results revealed that the synthesized hydrogel potentiates neurogenesis by inducing the cell cycle (G0/G1) and arresting the sub-G1 phase by limiting apoptosis. Additionally, RT-PCR results revealed that this hydrogel induced an increased level of HIF-1? expression, providing preconditioning effects towards neuronal cells under oxidative stress by scavenging ROS and initiating neurogenic and angiogenic signalling. This hydrogel further exhibits more pro-angiogenic activities by increasing the expression of VEGF isoforms compared to previously reported hydrogels. In conclusion, the newly synthesized p(NAG-Ac-NAE) hydrogel can be one of the potential neuroregenerative materials for vasculogenesis-assisted neurogenic applications and paramount for the management of neurodegenerative diseases. � 2024 The Royal Society of Chemistry.Item Rheological, Textural and Sensorial Properties of Quarg-Type Cheese Incorporated with Encapsulated Terminalia Arjuna(Elsevier Ltd, 2024) Aparnna V.P.; Chauhan A.K.; Singh S.; Prakash R.; Maiti P.This study aimed to investigate the possibility of enhancing the functionality of Quarg-type cheese by adding Arjuna bark powder in encapsulated form. Arjuna tree bark powder was extracted via ethanolic cold maceration. The encapsulated powder was made using Maltodextrin and Sodium alginate wall material solution and had encapsulating efficiency of 42 � 4.2%. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was applied to conduct optimization, and subsequent trials were thoroughly investigated to assess their Physico-chemical, sensory, textural, and desirable attributes. The recommended levels of variables as suggested by the Response Surface Methodology (RSM) encompassed 3% of encapsulated Arjuna herb powder and 4% of honey. The conducted analysis has demonstrated that the inclusion of these variables has resulted in a notable improvement in the functionality of quarg-type cheese. Specifically, these variables have contributed to the enhancement of its antioxidant properties, sensory characteristics, rheological attributes, and textural qualities. The encapsulation of the Arjuna herb effectively concealed its astringent taste in the optimized product. Furthermore, the inclusion of honey not only improved the product's acceptability but also strengthened its antioxidative properties. � 2023 The Author(s)Item Surface elemental and structural analysis of ancient Indian punch-marked coins (600 to 200 BCE): insights into metallurgy and economic practices(Nature Research, 2024) Upadhyay A.K.; Giri N.K.; Prakash R.; Mishra H.Punch-marked coins (PMCs) are the oldest coins in India and among the most widely circulated globally, often found in hoards that highlight their extensive use. This study utilizes X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) to analyze the surface elemental composition and chemical properties of nine series (S-0 to S-VIII) of Janapada (S-0) and imperial PMCs (S-1 to S-VIII) dating from 600 to 200 BCE, housed in the Numismatic Society of India at BHU, Varanasi, based on the Gupta-Hardakar classification related to the PMCs. XRD results reveal four prominent diffraction peaks corresponding to metallic silver (Ag) in the face-centred cubic (fcc) phase, with a slight variation in d-spacing (? 0.05 �), suggesting subtle changes in the lattice structure due to smaller atomic radius elements. XPS analysis shows the non-uniform distribution of different elements, with Ag being predominant, alongside copper (Cu), lead (Pb), and trace elements, including gold (Au), only in Janapada PMCs (S-0). The binding energy curves indicate that Ag and Cu are in pure metallic forms, while Pb exists as Pb?O?. Importantly, no silver or copper oxide peaks were detected, indicating the metals� purity throughout the coinage process. The variations in d-spacing observed in these historical samples offer a microscopic perspective into the broader contexts of ancient economies, technologies, and cultural practices. The silver content in these PMCs decreases as Cu and Pb increase across the series up to S-V, followed by a sudden rise in S-VI, which lacks Pb. The presence of Pb induces brittleness and may serve as an indicator of the coins� age. Additionally, the carbon detected by XPS could result from smelting, surface contamination, or environmental deposition. These findings reflect a high level of metallurgical knowledge and alloying techniques developed between the sixth and third centuries BCE. The varying Ag content raises questions about the economy and demand for coins. At the same time, the structural variations identified through XRD and XPS can aid archaeometallurgists in estimating these coins� chronological and geographical origins, serving as valuable tools for authentication. � The Author(s) 2024.
