http://localhost:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/7636 Sun, 12 Apr 2026 22:50:32 GMT 2026-04-12T22:50:32Z http://localhost:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/8235 Investigation of pesticide residues in water, sediments and fish samples from Tapi River, India as a case study and its forensic significance Hashmi, Tanveer Alam; Qureshi, Rizwana; Tipre, Devayani; Menon, Shobhana This research is a case study on detection of pesticides in river water, sediment as well as fish samples from Tapi River, among the major rivers of Gujarat, India. To investigate the misuse, concentration level and occurrence patterns of persistent pesticides, samples were collected from the river. Chlorpyrifos, methyl parathion, hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH), dichloro diphenyl trichloroethane (DDT) and endosulfan were analyzed by gas chromatography technique with flame ionization detector (FID). Scanty reports are available, but after 1999, no such data are reported as some of these pesticides have been banned. Although these pesticides are still in use which we observed from the obtained results. In this river, the amount of endosulfan, chlorpyrifos, and methyl parathion was observed in surface water with concentrations of 37.56 μg/L, 0.86 μg/L and 0.43 μg/L, respectively. Endosulfan, DDT and methyl parathion detected in sediment were 38.38 ng/g, 0.65 ng/g and 0.77 ng/g, respectively. In fish samples, levels of endosulfan, chlorpyrifos, and methyl parathion detected were 101.28, 0.392, and 3.49 ng/g correspondingly. Results showed that highly toxic pesticides are still being used in the surrounding area, and there is an urgent need for enforcement of rules to control the production and application of such pesticides. Wed, 01 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT http://localhost:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/8235 2020-01-01T00:00:00Z http://localhost:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/8230 Physicochemical interaction of cerium oxide nanoparticles with simulated biofluids, hemoglobin, insulin, and ds-DNA at 310.15 K Chetty, Rajlakshmi; Pandya, Shivani R.; Singh, Man Cerium oxide nanoparticles (CNPs) are used as potential therapeutic nanomaterials to cure neurological oxidative diseases. This curing activity of CNPs has prompted the study of molecular interactions with several biologically significant molecules to probe conformational changes. CNPs@20 nm were synthesised and their structure confirmed by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and UV-vis spectrophotometry. In vitro interactions of 25–150 μM CNPs with water, phosphate buffered saline (PBS), and RPMI 1640 medium as simulated biofluids, and insulin (Ins) hemoglobin (Hb) and dsDNA at 37 °C were studied. Their physicochemical properties in terms of density (ρ, 103 kg m−3), viscosity (η, 10−3 kg m−1 s−1), surface tension (γ, mN m−1), friccohesity (σ, s m−1), activation energy (Δμ2* kJ mol−1) and molecular radii (r, nm) were measured using a density meter and Borosil Mansingh Survismeter (BMS), respectively. The data predicted a 1st order interaction and structure breaking behaviour of the CNPs with Hb, Ins, and dsDNA. Zeta potential measurements in biological media showed a net increase in negative charge magnitude with a higher colloidal stability. UV-vis and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic studies exhibited the biocompatibility of CNPs, with the sustaining of the functionality of native Hb, Ins, and dsDNA. A Kb value of 3.2 × 103 M−1 for CNPs–dsDNA implied its noncovalent interactions. A secondary conformational study using circular dichroism and FTIR revealed a decrease in the number of α helices and an increase in the number of β sheets. An in silico study was carried out via molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations. Binding energies of −92.25, −91.36 and −106.84 kcal mol−1 were calculated for CNP–Hb, CNP–Ins, CNP–DNA docked complexes. The docking data show that CNP interactions via hydrogen bonding between Ins and Hb through neutral, polar and neutral, and nonpolar amino acids, respectively. The CNPs show electrostatic interactions at the minor groove of DNA. The study reports the unfolding mechanism investigated via physicochemical, spectroscopic and in silico approach of protein on interacting with CNPs, to guide their safer use in medicine and pharmaceutics. Sat, 01 Feb 2020 00:00:00 GMT http://localhost:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/8230 2020-02-01T00:00:00Z http://localhost:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/8228 Enhanced degradation efficiency of mixed industrial effluent by modified nanocomposite photocatalyst under UVLED irradiation Chavan, Apeksha; Fulekar, M. H. The aim of this study is to investigate the enhancement of photocatalytic degradation capacity of mixed industrial effluent using a modified activated charcoal/TiO2 nanocomposite catalyst. These nanocomposite catalysts are synthesized by the sol–gel method. The synthesized nanocomposite materials were characterized to confirmed material morphology and size by DLS, FTIR, crystallographic phase analysis (XRD), SEM, UV–Vis spectra, TGA and BET. This modified AC/TiO2 nanocatalyst removal efficiency is evaluated by photocatalytic degradation of mixed industrial effluent under UVLED light irradiation in different time intervals. The results demonstrate that the COD and BOD show 97% and 94% removal, respectively, at 90 min after that the degradation value becomes constant. Photocatalytic degradation of industrial effluent using AC/TiO2 followed pseudo-first-order reaction kinetics, and reaction rate constant was 1.04 × 10−2. Therefore, the performed experiment concludes that removal efficiency enhances to increase reaction time under UVLED irradiation. Wed, 01 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMT http://localhost:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/8228 2020-04-01T00:00:00Z http://localhost:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/8216 A review on use of TRNSYS as simulation tool in performance prediction of desiccant cooling cycle Jani, D B; Bhabhor, Kiran; Dadi, Mohsin; Doshi, Sachindra; Jotaniya, P. V.; Ravat, Harish; Bhatt, Kumar Solid desiccant-assisted cooling and dehumidification systems are becoming very popular nowadays for maintaining the required thermal comfort in different residential and industrial cooling applications. Its performance can be evaluated by simulating it with TRNSYS simulation software which depends on many operational and geometrical parameters of the thermal system. TRNSYS is used as simulation software having transient in nature mainly for simulating the thermal systems with good agreement within acceptable error bands. An overview on modeling the thermal cooling system and simulation of the same that includes pioneer works and analysis of previous transient simulation results that mainly includes TRNSYS was presented here. Assumptions, a detailed modeling of various thermal cooling system components of the desiccant-powered thermal cooling system and its simulation performed using TRNSYS are also discussed. The main aim of the present survey is to review the applicability of TRNSYS simulation and to confirm the sustainability, feasibility and potential use of desiccant-powered thermal space cooling systems for ameliorating the energy and cost saving in air-conditioning of buildings. Review is useful for making opportunities for further research of TRNSYS simulation and its feasibility in thermal system design in the application of building space cooling. Mon, 01 Jun 2020 00:00:00 GMT http://localhost:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/8216 2020-06-01T00:00:00Z