Background: Radiotherapy is an important treatment modality for many types of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas. Nanomaterials comprised of high atomic number (Z) elements are novel radiosensitizers enhance radiation injury by production of free radicals and subsequent DNA damage. Gold nanoparticles are upcoming as promising radiosensitizers due to their high (Z) biocompatibility, and ease for surface engineering. Bimetallic nanoparticles have shown enhanced anticancer activity compared to monometallic nanoparticles. Materials and Methods: PEG-coated Au–Ag alloy nanoparticles (BNPs) were synthesized using facile one pot synthesis techniques. Size of ∼ 50± 5nm measured by dynamic light scattering. Morphology, structural composition and elemental mapping were analyzed by electron microscopy and SAXS (small-angle X-ray scattering). The radiosensitization effects on KB oral cancer cells were evaluated by irradiation with 6MV X-rays on linear accelerator. Nuclear damage was imaged using confocal microscopy staining cells with Hoechst stain. Computed tomography (CT) contrast enhancement of BNPs was compared to that of the clinically used agent, Omnipaque. Results: BNPs were synthesized using PEG 600 as reducing and stabilizing agent. The surface charge of well dispersed colloidal BNPs solution was − 5mV. Electron microscopy reveals spherical morphology. HAADF-STEM and elemental mapping studies showed that the constituent metals were Au and Ag intermixed nanoalloy. Hydrodynamic diameter was ∼ 50± 5nm due to PEG layer and water molecules absorption. SAXS measurement confirmed BNPs size around 35nm. Raman shift of around 20 cm^{− 1} was observed when BNPs were coated with PEG. ¹H NMR showed extended involvement of ⁻OH in synthesis. BNPs efficiently enter cytoplasm of KB cells and demonstrated potent in vitro radiosensitization with enhancement ratio ∼ 1.5– 1.7. Imaging Hoechst-stained nuclei demonstrated apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. BNPs exhibit better CT contrast enhancement ability compared to Omnipaque. Conclusion: This bimetallic intermix nanoparticles could serve a dual function as radiosensitizer and CT contrast agent against oral cancers, and by extension possibly other cancers as well.

This article highlights the impact of anthropogenic disturbance on forest structure and plant diversity in the riparian forest in the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary, Karnataka, Southern India. We clustered 11 transects into groups with low and high anthropogenic disturbances. In total, 73 tree species were recorded on 11 transects, of which 57 species were found in less-disturbed sites and 39 species in high-disturbed sites. Shannon–Wiener diversity confirmed higher values for less-disturbed sites (3.2 ± 0.7) compared with high-disturbed sites (2.7 ± 0.5). Evenness index suggested no complete evenness in the two sites. Mean species richness and number of individuals in the majority girth classes were found to be higher in less-disturbed sites than in high-disturbed sites. Non-native plants dominated the high-disturbed sites. The occurrence of native and non-native species was correlated with the level of disturbance. Current disturbance intensities may have led to loss of native species such as Ixora bracheata, Madhuca latifolia, Syzygium cumini and Terminalia arjuna in riparian forests. This study concludes that species-rich areas in the riparian forests are under threat. Protection of these areas should be prioritized in policy, because anthropogenic disturbance has led to decreasing riparian forest species diversity and structure.

Photocatalytic degradation of municipal wastewater was investigated using reagent grade TiO₂ and modified neodymium doped TiO₂ hybrid nanoparticles. For the first time, surface modification of Nd^{3 +} doped TiO₂ hybrid nanoparticles were carried out with n-butylamine as surface modifier under mild hydrothermal conditions. The modified nanoparticles obtained were characterized by Powder XRD, FTIR, DLS, TEM, BET surface area, zeta potential and UV-Vis Spectroscopy. The characterization results indicated better morphology, particle size distribution and low agglomeration of the nanoparticles synthesized. It was found that photodegradation of wastewater using surface modified neodymium doped TiO₂ nanoparticles was more compared to pure TiO₂, which can be attributed to the doping and modification with n-butylamine.

PVA-based polymer electrolytes were prepared with various concentrations of CdCl₂using solvent casting method. Prepared polymer films were investigated using line profile analysis employing X-ray diffraction (XRD) data. XRD results show that the crystallite size decreases and then increases with increase in CdCl₂. AC conductivity in these polymer increases films first and then decreases. These observations are in agreement with XRD results. The highest ionic conductivity of 1.68E− 08 Scm⁻¹was observed in 4% of CdCl₂in PVA polymer blend. Crystallite ellipsoids for different concentrations of CdCl₂are computed here using whole pattern powder fitting (WPPF) indicating that crystallite area decreases with increase in the ionic conductivity.