http://irgu.unigoa.ac.in/drs/handle/unigoa/5624 2026-07-08T07:55:23Z 2026-07-08T07:55:23Z Cardozo, W.E. Patel-Dhond, R. http://irgu.unigoa.ac.in/drs/handle/unigoa/7895 2026-07-02T11:06:29Z 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Electrochemical impedance-based evaluation of antibiotic susceptibility in bacterial cells and biofilms grown on gold electrodes Cardozo, W.E.; Patel-Dhond, R. Catastrophic problem of antibiotic resistance is prevalent across the globe as it is triggered by bacterial survival mechanisms like exopolysaccharide layer (EPS) that serves as a protective slimy coating over bacteria, protecting it from environmental stress like drought, chemical stress and antibiotic effects and allowing it to survive and adapt to any environment. These biofilms are found in hospital-acquired infections seen in catheters of UTIs, valve insertions, implants, and incorrect antibiotic prescription, this is largely attributed to the ability of the exopolysaccharide layer in biofilm to confer antibiotic resistance. While traditional lab tests take 24-48 hours to identify fully developed biofilms, impedance can detect biofilms from early adhesion stages, the moment bacterial cells adhere to the surface, drastically decreasing time required for diagnosis. The rationale of this project focuses on mitigating biofilm's ability to develop as a biomedical diagnostic device in the detection and monitoring of bacterial cells. A hypothesis emphasizes speed and accuracy using real-time Electrochemical impedance (EIS) on gold screen-printed electrodes (Au-SPEs) to determine Minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) is 0.001mg/ml and Minimum biofilm eradication concentration (MBEC) is 5 mg/ml. Biofilm-forming bacterial cells using the electrochemical technique of impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and cyclic voltammetry (CV). This is a non-faradic, label-free antimicrobial testing method that rapidly tracks impedance changes or biofilm resistance during antibiotic exposure by analyzing impedance plots and peak variations across various antibiotic ranges. It also analyses method of inoculating bacterial biofilms in broth and its efficiency against antibiotics. The outcome focuses on developing a superior technique for monitoring biofilm maturation and the efficiency of antibiotics against antibiotic-resistant biofilms in medical settings.

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z Costa, S.O. Priolkar, K.R. Verenkar, V.M.S. http://irgu.unigoa.ac.in/drs/handle/unigoa/7875 2026-06-04T09:24:41Z 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Impact of Mn substitution on Ni-Zn ferrites towards structural, electrical, magnetic, gas sensing, and electrochemical properties Costa, S.O.; Priolkar, K.R.; Verenkar, V.M.S. Zn sub(0.5-x)Mn sub(x)Ni sub(0.5)Fe sub(2)O sub(4) (x = 0.0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5) ferrites were synthesized via the combustion route using malic acid as fuel. ICP-AES confirmed the desired stoichiometry of the synthesized ferrites. XRD studies revealed crystallite sizes of 10-23 nm, and with increasing Mn concentration, the lattice parameter decreased. SEM and HR-TEM analyses revealed particles in the nanoscale range. XPS studies confirmed the oxidation states of the constituent metal cations as Mn sup(3+), Fe sup(2+)/Fe sup(3+), Ni sup(2+), and Zn sup(2+). Mn K-edge XANES measurements further confirmed the presence of Mn in the +3 valence state occupying both tetrahedral and octahedral sites in the ferrite lattice. BET surface analysis indicated mesoporosity, with surface areas ranging from 24.26 to 49.06 m sup(2)/g. Electrical resistivity measurements confirmed the semiconducting nature of ferrites, and a decrease in resistivity with increasing Mn concentration was observed. Magnetic studies revealed soft ferrimagnetic behavior in the ferrites, with the saturation magnetization decreasing and the Curie temperature increasing as the manganese concentration increased. Gas sensing tests demonstrated high sensitivity (53 percent), high selectivity, and rapid response (3 s) and recovery (3 s) for composition x = 0.1 towards NO sub(2) gas. Electrochemical analysis showed charge storage behavior, with a specific capacitance of 101.35 F/g for x = 0.4. Collectively, the results demonstrate that systematic substitution of manganese can effectively tailor Ni-Zn ferrites into high-performance multifunctional materials for gas sensing and supercapacitor applications.

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z Vaigankar, C. Gaude-Agadyekar, V. Kakodkar, E. Kunkalekar, R.K. Joshi, N. http://irgu.unigoa.ac.in/drs/handle/unigoa/7860 2026-04-30T06:14:07Z 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Comparative evaluation of plasma-assisted and photochemical advanced oxidation processes for p-nitrophenol degradation in water Vaigankar, C.; Gaude-Agadyekar, V.; Kakodkar, E.; Kunkalekar, R.K.; Joshi, N. The present study examined the degradation of p-nitrophenol (PNP), a hazardous and long-lasting nitroaromatic contaminant commonly found in industrial wastewater, through a comparative analysis of various treatment methods utilizing CuO-Fe sub(2)O sub(3) mixed oxide catalysts. The effectiveness of adsorption, photocatalysis, photo-Fenton oxidation, catalytic ozonation, plasma treatment, and plasma-assisted catalytic oxidation was thoroughly evaluated under controlled settings. Among the evaluated catalysts, the C3 (CuFe sub(2)O sub(4)) catalyst exhibited the highest adsorption capacity and catalytic efficiency, facilitating the effective degradation of PNP via various advanced oxidation processes. Photocatalytic degradation under UV light resulted in significant PNP removal, whereas the UV-H sub(2)O sub(2)-catalyst system achieved nearly complete degradation (98-100 percent) within 10 min, owing to enhanced hydroxyl radical (.OH) generation via combined photolytic and catalytic processes. Catalytic ozonation further boosted degradation efficiency by facilitating the surface-mediated decomposition of ozone (O sub(3)) into reactive oxygen species. Plasma treatment produced several oxidizing agents, including O sub(3), nitrite (NO sub(2-), nitrate (NO sub(3)-), hydrogen peroxide (H sub(2)O sub(2)), and reactive radicals, which accelerated the oxidative degradation of PNP. This comparative assessment underscores the synergistic effect of catalyst-assisted radical generation in accelerating pollutant degradation and offers insights into selecting appropriate advanced oxidation methods for effectively treating nitroaromatic pollutants in water.

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z Shruthi, N.R. Das, B.V. Kamat, V. Akki, M. Barretto, D.A. Poojary, B. Venugopala, K.N. http://irgu.unigoa.ac.in/drs/handle/unigoa/7859 2026-04-30T06:13:18Z 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

S-alkylated pyridyl-linked oxadiazole thione derivatives: Synthesis, dual Alpha-amylase/Alpha-glucosidase inhibition, and anti-inflammatory evaluation Shruthi, N.R.; Das, B.V.; Kamat, V.; Akki, M.; Barretto, D.A.; Poojary, B.; Venugopala, K.N. In type II diabetes mellitus, inhibition of the enzymes Alpha-amylase and Alpha-glucosidase is an effective strategy for managing postprandial hyperglycemia. Given the therapeutic significance of Alpha-amylase and Alpha-glucosidase inhibition, this study reports the synthesis of twelve S-alkylated pyridyl-linked oxadiazole thione derivatives from 2-chloronicotinic acid via a multistep synthetic route, evaluated as potential antidiabetic agents, which have been well characterized by FT-IR, sup(1)H/ sup(13)C NMR, and mass spectroscopic techniques. The synthesized compounds were docked with target proteins Alpha-glucosidase (PDB: 3L4Y) and Alpha-amylase (PDB: 4GQR). All synthesized compounds were assessed in vitro for their inhibitory activity against Alpha-amylase and Alpha-glucosidase, along with their anti-inflammatory potential. Compound 6f showed excellent Alpha-amylase and Alpha-glucosidase, and 6g showed anti-inflammatory properties among all the screened compounds.

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