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Three CYP6Z genes are linked to a major pyrethroid resistance locus in the mosquito Anopheles gambiae. We have expressed CYP6Z2 in Escherichia coli and produced a structural model in order to examine its role in detoxification. E. coli membranes co-expressing CYP6Z2 and An. gambiae P450 reductase (AgCPR) catalysed the dealkylation of benzyloxyresorufin with kinetic parameters Km = 0.13 µM; Kcat = 1.5 min-1. The IC50 values of a wide range of compounds were measured. Pyrethroids cypermethrin and permethrin produced low IC50 values, but were not metabolized. Plant flavanoids were the most potent inhibitors. Several compounds were shown to be substrates, suggesting that CYP6Z2 has broad substrate specificity and plays an important chemo-protective role during the herbivorous phase of the life-cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The manganese-based magnetic photocatalyst was prepared using a facile sol–gel method and given microwave plasma treatment for 30 min. The photocatalyst was characterized for structural, magnetic, electrical and optical properties to check its suitability for photocatalytic degradation of methyl blue from wastewater. The plasma-treated photocatalyst exhibits more porous morphology than the untreated one. The crystallite size of untreated photocatalyst was calculated about 36 nm, which increased to 39 nm on plasma treatment. Similarly, the lattice parameter before and after plasma treatment was measured about 8.3552 Å and 8.4873 Å, respectively. The untreated photocatalyst had the band gap of 5.17 eV, which reduced to 4.98 eV on plasma treatment. The light absorption peak of the photocatalyst increased from 578 to 599 nm on plasma treatment. The plasma-treated and untreated photocatalysts showed 91% and 74% dye degradation efficiency, respectively. These catalysts retained 97% and 93% efficiency, respectively, after five cycles of dye degradation. The saturation magnetization was measured about 0.79 emu/g and 0.66 emu/g, respectively. The coercivity of untreated sample was measured about 0.3 kOe, which reduced to 0.1 kOe on plasma treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conventionally synthesized nano-ferrite materials do not possess bulk properties, generally required for their use in mainstream industry. To make ferrite nanoparticles clinically applicable materials, it is important to have good control over morphology and optical properties of these materials. In this study, low-pressure microwave plasma was used to tailor the structural properties and surface chemistry of manganese ferrite nanoparticles. A facile sol-gel method was used to prepare cubic spinal structures of manganese ferrite nanoparticles. These nanoparticles were exposed to oxygen plasma sustained with a microwave source for improving their magnetic and photocatalytic activities. The techniques like XRD, SEM, PL, UV-Vis DRS, transient photocurrent response and EIS were used to characterize the samples. The plasma treated nanoparticles were used to degraded methyl blue (MB) dye in the solution. The photocatalytic activity showed 85% degradation of MB after 100 min of exposure of visible light. The second part of the paper studied the magnetic properties of the nanoparticles. The saturation magnetization decreased from 0.78 emu/g to 0.68 emu/g after plasma treatment of nanoparticles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]