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To minimize the detrimental effects of contaminated water, technology-based smart treatment processes are prerequisite for sustainable supply of drinking water. Nano-sized metal ...oxides are the best choice futuristic adsorbents for the removal of water toxins as such materials are associated with the characteristics of simplicity, versatility, efficacy and high surface reactivity. In this study, we describe a nanostructured ZnO adsorbent, which displays remarkable efficiency toward the removal of widely used azo dyes, methyl orange (MO) and amaranth (AM), from aqueous systems. The ZnO nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) were prepared by simple co-precipitation method, and the structural morphology of the as-prepared NPs was revealed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform IR (FTIR) and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET). After complementary characterization, as-prepared ZnO-NPs were further used as adsorbent for the removal of toxic azo dyes (MO and AM) from water. The results revealed that an amount of 0.3g ZnO-NPs showed maximum removal efficiency of each dye (40ppm) at pH 6. It was further confirmed that the adsorption of both dyes on ZnO-NPs strongly followed the Langmuir model whereas the kinetics studies revealed that each adsorption process was pseudo second order. Moreover, the findings suggested that R-SO3– groups were active sites and the electrostatic attraction between the dyes (MO–, AM–) and ZnO-NPs+ may be the prime adsorption mechanism of designated removal systems.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
During the present investigation, two new sulfonamide-based Schiff base ligands,
4-{(2-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)methylideneamino}-N-(1,3-thiazol-2-yl)benzene-1-sulfonamid
e (
L
1
) and
...4-{1-(2-hydroxyphenyl)ethylideneamino}-N-(1,3-thiazol-2-yl)benzene-1-sulfonamide
(
L
2
), have been synthesized and coordinated with the transition metals (V, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu and Zn). The ligands were characterized by their physical (color, melting point, yield and solubility), spectral (UV–Vis, FT-IR, LC–MS,
1
H NMR and
13
C NMR) and elemental data. The structures of the metal complexes (
1
)–(
12
) were evaluated through their physical (magnetic and conductance), spectral (UV–Vis, FT-IR and LC–MS) and elemental data. The molecular geometries of ligands and their selected metal complexes were optimized at their ground state energies by B3LYP level of density functional theory (DFT) utilizing 6-311+G (d, p) and LanL2DZ basis set. The first principle study has been discussed for the electronic properties, the molecular electrostatic possibilities as well as the quantum chemical identifiers. An obvious transition of intramolecular charge had been ascertained from the occupied to the unoccupied molecular orbitals. The UV–Vis analysis was performed through time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) by CAM-B3LYP/6-311+G (d, p) function. The in vitro antimicrobial activity was studied against two fungal (
Aspergillus niger
and
Aspergillus flavus
) and four bacterial (
Staphylococcus aureus
,
Klebsiela pneumoniae, Escherichia coli
and
Bacillus subtilis
) species. The antioxidant activity was executed as antiradical DPPH scavenging activity (%), total iron reducing power (%) and total phenolic contents (mg GAE g
−1
). Additionally, enzyme inhibition activity was done against four enzymes (
Protease, α-Amylase, Acetylcholinesterase
and
Butyrylcholinesterase
). All the synthetic products exhibited significant bioactivity which were found to enhance upon chelation due to phenomenon of charge transfer from metal to ligand.
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EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
The aim of this review is to investigate the current state of knowledge on the incorporation of antifungal agents into the tissue conditioners for the treatment of denture induced stomatitis.
Studies ...reporting the incorporation of antifungal/antimicrobial agents in to tissue conditioners were included in the review. In order to search the studies on the topic “incorporation of antifungal agents in tissue conditioners for the treatment of denture induced stomatitis” ISI web of science, PubMed/MEDLINE, and Google-Scholar databases were searched from 1970 up to and including July 2015 using various keywords such as antifungal agents, tissue conditioners, Candida albicans, denture stomatitis, etc.
Various studies reported the efficacy and effectiveness of adding conventional organic antifungal medicines (nystatin, azole group derivatives and chlorhexidine, antimicrobials/antifungals other than organic (silver zeolite, silver nano-particles, photo-catalysts and metallic oxides) and natural and herbal antimicrobials (tea tree oil, lemongrass essential oil and origanum oil) into various tissue conditioners. The review literature reported that incorporation of antifungal agents into tissue conditioners is effective with minimal or no effects on physical and mechanical properties of tissue conditioners.
Incorporation of different antifungal medicaments to commercially available tissue conditioners can be recommended for the management of denture induced stomatitis.
We formulate the variance-based uncertainty relations (URs) via the Robertson’s inequality, for a 2-particle entangled system constrained on a torus and subject to a stationary magnetic field
B
→
. ...We explore the system’s parameter space and show that these new URs have field-tunable uncertainty bounds. Our analysis reveals that
A
→
(vector potential) induces a phase shift in the state, due to the Aharonov–Bohm effect, leading to a perturbed system dynamics which results in asymmetric product of variance (
POV
). Additionally, we give the critical range of
A
→
and
B
→
where the system acts as an entanglement amplifier; this amplification is also discussed under various geometric parameters. The possibility of reducing the
POV
of the conjugate pair
q
,
p
below the known benchmark value by the Generalized Uncertainty Relation (GUR) is also demonstrated. Finally, we check the susceptibility of state coherence to
B
→
by saturating the angular momentum uncertainty relation and identify the critical coherence value
B
c
such that when
B
≠
B
c
, the state decoheres.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Student-staff partnership advocates the active involvement of students' voices in the design of education. Although the concept of student-staff partnership is rapidly gaining momentum in health ...professions education, the current practices are more outcome-focused and pay less attention to the partnership process itself. Students' involvement in most of the claimed partnerships has been viewed as input information to the educational design process rather than inviting them to the more pronounced role as partners. In this commentary, we elaborate on different levels of students' involvement in educational design, before highlighting the possible dynamics between students and staff in partnership. We propose five key features of dynamics involved in the process of real student-staff partnerships and a Process-Outcome Model for Student-staff Partnership. We advocate that moving beyond outcomes and diving deeper into the partnership processes is the way forward to establishing true student-staff partnerships.
In this study, antimicrobial potential, some probiotics properties and bacteriocin nature of Lysinibacillus, isolated from fruits and vegetable waste were evaluated. For this, 125 Lactobacillus ...isolates were tested against foodborne bacterial and fungal pathogens. Among these, an isolated Bacillus spp. showed significant aggregation-co-aggregation probiotics properties and potentially inhibits the foodborne gram positive microbial pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus, (22 mm ZOI), Staphylococcus epedermidis and Bacillus cereus (18 mm). Phenotypically and molecularly it was identified as Lysinibacillus (NCBI accession no. JX416856) and it was found closest to Lysinibacillus fusiformis, Lysinibacillus sphaericus and Lysinibacillus xylanilyticus. Physico-biochemically, it was found to be negative for amylase, protease, gelatinase, nitrate reductase and urease while positive for catalase. The diagnostic fatty acid was 22;2 (3.51). The growth conditions and bacteriocin activity were found to be optimum with MRS media at pH 7–10, Temperature 35–40 °C and salt tolerance at 1–3%. Eventually its production was optimized with MRS broth at pH 7.6, 37 °C, for 36 h in shaking conditions at the rate of 100 rpm. Active bacteriocin was isolated at 60% ammonium sulfate precipitation. The molecular weight of given bacteriocin was found to be nearly 25–35 kDa by SDS-PAGE. Based on physico- biochemical properties, the isolated bacteriocin was to be categories in class II bacteriocin. The bacteriocin was found to be stable in the range of 4–80 °C temperature, 6–10 pH and even in the presence of surfactant (such as SDS and Tween 80). However, proteases like pepsin and trypsin were found to degrade the bacteriocin. Collectively, the broad spectrum inhibitory potential and physical stability offered the antimicrobial potential to Lysinibacillus, and its relevant bacteriocin might be used as an alternative food preservative or therapeutic agent to control spoilage of different food products.
•Antibacterial/antifungal bacteriocin producing isolate was identified as Lysinibacillus sp.•It showed probiotics properties, inhibited Aspergillus sp. and food borne (G+/G−) bacteria.•Optimum production condition was found with MRS broth at pH 7.6, 37 °C, for 36 h in at 100 rpm.•A protease sensitive and physically stable bacteriocin of nearly 25–35 kDa was identified.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
Birth preparedness and complication readiness (BPCR) is a broad system to increase the practice of trained health provision at the time of childbirth and the key interventions to decrease mothers' ...and newborns' death. However, its status and influencing factors have not been well studied at different levels in the study area. The current study aimed to assess the BPCR status and explore its associated factors influencing BPCR among childbearing age women in Thatta, District of Sindh. This community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 770 recently delivered mothers from October 2016 -September 2017, recruited using a multistage cluster sampling technique. A structured validated close-ended questionnaire measuring BPCR knowledge and practices was used for the interviews. The results were analyzed by means of the Chi-square test, and a binary logistic regression model was used to determine the factors influencing BPCR. The overall response rate was 94.6%, with a low BPCR status. Out of 770 participants, only 163 (21.2%) were well prepared, while 607 (78.8%) were not prepared for safe childbirth and its complications. A small proportion of women knew about the serious warning signs of pregnancy, labour, childbirth and the postpartum period (16.2%), (15.3%) and (22.7%) respectively. Antenatal care (ANC) checkup (P < 0.001), cost of ANC checkup (p = 0.016), place of birth (p = 0.014), awareness of serious warning signs during pregnancy (p = 0.001) and awareness of serious warning signs during the postpartum period (p < 0.001) were found to be significant predictors of BPCR. The proportion of women who were well prepared for birth and its complications was low. It is recommended to organize community-based education campaigns and improve the quality of MNCH services at every level to increase BPCR among women in Sindh.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
This study was conducted to document the ethnoveterinary medicinal (EVM) practices for the treatment of different parasitic diseases of livestock in Cholistan desert, Pakistan.
An initial ...reconnaissance survey (rapid rural appraisal) among the local shepherds was conducted to identify the traditional healers. Information was collected from the traditional healers using a well-structured questionnaire through open-ended interviews and guided dialogue technique.
The parasitic diseases reported in livestock were: tick and lice infestation, mange, myiasis and helminthiasis. A total of 77 ethnoveterinary practices comprising of 49 based on plant usage and 28 based on dairy products, chemicals and other organic matter were documented. A total of 18 plant species representing 14 families were documented to treat the parasitic diseases. The plants included:
Aerva javanica (Amaranthaceae),
Aizoon carariense (Aizoaceae),
Azadirachta indica (Meliaceae),
Brassica campestris (Cruciferae),
Capparis decidua (Capparaceae),
Capsicum annuum (Solanaceae),
Citrullus colocynthis (Cucurbitaceae),
Cyperus rotundus (Cyperaceae),
Calligonum polygonoides (Polygonaceae),
Eruca sativa (Cruciferae),
Ferula assafoetida (Umbelliferae),
Haloxylon salicornicum (Chenopodiaceae),
Mallotus philippinensis (Euphorbiaceae),
Nicotiana tabacum (Solanaceae),
Pinus roxburghii (Pinaceae),
Salsola baryosma (Chenopodiaceae),
Solanum surratens (Solanaceae) and
Zingiber officinale (Zingiberaceae).
The EVM practices documented in this study need to be validated using standard parasitological procedures. Issues that should be addressed are efficacy (
vis-à-vis claims made by the respondents), quality, safety and standardization of doses.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
Abstract
By hybridization and special sexual reproduction, we sequentially aggregated Zea mays, Zea perennis, and Tripsacum dactyloides in an allohexaploid, backcrossed it with maize, derived ...self-fertile allotetraploids of maize and Z. perennis by natural genome extraction, extended their first six selfed generations, and finally constructed amphitetraploid maize using nascent allotetraploids as a genetic bridge. Transgenerational chromosome inheritance, subgenome stability, chromosome pairings and rearrangements, and their impacts on an organism's fitness were investigated by fertility phenotyping and molecular cytogenetic techniques genomic in situ hybridization (GISH) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Results showed that diversified sexual reproductive methods produced highly differentiated progenies (2n = 35–84) with varying proportions of subgenomic chromosomes, of which one individual (2n = 54, MMMPT) overcame self-incompatibility barriers and produced a self-fertile nascent near-allotetraploid by preferentially eliminating Tripsacum chromosomes. Nascent near-allotetraploid progenies showed persistent chromosome changes, intergenomic translocations, and rDNA variations for at least up to the first six selfed generations; however, the mean chromosome number preferably maintained at the near-tetraploid level (2n = 40) with full integrity of 45S rDNA pairs, and a trend of decreasing variations by advancing generations with an average of 25.53, 14.14, and 0.37 for maize, Z. perennis, and T. dactyloides chromosomes, respectively. The mechanisms for three genome stabilities and karyotype evolution for formatting new polyploid species were discussed.
IntroductionBirth preparedness and complication readiness (BPCR) is a broad system to increase the practice of trained health provision at the time of childbirth and the key interventions to decrease ...mothers' and newborns' death. However, its status and influencing factors have not been well studied at different levels in the study area. The current study aimed to assess the BPCR status and explore its associated factors influencing BPCR among childbearing age women in Thatta, District of Sindh.MethodsThis community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 770 recently delivered mothers from October 2016 -September 2017, recruited using a multistage cluster sampling technique. A structured validated close-ended questionnaire measuring BPCR knowledge and practices was used for the interviews. The results were analyzed by means of the Chi-square test, and a binary logistic regression model was used to determine the factors influencing BPCR.ResultsThe overall response rate was 94.6%, with a low BPCR status. Out of 770 participants, only 163 (21.2%) were well prepared, while 607 (78.8%) were not prepared for safe childbirth and its complications. A small proportion of women knew about the serious warning signs of pregnancy, labour, childbirth and the postpartum period (16.2%), (15.3%) and (22.7%) respectively. Antenatal care (ANC) checkup (P < 0.001), cost of ANC checkup (p = 0.016), place of birth (p = 0.014), awareness of serious warning signs during pregnancy (p = 0.001) and awareness of serious warning signs during the postpartum period (p < 0.001) were found to be significant predictors of BPCR.ConclusionThe proportion of women who were well prepared for birth and its complications was low. It is recommended to organize community-based education campaigns and improve the quality of MNCH services at every level to increase BPCR among women in Sindh.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
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