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Herbal cosmetics are a valuable gift of nature and their demand is increasing in the world market. They have good activity with no side effects as compared to synthetic cosmetics. Herbal cosmetics are beauty products and because of natural ingredients, they possess desirable physiological activities. The present research work aimed to formulate and characterize cost-effective herbal nourishment cream containing Aloe vera gel and tomato powder. Four formulations i.e. F1, F2, F3, and F4 were prepared with varying concentrations of Aloe vera gel and tomato powder, while the composition of the cream base was kept the same. The oil phase of the cream base consisted of liquid paraffin (5.0 ml), stearic acid (4.8 g) and coconut oil (3.0 ml). The aqueous phase consisted of triethanolamine (1.5 ml), glycerin (5.0 ml), citric acid (0.4 g), methylparaben (0.1 g), water (q.s.) and key ingredients. The concentration of Aloe vera gel was 2.0 ml, 4.0 ml, 6.0 ml, 8.0 ml and the concentration of tomato powder was 0.2 g, 0.4 g, 0.6 g, 0.8 g in F1, F2, F3, and F4 respectively. The characterization of the formulated creams was carried out by standard methods, such as homogeneity test, smear type, irritancy test, pH test, spreadability test and acid value test. The stability test was carried out at different temperature conditions at 40 °C, below 5 °C and room temperature. All creams were homogeneous, non-irritant and easily removable. The pH of creams was in the range of 7.3–7.6 which is safe for human skin. Spreadability was in the range of 9–13. Acid values of the prepared creams were 5.6, 5.6, 6.4 and 7.2 respectively. Stability was examined by two parameters, homogeneity and pH change. The economical herbal creams prepared by using fewer chemicals are good for skin with moisturizing properties. The efficiency of creams can be improved by increasing the concentration of Aloe vera gel and tomato powder.

For electrochemical water splitting, the fabrication and designing of an active, robust, and stable bifunctional catalyst is the most challenging issue. In this work we report the electrocatalytic ability hybrid of Molybdenum Carbide (Mo2C) and ZIF-67 hybrid heterostructures fabricated by annealing at high temperatures. This bifunctional electrocatalyst have shown an outstanding performance for water splitting with high activity both for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) processes. The hybrid (MCZ-2) with ratio of 1:2 have shown superior catalytic activity with a low overpotential of 169 mV and 208 mV at the current density of 10 mA/cm2 and 20 mA/cm2 respectively for HER. Similarly, for OER, it shows overpotential of 340 mV and 370 mV at the current density of 20 mA/cm2 and 50 mA/cm2. Besides, the MCZ-2 have shown a long-term stability 24 h at the current density of 100 μA/cm2. The boosted HER and OER activity of the hybrid is attributed to synergetic effect between ZIF-67 and Mo2C and modulation of active sites due to the presence of N and Co in the hybrid.

In this study, we report the synthesis of single and dual-crosslinked anthracene-functional chitosan-based hydrogels in the absence of toxic initiators. Single crosslinking was achieved through dimerization of anthracene, whereas dual-crosslinked hydrogel was formed through dimerization of anthracene and free radical photopolymerization of methacrylated-chitosan in the presence of non-toxic initiator riboflavin, a well-known vitamin B2. Both single and dual-crosslinked hydrogels were found to be elastic, as was determined through rheological analysis. We observed that the dual-crosslinked hydrogels exhibited higher Young's modulus than the single-crosslinked hydrogels, where the modulus for single and dual-crosslinked hydrogels were measured as 9.2 ± 1.0 kPa and 26 ± 2.8 kPa, respectively resulting in significantly high volume of cells in dual-crosslinked hydrogel (2.2 × 107 μm3) compared to single-crosslinked (4.9 × 106 μm3). Furthermore, we investigated the cytotoxicity of both hydrogels towards 3T3-J2 fibroblast cells through CellTiter-Glo assay. Finally, immunofluorescence staining was carried out to evaluate the impact of hydrogel modulus on cell morphology. This study comprehensively presents functionalization of chitosan with anthracene, uses nontoxic initiator riboflavin, modulates the degree of crosslinking through dimerization of anthracene and free radical photopolymerization, and further modulates cell behavior through the alterations of hydrogel properties.

Electro-optic modulators are utilized ubiquitously ranging from applications in data communication to photonic neural networks. While tremendous progress has been made over the years, efficient phase-shifting modulators are challenged with fundamental tradeoffs, such as voltage-length, index change-losses or energy-bandwidth, and no single solution available checks all boxes. While voltage-driven phase modulators, such as based on lithium niobate, offer low loss and high speed operation, their footprint of 10’s of cm-scale is prohibitively large, especially for density-critical applications, for example in photonic neural networks. Ignoring modulators for quantum applications, where insertion loss is critical, in this work we distinguish between current versus voltage-driven modulators. We focus on the former, since current-based schemes of emerging thin electro-optical materials have shown unity-strong index modulation suitable for heterogeneous integration into foundry waveguides. Here, we provide an in-depth ab-initio analysis of obtainable modulator performance based on heterogeneously integrating low-dimensional materials, i.e., graphene, thin films of indium tin oxide, and transition metal dichalcogenide monolayers into a plurality of optical waveguide designs atop silicon photonics. Using the fundamental modulator tradeoff of energy-bandwidth-product as a design-quality quantifier, we show that a small modal cross section, such as given by plasmonic modes, enables high-performance operation, physically realized by arguments on charge-distribution and low electrical resistance. An in-depth design understanding of phase-modulator performance, beyond doped-junctions in silicon, offers opportunities for micrometer-compact yet energy-bandwidth-ratio constrained modulators with timely opportunities to hardware-accelerate applications beyond data communication towards photonic machine intelligence, for instance; where both performance and integration-density are critical.

The proximate composition of extracts from three selected agro-wastes (rice husk, pea peels and orange peels) was determined by following AACC protocols. All wastes were found to have intrinsic phytochemical compositions which are responsible for their antimicrobial and/or antioxidant potential. Amongst the wastes, orange peel had largest amount of total phenolic content as well as total flavonoid content. The highest values for total phenolic and flavonoid contents were consistent with the most significant antioxidant potential observed for orange peel. Although FRAP values were in agreement with the scavenging assays, but the reducing power in terms of total antioxidant capacity was highest for pea peel extracts. The wastes also exhibited significant inhibition against selected fungal and bacterial stains which suggest that these samples could be good antimicrobial source.

Background: Synthetic chemistry has always served as a back bone to the medicinal and pharmaceutical chemistry in terms of drug development and drug optimization. It helped in a great deal in finding new lead compounds and synthesizing new drugs. A new molecule N-(2,6-Dimethylphenyl)-2-{[5-(1H-indol-3-ylmethyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-yl] sulfanyl} acetamide, was synthesized from the fusion of Indole acetic acid with 1,3,4-oxadiazole. This pharmacologically active entity lacks a suitable method for its analysis. Aim: The present research aimed to develop a UV visible spectroscopic method for the purpose followed by its validation according to ICH guidelines. Methodology: The method was developed at 225 nm (λmax). Then the accuracy, precision, sensitivity (Limit of detection & Limit of quantification), specificity, robustness and ruggedness were calculated. The analyte was exposed to multiple stress conditions to figure out method’s specificity. Results: The developed method showed the linearity within a range (0.5 – 50 µg/mL) with correlation coefficient (R2) = 0.9997. The accuracy of the developed method was figured out by recovery analysis and it was within 95.556 – 104.321 %. The precision analysis i.e. interday (0.505591 %), intraday (0.231661 %) and repeatability (0.06478 %), were within the acceptance criteria viz. % RSD less than 2 % and LOD & LOQ were found to be 0.523356 and 1.58598 µg/mL. All the validation parameters were within the acceptance limits making the method unique and acceptable. In addition to that it was found to be easy, reliable and analyst friendly (ruggedness, 0.520889 %). The analyte when exposed to stress conditions viz. acidic (0.1N H2SO4) and basic (0.1N NaOH) environment, oxidative stress (3 % H2O2), UV light and altered temperature and humidity (80 ºC+75% RH) for 24 hr, it was found deteriorated. The analyte was 65.56 % degraded in acidic, 39.63 % in basic, 45.18 % under oxidative stress and 61.85 % under altered conditions of temperature and humidity. There was a complete loss of analyte (87.78 %) when exposed to UV light. Conclusion: The results clearly states that the method is simple, sensitive, specific, precise and accurate, thus can be employed for the quantitative estimations of the analyte.

Densely integrated active photonics is key for next generation on-chip networks for addressing both footprint and energy budget concerns. However, the weak light-matter interaction in traditional active Silicon optoelectronics mandates rather sizable device lengths. The ideal active material choice should avail high index modulation while being easily integrated into Silicon photonics platforms. Indium tin oxide (ITO) offers such functionalities and has shown promising modulation capacity recently. Interestingly, the nanometer-thin unity-strong index modulation of ITO synergistically combines the high group-index in hybrid plasmonic with nanoscale optical modes. Following this design paradigm, here, we demonstrate a spectrally broadband, GHz-fast Mach–Zehnder interferometric modulator, exhibiting a high efficiency signified by a miniscule VπL of 95 V μm, deploying a one-micrometer compact electrostatically tunable plasmonic phase-shifter, based on heterogeneously integrated ITO thin films into silicon photonics. Furthermore we show, that this device paradigm enables spectrally broadband operation across the entire telecommunication near infrared C-band. Such sub-wavelength short efficient and fast modulators monolithically integrated into Silicon platform open up new possibilities for high-density photonic circuitry, which is critical for high interconnect density of photonic neural networks or applications in GHz-fast optical phased-arrays, for example.

Beautiful green leaves of Papaya are the rich source of Chlorophyll. Green color of chlorophyll has been used for a very long time as a natural colorant. Carica papaya has been considered as a good example and reasonable source of natural phytochemicals, which makes it suitable to color the food items and beverages. The aim of the present investigation is to develop the process of ultrasonic extraction in combination with solid phase extraction (SPE) to extract out chlorophyll with high yield as well as high degree of clarity. Newly customized ultrasonic-assisted extraction technique for the extraction of chlorophyll from Carica papaya leaves is optimized by taking different parameters like time, temperature, solvents concentrations, and raw material under consideration. Furthermore, the extract was purified by means of SPE and examined by using UV-Vis spectrophotometer. The highest yield of chlorophyll (dye) extract was found as 40% in solvent solution having 80 mL of ethanol and 20 mL of water with 5 minutes of extraction time, 35°C of temperature, and 1 grams of raw material in the sonication bath. Furthermore, the SPE purified sample was characterized by means of the UV-Vis spectrophotometer and here the total chlorophyll content was 34 mg/g, including chlorophyll a with a concentration of 14.1246 mg/g and chlorophyll b with concentration of 19.845 mg/g respectively. Consequently, sonication method can be suggested as a good method to get better concentration of chlorophyll.

Soil soluble organic nitrogen (SON) is one of the most active components in soil nitrogen pools; however, limited information is available with regard to its driving factors, as well as their pathways and degrees of influence. In this study, structural equation modeling was used to analyze the driving factors, their significance, and pathways that affected SON dynamics in a waterlogged experiment of two typical paddy soils incubated for 80 d after green manure application. Soil pH, Eh, microbial biomass, enzyme activity, and SON dynamics were used to construct the structural equation model. Results showed that soil microbial biomass carbon (MBC), protease, glutamine, and initial organic matter (OM) directly and significantly affected soil SON with path coefficients corresponding to 0.405, 0.547, 0.523, and–0.623 (P

Objective History of the utilization of various parts of Camellia sinensis such as seed oil in different folklore medicaments and plants leaves for preparing green tea is very old. Pharmacokinetics (PK) plays a key role in the drug discovery stage by channelizing the medicinal chemist in the optimization process of chemical sequences and lends a hand to pharmacologists to invent in vivo studies. The objectives of the present study were to elaborate quantitative determination of phytochemicals and nutritional assessment of C. sinensis especially on the composition of seed oil of the local C. sinensis plant and to evaluate the pharmacokinetics of leaves extract in healthy volunteers. Method Determination of secondary metabolites and nutritional assessment of C. sinensis were carried out. The composition of seed oil was elaborated with the help of GC–MS analysis for its potential significance and evidence-based household uses as folklore but also for industrial applications. Pharmacokinetics of water extract of C. sinensis leaves was compared in 9 healthy human volunteers and divided into three groups (n = 3, in each) fasting, fed and fed with coke. Plasma concentrations were noted in each group and were quantified using a validated HPLC method. Results Phytochemical analysis and proximate analysis of C. sinensis suggests the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, saponins sterols; and protein, lipids fiber and carbohydrate respectively. GC–MS of the C. sinensis seed oil shows the presence of linoleic acid 100%, palmitic acid 33.55%, stearic acid 21.96, caffeine 21.72 and vitamin E 14.49%. Pharmacokinetic studies suggest that in the fasting group, higher plasma concentration was found among all the volunteers. Conclusion The phytochemical analysis of green tea suggests that it is a good source of secondary metabolites full of important nutrients. GC–MS of seed oil reveals that seed of C. sinensis is a rich source of fatty acid, and can be used to fulfill the pharmaceutical need. Pharmacokinetic studies may help to develop the biomarkers for the green tea utilization and also would help to design the dose and dose frequency for achieving the significant absorption level. PK and PD also help to determine its plasma concentration and therapeutic efficacy.

The production of hydrogen from electrocatalytic water splitting using a clean energy source has become a sustainable route to overcome the problems related to fossil fuels. Therefore, it is essential to develop a non-precious, stable and highly efficient electrocatalyst. Nickel and cobalt sulphide have gained much attention as hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) catalysts due to their pH stability, low cost and high activity. But the application of these sulphides is limited due to high over-potentials, low surface area and less catalytic active sites available for HER. Furthermore, Nickel and cobalt sulphide can be coupled with different functional components to enhance their catalytic activity. This comprehensive review focuses on the progress made so far to enhance the electrochemical properties of nickel and cobalt sulphides and their composites with various active materials. The comparative survey of their HER activities is made in terms of their electrocatalytic performance parameters.

Poor crop establishment is one of the major constraints to obtain the higher potential of rice, particularly in areas prone to environmental stresses. Therefore, present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of potassium nitrate on germination dynamics, seedling growth and associated physiological and biochemical events of two rice cultivars. For this purpose, various seed priming treatments were tested in lab and greenhouse. The percent concentrations of potassium nitrate were 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, 1.0 and 1.25 in both lab evaluation and greenhouse experiment. Non-primed seeds were maintained as a control for comparison. The results depicted that soaking rice seeds at higher concentrations of KNO3 could delay emergence time and final emergence (%) in both cultivars under lab and greenhouse conditions. Seed priming with 0.75% KNO3 significantly increased the stand establishment and seedling vigor attributes of both cultivars compared with other concentrations and naked rice seeds both in lab evaluation and greenhouse screening. Similarly, highest values for photosynthesis rate, evaporation rate and CO2 index were observed in experimental units receiving primed seeds with 0.75% KNO3 under greenhouse screening. Interestingly, no variance was observed among both rice cultivars. Overall, higher seed emergence, seedling vigor and associated biochemical attributes due to seed priming with 0.75% KNO3 was associated with decrease in alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and pyruvate decarboxylase (PDH) activities in lab and greenhouse screening. Keywords: Seed priming, potassium nitrate, seed quality, stand establishment, vigor Introduction Rice is an important cereal crop that serve as staple food for almost half of the world population (Chun et al. 2020; Zafar et al. 2020). Its germination is affected under various environmental stresses which causes poor yield (Zafar et al. 2015; Zafar et al. 2018). Poor germination is the problem often faced by different farmers of rice, especially when the seed is broadcasted in dry condition. Under unfavorable and harsh environmental condition, seed priming method is the best technique which help the seed to germinate easily. It enhances the germination chances and boost up the process (Ahmed et al., 2019), and is a cheaper solution to overcome poor stand establishment (Farooq et al., 2009; Harris et al., 1999). It has been reported that the seed priming is very helpful in improving germination rate of many crops i.e., rice, wheat, maize and canola (Basra et al., 2005). The germination percentage and dry weight of seedlings of safflower was increased by seed priming (Razaji et al., 2012). It has been reported that the inferior quality of wheat could also grow well after seed priming (Hussian et al., 2013). Increase in germination rate, uniformity in process, improved plant growth and yield, and better physiological performance are included in the beneficial aspects of seed priming (Farooq et al., 2007; Ruan et al., 2002). The seed priming principle is based on the behavior of seed towards water absorption; water is very important factor for seed germination and growth. The water intake of seed is divided into three phases. First phase includes the intake of water by seed and activation of enzymes. In 2nd phase, after activation of enzymes, several processes such as food deprivation, cell membrane restructuring and biosynthesis of starch occur to support seedling and root growth. In final phase, the growth of root and shoot organs i.e., radicle and plumule takes place (Bewley et al., 2013). There are three categories of seed priming techniques; (1) hydro-priming – priming with simple water, (2) solid-matrix priming – priming with solid organic material and (3) osmopriming – priming with priming solutions e.g., potassium nitrate (KNO3), potassium chloride (KCl) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) (McKersie, 2002; Mohammadi, 2009). PEG and KNO3 are commonly used in priming studies, but PEG is more expensive than KNO3. In a previous study, it was demonstrated that the osmopriming of seed of soybean with KNO3 at the concentration of 6 g/L increased the germination percentage and dry weight of seedling (Ahmadvand et al., 2012). Similarly, seed priming with 1.0% KNO3 for 24 h at 20°C enhance the germination rate and improved the physiological quality of soybean (Mohammadi, 2009). Moreover, it has also been reported that the seed priming could improve the protein synthesis during early growth of embryo (Xu et al., 2009). Here in this study, the aim was to evaluate the effect of seed priming with different concentrations of KNO3 (0.25%, 0.50%, 0.75%, 1.0% and 1.25% (w/v) KNO3 for 1 day at 25°C) on the stand establishment, seedling vigor, physiological and biochemical attributes of two rice cultivars. Materials and Methods Seed Source: Seed of Indica rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivars viz., Basmati-515 and Basmati-385 were obtained from Rice Research Institute, Kala Shah Kaku, Punjab, Pakistan. The initial germination and seed moisture content prior to seed treatment was ˃80% and 12% respectively on dry weight basis. Seed Priming Treatments: Rice seeds were primed with 0.25%, 0.50%, 0.75%, 1.0% and 1.25% (w/v) KNO3 for 24 h at 25°C. Pre-weighed seeds (5g) were placed on two blotter papers in 9-cm diameter petri dishes saturated with appropriate concentration of osmotic solutions followed by covering of dishes with aluminum foil. Non-primed rice seeds were maintained as control for comparison. Seeds were stored at -4°C in paper bags, prior to experimentation. Experimental Site and Conditions: Lab experiment was conducted in the growth chamber of Seed Preservation Lab, National Agricultural Research Centre, Islamabad, Pakistan during September 2019 to October 2019. While, greenhouse experiment was conducted at the research station of National Agricultural Research Centre, Islamabad, Pakistan during September 2019 to November 2019. Well pulverized soil was collected from the field of research station and each plastic pot 35cm×25cm×15cm in size was filled with 6kg of soil. After leveling the soil surface in each pot, moisture was applied up to field capacity. In each pot, 40 seeds were equally sown on the soil surface in both experiments. Both experiments were laid out in a completely randomized design with four replications. For lab screening, all the trays were placed in the growth chamber with a constant temperature of 25°C and a light period of 12h. The relative humidity during the complete execution of lab experiment was maintained at 65%. For greenhouse experiment, all the trays were placed in greenhouse under natural environmental conditions. Moisture was applied to each try when declined. Stand Establishment: Emergence was recorded on daily basis until a constant was achieved. Final emergence (%) was taken at the end of experiment (AOSA, 1990). Mean emergence time (days) was recorded as per the equation of ISTA (2015). Seedling Vigor: Seedling length of five randomly selected from each treatment was measured with the help of measuring tape and averaged to get mean length. Similarly, fresh and dry weight of these plants was measured on a weighing balance. For dry weight, plants were dried at 70°C till constant weight in an oven (Zafar et al., 2015). Physiological Parameters: Measurements of CO2 index (µmol mol-1), net photosynthetic rate (µmol CO2 m-2 s-1) and evaporation rate (µmol H2O m-2 s-1) were made on a fully expanded leaf from top by using an open system LCA-4 ADC (USA) portable infrared gas analyzer. Biochemical Attributes: To determine the activities of alcohol dehydrogenase and pyruvate decarboxylase, seedling samples were ground and detected by an alcohol dehydrogenase assay kit and a pyruvate decarboxylase test kit. Statistical Analysis: The data from growth chamber and greenhouse experiments are presented as the mean value ± standard error of four replicates. By using Statistix 9.0, analysis of variance for all the treatments was performed. Graphical presentation of data was performed by using SigmaPlot 14.0. Results Lab Screening Stand Establishment: Seed priming treatments maximally improved the final emergence (%) of both rice cultivars under well-controlled conditions. Highest values for final emergence (%) were recorded in experimental units (Cultivar 1 (V1)=96%, Cultivar 2 (V2)=98%) receiving rice seed primed with 0.75% KNO3 as compared to control. Seed priming with 1% KNO3 was also proved to be beneficial in both cultivars (V1=89%, V2=90%) for improving final emergence (%). No variance in final emergence was observed among experimental units receiving rice seed primed 0.50% and 1% KNO3 in V2 cultivar (Fig. 1a). Similarly, minimum mean emergence time (MET) was recorded in rice seeds primed with 0.75% followed by 1% KNO3. Highest values for MET was recorded in control in both cultivars (Fig. 1b). Collectively, statistical analysis of data revealed that seed primed with KNO3 proved better in improving stand establishment of both rice cultivars as compared to control. Seedling Vigor: Seedling length of both rice cultivars is graphically presented in Fig. 2a and data revealed that maximum seedling vigor in both cultivars was achieved in rice seeds primed with 0.75% (V1=8.10cm, V2=8.24cm) followed by 1% (V1=7.88cm, V2=7.91cm) and 0.50% (V1=7.43cm, V2=7.69cm) KNO3 solutions as compared to control (V1=6.83cm, V2=6.71cm) (Fig. 2a). Seed priming with KNO3 also proved effective in improving the seedling fresh and dry weight, nonetheless effect of different cultivars was not pronounced. Plants in both cultivars raised from seeds treated with 0.75% KNO3 depicted highest values for seedling fresh (V1=34.45mg, V2=37.67mg) (Fig. 2b) and dry weight (V1=18.12mg, V2=19.01mg) as compared to other treatments and control (Fig. 2c). No apparent difference in seedling fresh and dry weight was observed among rice seed treated with 0.50% and 1.0% KNO3 in both cultivars. Greenhouse Screening Stand Establishment: A variable trend of primed and non-primed final emergence (%) was observed in both cultivars under greenhouse screening. Rice seed in both cultivars treated with 0.75% KNO3 steadily depicted highest values for final emergence (V1=95%, V2=98%), while an opposite drift was examined in control (V1=77%, V2=80%). Rice seeds treated with 1% KNO3 also proved to be successful in both cultivars (V1=88%, V2=91%) for improving final emergence (%) under greenhouse conditions. No variance in final emergence was observed among experimental units receiving rice seed primed 0.50% and 1% KNO3 in both cultivars (Fig. 3a). However, minimum mean emergence time (MET) was recorded in rice seeds primed with 0.75% followed by 1% KNO3 in both cultivars compared to other treatments and control. In addition, both cultivars showed highest values for MET in experimental units receiving control (Fig. 3b). Seedling Vigor: Statistical analysis of data pertaining to seedling vigor depicted that the effect of seed priming treatments was significant in both cultivars. However, both cultivars did not exhibit pronounced effect on seedling vigor. All priming treatments significantly improved the seedling length in both cultivars, whereas maximum seedling was achieved in rice seed primed with 0.75% (V1=7.90cm, V2=8.09cm) followed by 1% (V1=7.65cm, V2=7.74cm) KNO3 solutions. Furthermore, lowest vales for seedling length in both cultivars was observed in control (V1=6.41cm, V2=6.51cm) (Fig. 3a). Plants in both cultivars raised from seeds treated with 0.75% KNO3 depicted highest values for seedling fresh (V1=33.45mg, V2=36.54mg) (Fig. 3b) and dry weight (V1=16.78mg, V2=19.99mg) as compared to other treatments and control (Fig. 3c). Overall, statistical analysis of data revealed that seed priming with 0.75% KNO3 proved successful in improving seedling vigor of both rice cultivars as compared to other treatments and control. Physiological and Biochemical Attributes: Analysis of variance of data showed that seed priming treatments significantly improved the physiological and biochemical attributes of both cultivars, while effect of cultivars was not significant. Highest photosynthesis rate, evaporation rate and CO2 were observed in rice seeds treated with 0.75% KNO3, whereas lowest values were examined in non-treated control. Statistical analysis of data demonstrated that PDH and ADH activities were significantly influenced by seed priming treatments. Though all the seed priming treatments proved successful for improving the biochemical attributes however lowest values were observed in experimental units receiving rice seed treated with 0.75% KNO3 under greenhouse screening. Highest values for PDH and ADH activities were observed in control (Table 1). Figure 3. Effect of seed priming with KNO3 on stand establishment of two rice cultivars in greenhouse. V1=Basmati-515, V2=Basmati=385: T0=Control, T1=0.25% KNO3, T2=0.50% KNO3, T3=0.75% KNO3, T4=1.0% KNO3, T5=1.25% KNO3. Seedling Vigor: Statistical analysis of data pertaining to seedling vigor depicted that the effect of seed priming treatments was significant in both cultivars. However, both cultivars did not exhibit pronounced effect on seedling vigor. All priming treatments significantly improved the seedling length in both cultivars, whereas maximum seedling was achieved in rice seed primed with 0.75% (V1=7.90cm, V2=8.09cm) followed by 1% (V1=7.65cm, V2=7.74cm) KNO3 solutions. Furthermore, lowest vales for seedling length in both cultivars was observed in control (V1=6.41cm, V2=6.51cm) (Fig. 4a). Plants in both cultivars raised from seeds treated with 0.75% KNO3 depicted highest values for seedling fresh (V1=33.45mg, V2=36.54mg) (Fig. 4b) and dry weight (V1=16.78mg, V2=19.99mg) as compared to other treatments and control (Fig. 4c). Overall, statistical analysis of data revealed that seed priming with 0.75% KNO3 proved successful in improving seedling vigor of both rice cultivars as compared to other treatments and control. Figure 4. Seedling vigor attributes of two cultivars of rice under the influence of seed priming with KNO3 in greenhouse. V1=Basmati-515, V2=Basmati=385: T0=Control, T1=0.25% KNO3, T2=0.50% KNO3, T3=0.75% KNO3, T4=1.0% KNO3, T5=1.25% KNO3. Table 1. Variations in physiological and biochemical attributes of two rice cultivars under the influence of seed priming with KNO3 in lab. Cultivars Treatments Physiological attributes Biochemical attributes Photosynthesis rate (µmol CO2 m-2 s-1) Evaporation rate (µmol H2O m-2 s-1) CO2 index (µmol mol-1) Alcohol dehydrogenase (Ug-1 FW) Pyruvate decarboxylase (U g -1 FW) Basmati-515 T0 10.67±0.05 c 0.91±0.09 c 120.33±5.5 d 1.72±0.09 a 1.62±0.09 a T1 12.67±0.08 bc 1.09±0.09 bc 131.33±6.2 cd 1.44±0.07 ab 1.33±0.05 ab T2 14.83±0.06 abc 1.31±0.08 b 148.33±5.2 bc 1.29±0.06 bc 1.17±0.08 bc T3 17.67±0.04 a 1.72±0.06 a 172.00±5.3 a 1.11±0.08 c 1.02±0.04 c T4 15.83±0.06 ab 1.40±0.06 ab 154.33±4.8 ab 1.33±0.06 bc 1.24±0.07 bc T5 14.00±0.07 abc 1.33±0.08 b 142.67±4.8 bc 1.54±0.09 ab 1.43±0.06 ab LSD at p≤0.05 1.23 0.31 18.71 0.31 0.29 Basmati-385 T0 9.69±0.05 c 1.02±0.08 c 122.33±5.12 c 1.82±0.08 a 1.73±0.08 a T1 11.63±0.08 bc 1.19±0.06 bc 132.67±5.98 bc 1.51±0.09 abc 1.42±0.09 abc T2 13.89±0.06 abc 1.39±0.09 b 152.33±4.82 ab 1.40±0.08 bc 1.29±0.08 bc T3 16.64±0.04 a 1.81±0.05 a 174.00±5.83 a 1.22±0.05 c 1.10±0.05 c T4 14.88±0.06 ab 1.51±0.07 ab 155.33±4.89 ab 1.43±0.06 bc 1.31±0.06 bc T5 13.01±0.07 abc 1.40±0.05 b 144.00±5.01 bc 1.65±0.07 ab 1.56±0.07 ab LSD at p≤0.05 1.03 0.34 28.00 0.32 0.31 Discussion Osmopriming of seed by KNO3 affected the seed emergence and the speed of seed germination. Osmopriming induces the reduction in intake of water in phase-I of germination, causing prolonged duration of phase-2, resulting commencement of major event before the emergence of radicle (Nonogaki and Nonogaki, 2016). This major event includes metabolic changes such as repair of DNA and increase in biosynthesis of RNA (Bray, 2017), and enhancement in the respiration process of seed (Singh et al., 2013). It indicates that the time of seed imbibition is very important for osmopriming. For the study of osmopriming of rice (Oryza sativa L.) seed with different levels of KNO3, therefore it is important to know about the emergence percentage and mean emergence time (MET). The results of present study indicate that the performance of osmopriming of both cultivars of rice with 0.75% KNO3 was appreciable in lab screening as well as greenhouse (Fig. 1 and 3). The pattern of seedling emergence (%) and MET was almost same in both cultivars as well as both sites (lab and greenhouse). The time of water intake by the seed during priming can very within the cultivars which can affect the performance of osmoticum (KNO3) (Kiers et al., 2008), but in our study the difference between the performance of both cultivars was non-significant. Emergence of the seed is the stage where it is determined that either the seedling will further grow or not. The emergence percentage is calculated from the number of emerged seedlings from number of primed seeds sown (International Seed Testing Association, 2015). The data shown in figure 1 and 3 depicts that the osmopriming of rice seed with 0.75% KNO3 is better than all other treatments in term of emergence percentage and MET. Our study is in correspondence with another study who revealed that emergence percentage of wheat seed was decreased with the increase in KNO3 concentration (Shafiei Abnavi and Ghobadi, 2012). This indicates that the KNO3 concentration above than a certain level may not be appropriate for cereals. Osmopriming with 1% KNO3 was found useful in term of emergence percentage in sorghum (Shehzad et al., 2012). Besides, soybean seed priming with 1% KNO3 for 1 day enhanced the emergence percentage as compared to untreated seeds, both in lab and field experiments (Mohammadi, 2009). Seedling vigor is the combine result of the emerged seeds in a wide range of biotic and abiotic factors (International Seed Testing Association, 2015). Seedling vigor is not a single measurable entity, but it is a sum of many growth parameters such as seedling length, seedling fresh weight and seedling dry weight (International Seed Testing Association, 2015). Maximum vigor was observed when seed priming with 0.75% KNO3 was done (Fig. 2 and 4). Our study is in line with another study in which seedling vigor of wheat was improved by the priming with KNO3 (Shafiei Abnavi and Ghobadi, 2012). Similar results were found in corn when the osmopriming of seed was done with 1% KNO3 (Hadinezhad et al., 2013). Our findings are similar with other studies, in which the shoot length of tomato and watermelon was increased by the osmopriming with KNO3 (Demir and Van De Venter, 1999; Mirabi & Hasanabadi, 2012). Seed priming with KNO3 can cause significant increase in seedling vigor of wheat crop as compared to hydro-priming or dry broadcasting (Basra et al., 2003). The growth and development of plant is based upon a process; photosynthesis. While its performance is mostly dependent on the opening/closing of stomata, causing decrease in photosynthetic rate, respiration rate and CO2 index (Shu et al., 2016). The results of present study revealed that the maximum photosynthesis rate, evaporation rate and CO2 index was observed in the rice seeds which were primed with 0.75% KNO3 (Table 1). Whereas the seedlings of control treatments showed inferior results as compared to other osmopriming treatments. Our study is in corroboration with another study in which the increased photosynthetic rate, respiration rate and CO2 index of cucumber seedlings as the result of seed priming with KNO3 was reported (Anwar et al., 2020). Photosynthesis rate of the seedlings has a positive correlation with the growth of seedling (Anwar et al., 2020). A previous study indicated that the leaf nitrogen and chlorophyll contents have a positive correlation, and can derive the photosynthesis rate being a key molecule for photosynthesis (De Castro et al., 2014). The results of present study revealed that the biochemical attributes e.g. alcohol dehydrogenase (Ug-1 FW) and pyruvate decarboxylase (Ug-1 FW) of rice were suppressed by osmopriming of seed with KNO3. Maximum suppression was observed in those seedlings who were treated with 0.75%% KNO3, while minimum suppression was seen in non-primed seedlings. A previous study expressed that seed priming with potassium nitrate (KNO3) improved the biochemical indices of Chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) (Dehkordi et al., 2012). Conclusion Good quality seed is always in demand by the farmers and seed industry. Therefore, present study was conducted to improve the rice seed quality by seed priming with KNO3. The results depicted that seed priming with 0.75% KNO3 proved successful in improving stand establishment, vigor and physiological attributes. The improved performance might by linked with better activities of ADH and PDH. Therefore, present research provides basis for further transcriptomics/metabolomics/proteomics basis of primed seeds with KNO3

Stored grains commodities are attacked by a variety of beetles and larvae of lepidopteron insect pets. of them,Tribolium castaneum(Herbst) is a severe insect pest of stored commodities throughout the world. This insect is widely spreading various climatic regions throughout the world. Results of bioassay with Spinetoram exposed that maximum larval mortality was detected 88.87% and 44.04% after “48 hr” and “72 hr”. Exposure time period after 0.03% concentration, correspondingly. Minimum mortality 14.17% after “24 hr” at same concentration. At lower concentration 0.02%, maximum mortality 61.96% after “72 hr”, 31.65% after “48 hr” of exposure time period. Minimum mortality of 15.02% was observed after “24 hr”. At lowest concentration 0.01%, maximum mortality 60.38% was recorded at “72 hr”, 28.22% after “48 hr”. Whereas, minimum mortality 8.41% was detected after “24 hr”. The mortality was increased by increased the concentration of spinetoram and exposure time. Repellent activities of acetone based plant extracts ofEruca sativa,Azadirachta indicaandRicinus communisagainst the insect pest of stored grain commodities,Tribolium castaneum. Various concentrations (5, 10 and 15%) of the plant extracts were applied on the filter papers in the bioassay experiments and after the release of 15d old beetles, repellency was evaluated after fixed intervals (12, 24). Increased repellency was found at increased concentrations of plants. The concentration interaction and plant extracts findings for the treatments remained momentous. The generally findings exposed raised death rate with raise the doses and time period.

The present study was designed to carry out the synthesis of targeted N-arylindole imines (derived from 4,5,6-trimethoxy-2,3-diphenyl-1H-indole-7-carbaldehyde), their characterization by spectroscopic and spectrometric methods, and evaluation of gastroprotector activity. The gastroprotective potential of indole imines (5 – 10) was elucidated after peroral administration of compounds in various doses to h EtOH-induced and indomethacin-induced gastric ulcers. In order to determine the mechanism of drug action, the effects of compounds on pH, ulcer index, gastric volume, gastric mucus content, and antioxidant biomarkers were determined. Among five newly synthesized compounds, two halogen derivatives (8 and 9) showed significant protection at 40 and 60 mg/kg doses as compared to standard drug omeprazole. In EtOH-induced gastric ulcer model, indole imine 9 significantly increased the mucus content. Both compounds (8 and 9) were found to attenuate the formation of gastric lesions in indomethacin-induced ulcer model. The serum values of antioxidant biomarkers revealed promising increase in total antioxidant status by compounds 8 and 9. The obtained results suggest the synthetic indole imines 8 and 9 to be remarkable gastroprotective compounds capable of modulating oxidative stress.

Coumarin sulfonamide is a heterocyclic pharmacophore and an important structural motif which is a core and integral part of different therapeutic scaffolds and analogues. Coumarin sulfonamides are privileged and pivotal templates which have a broad spectrum of applications in the fields of medicine, pharmacology and pharmaceutics. Coumarin sulfonamide exhibited versatile and myriad biomedical activities such as anti-bacterial, antiviral, antifungal, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer. This review article focuses on the structural features of coumarin sulfonamide derivatives in the treatment of different lethal diseases on the basis of structure-activity relationships (SAR). The plethora of research cited in this review article summarizes and discusses the various substitutions around the coumarin sulfonamide nucleus which have provided a wide spectrum of biological activities and therapeutic potential that has proved attractive to many researchers looking to exploit the coumarin sulfonamide skeleton for drug discovery and the development of novel therapeutic agents.

We report on the synthesis and structural characterization of two series of lanthanide-containing 22-tungsto-2-germanates. The first series corresponds to a family of polyanions with the formula [Ln(β2-GeW11O39)2]13- (LnIII = La (1), Ce (2), Pr (3), Nd (4), Sm (5), Gd (6), Dy (7)), and the second series corresponds to a family with the formula [Ln(β2-GeW11O39)(α-GeW11O39)]13- (LnIII = Ho (8), Er (9), Tm (10)). All compounds were characterized in the solid state by single-crystal and powder XRD, IR, TGA, and SQUID magnetometry. The polyanions were synthesized in aqueous medium by direct reaction of the monolacunary [β2-GeW11O39]8- POM precursor with the corresponding lanthanide salts. The structure of the polyanions consists of an 8-coordinated lanthanide ion in a square-antiprismatic geometry, which is sandwiched either between two [β2-GeW11O39]8- units for 1-7 or between a [β2-GeW11O39]8- and a [α-GeW11O39]8- unit for 8-10. Furthermore, the effect of the central paramagnetic lanthanide ion on the magnetic behavior of the polyanions was investigated, with the erbium-derivative [Er(β2-GeW11O39)(α-GeW11O39)]13- (9) showing single-molecule magnet (SMM) behavior.

Wheat is an important cereal crop, which is adversely affected by water deficit stress. The effect of induced stress can be reduced by the application of salicylic acid (SA). With the objective to combat drought stress in wheat, an experiment was conducted in greenhouse under hydroponic conditions. The treatments consisted of (a) no drought (DD0 = 0 MPa), mild drought (DD1 = -0.40 MPa) and severe drought (DD2 = -0.60 MPa) by applying PEG-8000, (b) two contrasting wheat varieties Barani-17 (drought tolerant) and Anaj-17 (drought-sensitive), and (c) foliar treatments of salicylic acid (0, 50 mM, 75 mM, and 100 mM). Evaluation of wheat plants regarding biochemical, physiological, and morphological attributes were rendered after harvesting of plants. Statistically, maximum shoot and root fresh and dry weights (18.77, 11.15 and 1.99, 1.81 g, respectively) were recorded in cultivar Barani-17 under no drought condition with the application of SA (100 mM). While, minimum shoot and root fresh and dry weights (6.65, 3.14 and 0.73, 0.61 g, respectively) were recorded in cultivar Anaj-2017 under mild drought stress without SA application. The maximum shoot length (68.0 cm) was observed in cultivar Barani-2017 under no drought condition with the application of SA (100 mM). While, maximum root length (59.67 cm) was recorded in cultivar Anaj-17 under moderate drought stress without application of SA. Further, minimum shoot length (28.67 cm) was recorded in Anaj-17 under moderate drought stress without SA application. Minimum root length (38.67 cm) was recorded in cultivar Barani-17 under no drought condition without SA application. Furthermore, maximum physio-biochemical traits, including membrane stability index (MSI), chlorophyl content, photosynthetic rates, stomatal conductance, antioxidant enzymatic activities and relative water content (RWC) were found highest in cultivar Barani-17 under no drought stress and SA application at 100 mM. However, minimum values of these traits were recorded in cultivar Anaj-17 under severe drought stress without SA application. Our results also demonstrated that under severe drought, application of SA at 100 mM significantly increased leaf nitrogen (N), phosphrus (P) and potassium (K) contents and cultivar Barani-17 demonstrated significantly higher values than Anaj-17. The obtained results also indicated that the cultivation of wheat under drought stress conditions noticeably declines the morphological, physiological, and biochemical attributes of the plants. However, the exogenous application of SA had a positive impact on wheat crop for enhancing its productivity.

Benzanthrone dyes are organic luminophores with excellent optoelectronic properties. This computational investigation is based on density functional theory and aims to explore the photophysical behavior of some of the reported aminobenzanthrones in addition to many unreported dyes containing different electron-donating substituents. Significant changes in the dipole moment and the overall structure of the dyes upon solvation in ethanol have been observed. We find that intramolecular charge transfer is more pronounced in the solvent medium, which facilitates the emission to shift bathochromically. Intersystem crossing is predicted to be absent, which makes relaxation of the molecule to ground state more efficient by emitting in the visible region.

An experiment was conducted in both laboratory (germinative attributes) and field conditions (growth attributes) with completely randomized design (CRD) and randomized block design, respectively, to view the responses of different priming treatments in two wheat varieties: HUW-234 (V1) and BHU-3(V2). In the present study, seeds were primed with water (hydro, T2), Mg (NO3)2 (T3), ZnSO4 (T4), and a combination of both salts (T5). Their carry over effects were observed on the germinative and vegetative phases of growth. All treatments were compared with the performance of nonprimed control seeds (T1). Maximum germination percentage (98.33, 100%) was noted with T3, whereas length of shoot (8.83, 10.23 cm) and root (9.47, 10.73 cm) and their fresh (0.34, 0.45 g) and dry weights (0.05, 0.07 g) were recorded maximum in T5 for both varieties, however, the vigor index I and II showed varietal difference, but primed sets were found always superior with respect to nonprimed control. Study of plant height, leaf number and area, fresh and dry weights of total leaves and stem showed the best performance under combined use of both salts, i.e., Mg (NO3)2 and ZnSO4 as priming agents, followed by ZnSO4, Mg (NO3)2, hydro, and the nonprimed one. The study of biochemical parameters such as protein content and nitrate reductase activity of leaves showed the highest increment in combined priming treatment and increased 63.77, 90.37, 37.44% and 12.81, 5.61, 7.75%, respectively, after 35, 45, and 60 days after sowing. It is likely that chlorophyll, nitrogen, iron, and zinc content also followed a similar pattern and were enhanced in combined priming treatments as compared to nonpriming treatment. Therefore, the result suggests that priming seeds with Mg (NO3)2 and ZnSO4 worked synergistically at varietal level and improved growth attributes at field conditions.

Emergence of membrane technology for effective performance is qualified due to its low energy consumption, no use of chemicals, high removal capacity and easy accessibility of membrane material. The hydrophobic nature of polymeric membranes limits their applications due to biofouling (assemblage of microorganisms on surface of membrane). Polymeric nanocomposite membranes emerge to alleviate this issue. The current research work was concerned with the fabrication of sulfonated graphene oxide doped polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membrane and investigation of its anti-biofouling and anti-bacterial behavior. The membrane was fabricated through phase inversion method, and its structure and morphology were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-rays diffraction (XRD) and thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA) techniques. Performance of the membrane was evaluated via pure water flux, anti-biofouling behavior was determined through Bovine Serum albumin (BSA) rejection. Our results revealed that the highest water flux was shown by M7 membrane about 308.7 Lm−2h−1/bar having (0.5%) concentration of SGO with improved BSA rejection. Furthermore, these fabricated membranes showed high antibacterial activity, more hydrophilicity and mechanical strength as compared to pristine PVDF membranes. It was concluded that SGO addition within PVDF polymer matrix enhanced the properties and performance of membranes. Therefore, SGO was found to be a promising material for the fabrication of nanocomposite membranes.

The co-precipitation and in situ modified Hummers’ method was used to synthesize Nickel Spinal Ferrites (NiFe) nanoparticles and NiFe coated with Thermally Reduced Graphene Oxide (TRGO) (NiFe-TRGO) nanoparticles, respectively. By using polyvinyl chloride (PVC), tetrahydrofuran (THF), and NiFe-TRGO, the nanocomposite film was synthesized using the solution casting technique with a thickness of 0.12–0.13 mm. Improved electromagnetic interference shielding efficiency was obtained in the 0.1–20 GHz frequency range. The initial assessment was done through XRD for the confirmation of the successful fabrication of nanoparticles and DC conductivity. The microstructure was analyzed with scanning electron microscopy. The EMI shielding was observed by incorporating a filler amount varying from 5 wt.% to 40 wt.% in three different frequency regions: microwave region (0.1 to 20 GHz), near-infrared (NIR) (700–2500 nm), and ultraviolet (UV) (200–400 nm). A maximum attenuation of 65 dB was observed with a 40% concentration of NiFe-TRGO in nanocomposite film.

This study aims at investigating the effects of cultured gut microbiota (GM) of obese human coupled high fat diet (HFD) or chow diet (CD) in development of obesity in mice. 20 stool samples were collected from obese patients and isolated bacteria were identified morphologically and biochemically. Identified isolates were mixed in equal proportions to synthesize obese GM. In vivo study was performed using obese GM combined with HFD/CD using mouse model for three months. Albino mice were treated with ampicillin from one week prior to birth until weaning of the pups at seven weeks of age and then inoculated with obese GM. Sixteen mice were divided into four groups: i.e. group 1 (G1) mice fed with CD, group 2 (G2) mice with HFD, group 3 (G3) mice with GM + HFD and group 4 (G4) mice with GM + CD. Mice from groups 3-4 were considered synthetic community (SC) mice due to transfer of synthesize human GM. 16S rRNA sequencing identified five abundant bacteria as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus sp., Escherichia coli, Morganella morganii, and Klebsiella oxytoca (accession numbers: MZ150742-MZ150746). In vivo study indicated that GM combination with either HFD/CD caused significantly increased body weight in SC mice (BMI; Kg/m2) compared to HFD or CD fed mice groups. One way ANOVA revealed highly significant increase (p ≤ 0.001) in levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides and low density lipoprotein (LDL) in GM coupled diet groups (G3-G4; SC mice) compared to significant increase in HFD group (G2) versus CD group (G1). Our study is first of its kind to report significant effects of using purified strains as obese GM plus diet (HFD/CD) in inducing obesity in SC mice and elevated serum liver parameters as metabolic indicators, hence providing strong evidence about significance of modified GM combination with HFD in developing obesity in SC mice.

Melaleuca is one of the genera of the Myrtaceae family enriched in tea tree oil (TTO). Tea tree oils of Melaleuca bracteata and Melaleuca alternifolia are of prime importance and have antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. Terpinen-4-ol and 1-8 cineole are major constituents of M. alternifolia oil. The percentages of the compounds in the oils can slightly vary according to the region of plant harvest, the distillation technique, or the part of the plant used for oil extraction. TTO has a bactericidal effect against various bacterial species such as Bacillus cereus, B. subtilis, E. coli, Pseudomonas putida, and S. aureus. Several reports proved that this essential oil is also effective against fungal strains of Fusarium, Aspergillus, and Candida species. It also has antioxidant properties such as radical scavenging activity and reducing power. The antioxidant properties of TTO at a concentration of 30 mM were observed to be greater than those of butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), commonly used as a synthetic antioxidant. TTO is also an effective organic fungicide, herbicide, and insecticide for use in the agriculture sector. Postharvest application of the oil has been found efficient on sweet basil, citrus, and strawberry. It is concluded that tea tree oil has the potential to be used in the food, agriculture, and pharmaceutical industries as a natural antimicrobial and preservative agent. This review provides comprehensive information regarding the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of tea tree oil and its potential applications in agriculture.

Bacterial species in the plant-beneficial-environmental branch of Alcaligenes characterize an important part of rhizosphere microbes. The effects of plant growth-promoting Alcaligenes sp. AZ9 (accession #KU494828) on soil status and maize (Zea mays L.) performance were evaluated in single or combined applications with soil amendments, such as biochar (BC) prepared through pyrolysis of maize straw at 300 oC, rock phosphate enriched compost (CM), and humic acid (HA) in two wirehouse experiments under natural environment. Qualitative P solubilization of Alcaligenes sp. AZ9 revealed the appearance of a halo zone up to 19.1 mm in agar medium with P solubilizing index 4.27 and P solubilizing efficiency 327%. Alcaligenes sp. AZ9 showed solubilization of P up to 30.85 µg mL−1 by lowering pH of medium from 7.0 to 5.25. The application of Alcaligenes sp. AZ9 significantly improved soil biological attributes, such as bacterial colony forming unit by 20.5%, soil organic carbon by 10.3%, soil organic matter by 5.1%, and water content of saturated soil by 5.7%. The combined application of Alcaligenes sp. AZ9 with either BC, CM, or HA or with their mixture (BC plus CM plus HA) significantly increased the above biological attributes of soil than the application of Alcaligenes sp. AZ9 alone. Moreover, the integrated application of Alcaligenes sp. AZ9 with BC, CM, and HA significantly improved growth and yield attributes of maize in terms of root length (26%), plant height (39%), shoot fresh biomass (31%), shoot dry biomass (32%), root fresh biomass (30%), root dry biomass (34%), 100-grains weight (26%), stover yield (28%), and grain yield (19%). Similarly, the integrated application of Alcaligenes sp. AZ9 with BC, CM, and HA promoted N, P, and K in maize grain concentration by 12%, 11%, and 11%, respectively, compared with the application of organic amendments without Alcaligenes sp. AZ9. Combined application of Alcaligenes sp. AZ9 with BC, CM, and HA could be an effective strategy to improve plant growth, nutrients uptake, and yield of maize in the context of sustainable agriculture. In future research, the effects of integrated application of Alcaligenes sp. AZ9 with BC, CM, and/or HA should be further evaluated under field conditions.

Milk products with aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) contamination are a lethal dilemma worldwide due to their carcinogenic and mutagenic effects especially in developing countries. This study investigated the occurrence of AFM1 in milk-based mithae samples marketed in Lahore, Pakistan. Two hundred (n = 200) different types of mithae samples were analyzed for AFM1 using a HPLC florescence detector. Results showed that AFM1 was present in 76% of the analyzed samples, of which more than 80% had a much higher level of AFM1 than the European Union permissible level of i.e.0.05 μg/kg in milk products. The aflatoxin M1 in all the tested samples was observed in the range of 0.004 to 1.49 μg/kg. On average, the Gulab Jamun and Malai Laddu showed the highest level of aflatoxin M1 i.e. 1.49 and 1.17μg/kg, respectively. The lowest amount of aflatoxin M1 was found in Kalakand samples 0.004μg/ kg. The conclusion drawn from this data revealed that almost three-fourths of the mithae samples were highly contaminated with AFM1 due to their main component, milk. The consumption of milk-based mithae is popular due to health benefits as well as being part of tradition. Instead of being nourishing and beneficial, it is been found to be hazardous to human health due to aflatoxin contamination. Continued monitoring of aflatoxin M1with strict rules and regulations is required to prevent aflatoxin accumulation in this favorite food commodity.

The 1-tetralone scaffold and its derivatives are not only important as pharmacological agents but these also serve as precursors for natural products and compounds of medicinal importance. The easiest way to introduce a substituent on an aromatic as well as aliphatic system is nitration. Once introduced, the –NO2 group can be easily replaced by a wide range of functional groups. The review aims to highlight strategies for nitration of substituted and unsubstituted 1-tetralone which led to introduction of NO2 functionality at various positions.

This study focuses on the role of nanotechnology in the field of food industries. Bioactive components with antimicrobial activity against food pathogens are encapsulated into nanoparticles (NPs) to improve and extend their efficiency in food preservation. However, these NPs should be biocompatible and nontoxic for humans. Advancement in this field has resulted in the development of NPs for food packaging in some industries. The most commonly used group of NPs in the food industry is metal oxide. As metal oxide NPs such as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide exhibit antimicrobial activity in food materials, the NPs can be used for food preservation with enhanced functional properties. The application and effects of nanotechnology in correlation with the nutritional and sensory properties of foods were briefly discussed with a few insights into safety regulations on nano-based food formulation and preservation.

A complex, Ni(C6H15NO3)2]·2C7H5O2 (1) has been synthesized from the reaction of nickel salt with triethanolamine (TEA) and benzoate in MeOH and characterized by FTIR, elemental analysis and single crystal X-ray diffraction. The complex exhibits moderate cytotoxicity against bovine erythrocytes (15%). Furthermore, high bacterial biofilm inhibition (90%) was recorded against Escherichia coli and moderate against Pasteurella multocida (75%) and Staphylococcus aureus (61%) bacterial species. Theoretical studies along with natural bond orbitals (NBOs) for 1 carried out with DFT and theory at B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) level. The theoretical results demonstrated good agreement with experimental along with answers about the electronic structure of the complex. B3LYP and MP2 methods were also employed to predict the strength of CH···π and π···π as the only attractive interaction in 1.

1,2,3-Thiadiazoles, structurally active pharmacophores have attracted significant attention of synthetic chemists, medicinal and pharmaceutical researchers because of their versatile biolog...

Polymer particulate composites (PPC) are extensively used in numerous mechanical and aviation applications, which take advantage of their synergistic properties such as superior yield strength. This work combines experimental and theoretical approaches to evaluate yield strength of thermosetting PPC made of pristine p-TiO2 or surface-grafted g-TiO2 nanoparticles and an epoxy thermoset. Accordingly, p-PPC and g-PPC sheets containing different volume fraction (ϕf = 0.0234–0.0936) of p-TiO2 or g-TiO2 nanoparticles exhibit variable yield strength. A mathematical model is used to evaluate the effects of nanoparticles aggregation on the relative yield strength of PPC. The interfacial parameters “B” and “Bagg” give a quantitative measure of the ability of stress dispersion by the agglomerated nanoparticles. The higher “B” and “Bagg” values for g-PPC reveal its greater interfacial strength. The experimental data show good correlation with the theoretical predictions. However, these models truly predict PPC’s yield strength only at low volume fraction (ϕf ≤ 0.09) of filler nanoparticles.

We present here the magneto thermal properties, damping behavior and effect of Cerium doping on ferromagnetic insulator Yttrium Iron Garnet (YIG), synthesized via solid state method and Spark Plasma Sintering. The thermal conductivity was measured using Laser Flash technique in the temperature range of 300–1000° K. A decrease in thermal conductivity was observed up to the Curie temperature of YIG, beyond which it showed a constant behavior. On Ce doping of YIG, 15% enhancement of thermal conductivity was achieved, besides leading to an increase of magnetic moment at all temperatures. This gain is attributed to the increase of grain size and replacement of diamagnetic Y3+ ions in YIG by paramagnetic Ce3+ ions in Ce doped YIG. The spark plasma sintered YIG showed a decrease in particle size and grain size resulting in decrease of both thermal conductivity and saturation magnetization. The damping parameters obtained from ferromagnetic resonance measurement revealed a very low magnetic damping even on Ce doping. The work provides effective information regarding the enhancement of spin dynamic properties of YIG suitable for spin-caloritronic applications.

In this study, cellulose acetate (CA) was blended with sulfonated graphene oxide (SGO) nanomaterials to endow a nanocomposite membrane for wastewater treatment with improved hydrophilicity and anti-biofouling behavior. The phase inversion method was employed for membrane fabrication using tetrahydrofuran (THF) as the solvent. The characteristics of CA-SGO-doped membranes were investigated through thermal analysis, contact angle, SEM, FTIR, and anti-biofouling property. Results indicated that anti-biofouling property and hydrophilicity of CA-SGO nanocomposite membranes were enhanced with addition of hydrophilic SGO nanomaterials in comparison to pristine CA membrane. FTIR analysis confirmed the successful decoration of SGO groups on CA membrane surface while revealing its morphological properties through SEM analysis. Thermal analysis performed using DSC confirmed the increase in thermal stability of CA-SGO membranes with addition of SGO content than pure CA membrane.

Among various phase-change memory materials (PCMs), Ge 2 Sb 2 Te 5 (GST) is an outstanding representative, widely used in both optical storage and electronic memories [1] . The intrinsic drawbacks of this GST, however, such as tellurium volatility and low amorphous phase stability (resistance retention), hinder it from being a perfect candidate. Tellurium-free antimony-based PCMs have been the subject of considerable recent interest, due to their excellent resistance contrast, rapid crystallization, and high amorphous phase stability [2] . Moreover, with increasing demand for high-capacity memory in consumer electronics, the multibit high-density storage capability of various memory devices has become very attractive [3] – [5] . Here, a bilayer Ga-Sb stack structure is demonstrated, showing multilevel switching properties. The origin of multilevel states and their stability are also studied.

Calcium is a dynamic mineral. Recent discoveries designate that low intake of calcium generates deficiencies and path to other diseases. Food fortification could play a key role to overcome this problem. To cope with this deficiency problem, jellies were formulated with food-grade calcium salts and chicken eggshell powder. In the present study, three different concentrations of calcium salts, as well as eggshell powder were used to formulate jellies. The results of the sensory evaluation indicated that the two jelly products (A&D) in the current study were suitable for consumers. Results of Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer revealed Jelly A and jelly D had 151±0.05 ppm and 133±0.06 ppm calcium concentration, respectively. Proximate analysis of Jelly A showed that it has 6.0±0.01% ash, 9.2±0.1% moisture, 0.4±0.01 g crude protein, 82.79±0.001 g crude fiber, and 0.61±0.001 g crude fat, while the jelly D that was made with chicken eggshell powder exhibited 6.0±0.01% ash, 10.1±0.1% moisture, 0.5±0.01 g protein, 84.54±0.01 g crude fiber and 1.61±0.01 g crude fat. Therefore, these two jelly A & D were greatly appreciated among other attributes. In spite of naturally available calcium-rich sources, calcium-fortified jellies can be consumed by individuals who are incapable to take sufficient calcium from their diet.

Accumulation of heavy metals (HMs) by ornamental plants (OPs) from contaminated agriculture soils is a unique technique that can efficiently reduce the metal load in the food chain. Amaranthus tricolor L. has attractive characteristics acquiring a higher growth rate and large biomass when grown at heavy metal contaminated soils. Site-specific detailed information is not available on the use of A. tricolor plant in metal phytoremediation from the polluted sites. The study aimed to enhance the uptake of HMs (Pb, Zn, and Cu) via amending poultry litter extract (PLE), vinasse sugarcane (VSC), and humic acid (HA) as natural mobilized organic materials compared to ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA), as a common mobilized chemical agent by A. tricolor plant. The studied soils collected from Helwan, El-Gabal El-Asfar (Cairo Governorate), Arab El-Madabeg (Assiut Governorate), Egypt, and study have been conducted under pot condition. Our results revealed all organic materials in all studied soils, except EDTA in EL-Gabal El-Asfar soil, significantly increased the dry weight of the A. tricolor plant compared to the control treatment. The uptake of Pb and Zn significantly (p &gt, 0.05) increased due to applying all organic materials to the studied soils. HA application caused the highest uptake as shown in Pb concentration by more than 5 times in Helwan soil and EDTA by 65% in El-Gabal El-Asfar soil while VSC increased it by 110% in El-Madabeg soil. Also, an increase in Zn concentration due to EDTA application was 58, 42, and 56% for Helwan, El-Gabal El-Asfar, and El-Madabeg soil, respectively. In all studied soils, the application of organic materials increased the remediation factor (RF) than the control. El-Madabeg soil treated with vinasse sugarcane gave the highest RF values, 6.40, 3.26, and 4.02% for Pb, Zn, and Cu, respectively, than the control. Thus, we identified A. tricolor as a successful ornamental candidate that, along with organic mobilization amendments, most efficiently develop soil health, reduce metal toxicity, and recommend remediation of heavy metal-contaminated soils. Additionally, long-term application of organic mobilization amendments and continued growth of A. tricolor under field conditions could be recommended for future directions to confirm the results.

The issue of medication noncompliance has resulted in major risks to public safety and financial loss. The new omnipresent medicine enabled by the Internet of things offers fascinating new possibilities. Additionally, an in-home healthcare station (IHHS), it is necessary to meet the rapidly increasing need for routine nursing and on-site diagnosis and prognosis. This article proposes a universal and preventive strategy to drug management based on intelligent and interactive packaging (I2Pack) and IMedBox. The controlled delamination material (CDM) seals and regulates wireless technologies in novel medicine packaging. As such, wearable biomedical sensors may capture a variety of crucial parameters via wireless communication. On-site treatment and prediction of these critical factors are made possible by high-performance architecture. The user interface is also highlighted to make surgery easier for the elderly, disabled, and patients. Land testing incorporates and validates an approach for prototyping I2Pack and iMedBox. Additionally, sustainability, increased product safety, and quality standards are crucial throughout the life sciences. To achieve these standards, intelligent packaging is also used in the food and pharmaceutical industries. These technologies will continuously monitor the quality of a product and communicate with the user. Data carriers, indications, and sensors are the three most important groups. They are not widely used at the moment, although their potential is well understood. Intelligent packaging should be used in these sectors and the functionality of the systems and the values presented in this analysis.

The formation of new scaffolds to enhance healing magnitude is necessarily required in biomedical applications. Granulation tissue formation is a crucial stage of wound healing in which granulation tissue grows on the surface of a wound by the formation of connective tissue and blood vessels. In the present study, porous hydrogels were synthesized using chitosan incorporating latex of the Calotropis procera plant by using a freeze–thaw cycle to stimulate the formation of granulation tissue and angiogenesis in wound healing applications. Structural analysis through Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy confirmed the interaction between chitosan and Calotropis procera. Latex extract containing hydrogel showed slightly higher absorption than the control during water absorption analysis. Thermogravimetric analysis showed high thermal stability of the 60:40 combination of chitosan (CS) and Calotropis procera as compared to all other treatments and controls. A fabricated scaffold application on a chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) showed that all hydrogels containing latex extract resulted in a significant formation of blood vessels and regeneration of cells. Overall, the formation of connective tissues and blood capillaries and healing magnitude decreased in ascending order of concentration of extract.

The study aimed to investigate the antibacterial activity of Mustard (Brassica juncea) and Moringa (Moringa oleifera) leaf extracts and coagulant protein for their potential application in water treatment. Bacterial cell aggregation and growth kinetics studies were employed for thirteen bacterial strains with different concentrations of leaf extracts and coagulant protein. Moringa oleifera leaf extract (MOS) and coagulant protein showed cell aggregation against ten bacterial strains, whereas leaf extract alone showed growth inhibition of five bacterial strains for up to 6 h and five bacterial strains for up to 3 h. Brassica juncea leaf extract (BJS) showed growth inhibition for up to 6 h, and three bacterial strains showed inhibition for up to 3 h. The highest inhibition concentration with 2.5 mg/mL was 19 mm, and furthermore, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) (0.5 mg/mL) and MBC (1.5 mg/mL) were determined to have a higher antibacterial effect for &lt, 3 KDa peptides. Based on LCMS analysis, napin was identified in both MOS and BJS, furthermore, the mode of action of napin peptide was determined on lipoprotein X complex (LpxC) and four-chained structured binding protein of bacterial type II topoisomerase (4PLB). The docking analysis has exhibited moderate to potent inhibition with a range of dock score −912.9 Kcal/mol. Thus, it possesses antibacterial-coagulant potential bioactive peptides present in the Moringa oleifera purified protein (MOP) and Brassica juncea purified protein (BJP) that could act as an effective antimicrobial agent to replace currently available antibiotics. The result implies that MOP and Brassica juncea purified coagulant (BJP) proteins may perform a wide degree of antibacterial functions against different pathogens.

Copper (Cu) is an essential metal for plants. However, its excess in soil can adversely affect plant metabolism. The current study evaluated the effects of gibberellic acid (GA3) foliar applications on the performance of pea plants grown either in Cu-contaminated (Cu+) and non-contaminated (Cu−) soil. GA3 was sprayed (0, 10, 50, and 100 mg·L−1) on 15-days-old plants. The results showed that the increasing concentration of GA3 buffered the phytotoxic effects of Cu and enhanced plant growth, photosynthesis, and leaf chlorophyll content. Foliar-sprayed GA3 up to 100 mg·L−1 alleviated the oxidative stress, as inferred from the lower concentrations of MDA and H2O2 (33.3 µmol·g−1 and 182 µmol·g−1, respectively), and boosted the activity of superoxide dismutase (64.4 U·g−1·FW), peroxidase (122.7 U·g−1·FW), and catalase (226.3 U·g−1·FW). Interestingly, GA3 promoted Cu accumulation in different plant parts when compared to untreated plants, likely due to increased photosynthetic and transpiration rates. Overall, foliar application of GA3 promoted phytoextraction of Cu and alleviated the oxidative stress in pea plants grown in Cu+ soil.

Glycan-based alginate hydrogels have great potential in creating new vehicles with responsive behavior and tunable properties for biomedicine. However, precise control and tunability in properties present major barrier for clinical translation of these materials. Here, we report the synthesis of pH responsive anthracene modified glycan-based hydrogels for selective release of therapeutic molecules. Hydrogels were crosslinked through simultaneous photopolymerization of vinyl groups and photodimerization of anthracene. Incorporation of anthracene into these gels leads to reversible control on crosslinking and transition between gel/sol states through dimerization/dedimerization of anthracene groups. Chemotherapeutic drug doxorubicin-loaded hydrogels were then tested in a cancer mimetic microenvironment where 85% of the drug was released from anthracene-conjugated hydrogels at pH 2 for 6 days. Control on gelation with anthracene incorporation was observed through alterations in modulus, where storage modulus was increased two-fold with anthracene conjugation during photopolymerization and photodimerization. Furthermore, cell survival analysis revealed that anthracene conjugation could selectively compromise cancer cell viability without inducing significant toxicity on healthy fibroblasts. This study combines light-induced control of crosslink density due to anthracene and pH-triggered therapeutics delivery with alginate. The approach would be applicable for systems where multiple control is required with high precision., Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK), International Support Program (COST Action - European Cooperation in Science and Technology); Koç University Seed Fund; Presidency of Turkey, Presidency of Strategy and Budget.

Here, a novel bismuth-doped nickel-cobalt ferrite (Ni0.5Co0.5Bi0.1Fe1.9O4) was synthesized using a sol-gel auto-combustion approach. The impact of bismuth substitution on the nickel-cobalt ferrite structural characteristics was investigated relative to the nickel-cobalt ferrite without bismuth substitution (Ni0.5Co0.5Fe2O4) based on diverse technical options (e.g., scanning electron microscopy-equipped with an energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer, X-ray diffraction, physisorption, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy). Bismuth doping increased the surface area without affecting pore size. The X-ray diffraction pattern confirmed a nano-ferrite cubic spinel structure of the catalyst. Photodegradation of Congo red (CR) was tested using these nickel-cobalt ferrite catalysts under visible light across varying reaction parameters (e.g., pH, catalyst loading, dye concentration, and reaction time). The photo-degradation efficiency for CR in aqueous medium was the highest (98%) at pH 3 with 0.2 g catalyst loading in 100 mL under visible irradiation to reinforce the role of nanostructures as a potent photocatalyst (QY = 2.79 × 10−7 molecule photon−1). The kinetic reaction rate of Bi-doped spinel ferrite (3.5 µmol g−1 h−1) was1.25 times higher than those undoped materials. This study experimentally proved that the bismuth-doped nickel-cobalt ferrite photocatalyst is an effective option for removing industrial dyes.

Zymomonas mobilis strains are examined as the model organism in the industries because of having many potential advantages. Different research showed that different strains of Z. mobilis produced high amount of ethanol and the sugar because it can easily utilize xylose and arabinose in addition to glucose. We can improve the strains of Z. mobilis such as by adaptive laboratory evolution (ALE) by many methods. It is a very important method for the improvement of different attributes of common industrial strains. These strains have used as advanced model organism for genetic method and inverse metabolic engineering. The ED pathway of Z. mobilis gives an alternative way for the production of bio refineries and valuable byproducts like sorbitol, succinic acid, levan, and isobutanol. The metabolic engineering using Z. mobilis gives advanced biofuel production. The techniques adopted for strain improvement and future guidelines for this were discussed.

IMPORTANCE: Therapies that improve survival in critically ill patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are needed. Tocilizumab, a monoclonal antibody against the interleukin 6 receptor, may counteract the inflammatory cytokine release syndrome in patients with severe COVID-19 illness. OBJECTIVE: To test whether tocilizumab decreases mortality in this population. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: The data for this study were derived from a multicenter cohort study of 4485 adults with COVID-19 admitted to participating intensive care units (ICUs) at 68 hospitals across the US from March 4 to May 10, 2020. Critically ill adults with COVID-19 were categorized according to whether they received or did not receive tocilizumab in the first 2 days of admission to the ICU. Data were collected retrospectively until June 12, 2020. A Cox regression model with inverse probability weighting was used to adjust for confounding. EXPOSURES: Treatment with tocilizumab in the first 2 days of ICU admission. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Time to death, compared via hazard ratios (HRs), and 30-day mortality, compared via risk differences. RESULTS: Among the 3924 patients included in the analysis (2464 male [62.8%]; median age, 62 [interquartile range {IQR}, 52-71] years), 433 (11.0%) received tocilizumab in the first 2 days of ICU admission. Patients treated with tocilizumab were younger (median age, 58 [IQR, 48-65] vs 63 [IQR, 52-72] years) and had a higher prevalence of hypoxemia on ICU admission (205 of 433 [47.3%] vs 1322 of 3491 [37.9%] with mechanical ventilation and a ratio of partial pressure of arterial oxygen to fraction of inspired oxygen of

Polyphenols (PPs) are the naturally occurring bioactive components in fruits and vegetables, and they are the most abundant antioxidant in the human diet. Studies are suggesting that ingestion of PPs might be helpful to ameliorate metabolic syndromes that may contribute in the prevention of several chronic disorders like diabetes, obesity, hypertension, and colon cancer. PPs have structural diversity which impacts their bioavailability as they accumulate in the large intestine and are extensively metabolized through gut microbiota (GM). Intestinal microbiota transforms PPs into their metabolites to make them bioactive. Interestingly, not only GM act on PPs to metabolize them but PPs also modulate the composition of GM. Thus, change in GM from pathogenic to beneficial ones may be helpful to ameliorate gut health and associated diseases. However, to overcome the low bioavailability of PPs, various approaches have been developed to improve their solubility and transportation through the gut. In this review, we present evidence supporting the structural changes that occur after metabolic reactions in PPs (curcumin, quercetin, and catechins) and their effect on GM composition that leads to improving overall gut health and helping to ameliorate metabolic disorders.