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Sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors are an emerging group of therapeutic agents that show their tremendous glucose lowering activity without producing hypoglycemia, which is one of the major drawbacks of existing antidiabetic therapy. Comprehensive literature was searched in English using electronic databases including PubMed, ScienceDirect, Medline, Scopus and Embase. SGLT2 inhibitors reduce blood glucose levels by producing glucosuria via insulin-independent pathway. The major mechanism by which SGLT2 inhibitors are involved in glucose homeostasis is to prevent the reabsorption of glucose in the proximal convoluted tubule and increase glucose excretion in the urine. Deterioration of β-cells, impairment of functions and development of insulin resistance do not affect the efficacy of SGLT2 inhibitors. SGLT2 inhibitors significantly reduce HbA1c, ameliorate glycemic control and control body weight. SGLT2 inhibitors can block Na+/H+ exchanger (NHE) 1 and play a significant role in treatment of heart failure especially in diabetic patients. They have also positive effects on different metabolic syndromes which cumulatively ameliorate the risk factors for cardiovascular diseases in diabetic patients. SGLT2 inhibitors can improve kidney function by reducing inflammation and improving renal microvasculature up to its original state. The increase in triglyceride level has a strong relationship with coronary artery disease in diabetic patients when combined with other indicators of metabolic disorders while SGLT2 inhibitors cause a significant reduction in plasma triglyceride level in diabetic patients. We have comprehensively summarized the features, mechanism of action of SGLT2 inhibitors and their impact on various metabolic syndrome traits, including diabetic condition, renal dysfunctioning, arterial stiffness, hypertension, lipid profile and cardiovascular diseases. The aim of this review to examine the safety, efficacy and therapeutic properties of SGLT2 inhibitors in renal and diabetic patients.

The current research investigated the chemical profiling and biological activities of Emex australis Steinh. aerial and fruit parts (methanol and dichloromethane-DCM extracts). Chemical composition was established by determining the amounts of phenolic and flavonoid contents, HPLC-PDA polyphenolic quantification, and UHPLC-MS secondary metabolites profiling to understand the observed biological activities. Antioxidant evaluation was performed utilizing six different assays (DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, CUPRAC, phosphomolybdenum, and metal chelation). Moreover, enzyme inhibition abilities against cholinesterases, α-amylase, α-glucosidase, and tyrosinase were also determined. The fruit methanol extract contained the highest phenolic (157.96 mg GAE/ g extract) and flavonoid contents (41.43 mg QE/g extract), which could justify the observed significant antioxidant (except metal chelating), α-amylase, α-glucosidase, and tyrosinase inhibitory potentials. The other extracts were active against cholinesterases and tyrosinase. The HPLC-PDA polyphenolic analysis quantified a number of 11 phenolic secondary metabolites. The fruit-MeOH extract was found to quantify the maximum phenolics with catechin (4.27 μg/g extract) and gallic acid (4.84 μg/g extract) in higher amounts. Similarly, rutin present in maximum quantity in the aerial-MeOH extract (2.93 μg/g extract). Furthermore, the UHPLC-MS study of aerial and fruit methanol extracts reveals the existence of 22 secondary metabolites, most of which were flavonoid derivatives. Besides that, Pearson coefficient analysis (PCA) was also carried to determine a possible correlation between bioactive contents and observed biological assays. Thus, it is concluded that E. australis extracts contain important classes of secondary metabolites and also exhibited considerable antioxidant and inhibition potential against clinically relevant enzymes.

Background: the main idea behind the pulpotomy of a primary tooth is to remove the infected or inflamed coronal pulp tissues and cover the pulp with a suitable medicament or dressing which promotes healing and preserve the vitality of the teeth especially in young permanent teeth. A medicament should be biologically compatible, have healing capabilities, should be non cytotoxic, or mutagenic and with no carcinogenic potential. Aim: the main aim of the study was to compare and evaluate the efficacy of commonly used two medicaments i.e. formocresol and sodium hypochlorite in pulpotomy of mandibular primary teeth. Material and methodology: a randomized controlled single blinded clinical trial was done on 50 subjects of age ranging from 3 to 6 years with bilateral mandibular first or second molar requiring pulpotomy. The subjects were randomly divided into two groups with 25 subjects in each. Group I, consisted of subjects on which formocresol medicament was used after extirpation of coronal pulp while in Group II, 3% sodium hypochlorite was used. Clinical along with the radiographic signs and symptoms were blindly recorded at an interval of 1, 3, 6 and 12 months respectively. Results: Statistically significant results were obtained in group II, when patients treated with 3% sodium hypochlorite. There was no major difference between the two medicaments used, but to the various adverse effects of formocresol, its usage has been limited. Conclusion: within the limitation of the study, it was concluded that sodium hypochlorite medicament proved to have better prognosis and can be suggested as a pulpotomy agent for primary teeth. Although formocresol was found to have similar significant results can also be used as a medicament. Keywords: Formocresol, Pulpotomy, Primary Teeth, Sodium Hypochlorite

This article reports a case of SARS-CoV-2 infection complicated by intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy in the second trimester in a South Asian woman. She presented with itchiness and grossly elevated bile acid following SARS-CoV-2 virus infection. Her cholestasis resolved in parallel with her infection while she was being treated with ursodeoxycholic acid. Bile acid is considered harmful to a developing fetus and is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes, particularly stillbirth. Ursodeoxycholic acid is still commonly used in the treatment of these patients despite controversy about its value. It has anti-inflammatory properties and there have been suggestions that this could benefit patients with SARS-CoV-2. Elevated levels of primary bile acids (cholic and chenodeoxycholic acid) are considered harmful to a developing fetus, and are associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes, in particular, stillbirth. The secondary bile acid, ursodeoxycholic acid, is thought to be beneficial by reducing cholesterol production in the liver. This clinical case study highlights a diagnostic enigma in the management of this unique clinical case presentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of British Journal of Midwifery is the property of Mark Allen Holdings Limited and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Rising pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels are serious environmental concerns that led to a tremendous focus of scientific research. The use of renewable resources as feedstock to produce fuels could help preserve the environment and offer economic and social sustainability. This preceded the development of alternative fuels such as biodiesel, and bioethanol. Over the last decade, the substantial expansion of biodiesel production indicates stoichiometrically increased crude glycerol co-production. Due to the surplus availability of the crude glycerol (as it does not find any potential application for complete utilisation), its market value has fallen and is even seen as a waste stream instead of a lucrative co-product. While high-purity glycerol is used in cosmetics, food, paints, and pharmaceutical industries for medicines, crude glycerol is an attractive organic carbon substrate to produce value-added products through microbial fermentation or physicochemical processing. The review discussed the recent developments in glycerol to produce fuels such as bioethanol, hydrogen, and methanol. Besides, it highlights the opportunities and challenges in utilising crude/waste glycerol generated from the biodiesel industry.

The genus Rauvolfia belongs to the family Apocyanaceae, and is native to the tropical countries of the world. Six species of Rauvolfia have been reported from India, however, only two species viz. R. serpentina and R. tetraphylla grow in the upper Gangetic plains. The monoterpenoid indole alkaloids reserpine and ajmalicine are the major phytochemicals reported from the roots of the above plants and are well known for their potential antihypertensive activity. Presently, R. serpentina has become critically endangered due to its overexploitation. Therefore, this study was designed to develop a validated High Performance Thin Layer Chromatographic densitometric method for determination of reserpine and ajmalicine in R. serpentina and R. tetraphylla in different seasons. Plant materials were collected in March, June, September and December to determine the optimal harvesting time. The densitometric method was validated in terms of instrument precision, range, linearity, specificity, limit of detection and limit of quantitation. Reproducibility of the peak of reserpine and ajmalicine was achieved at Rf 0.56, and 0.79 respectively using optimised mobile phase toluene– ethyl acetate-diethyl amine (7:2:0.6 v/v/v). Our study concluded that maximum level of ajmalicine was found in March while that of reserpine was observed in September. Harvesting of R. tetraphylla at the optimal season may reduce the overexploitation of the endangered species R. serpentina.

Highly stable gold and silver nanoparticles were synthesized by use of an arabinoglucan from Lallemantia royleana seeds without additional use of reducing or stabilizing agents. The mechanism involved the reduction potential of the hemicellulose as verified by cyclic voltammetry. The arabinoglucan used was substantially free from ferulic acid and phenolic content, suggesting the inherent reducing potential of arabinoglucan for gold and silver ions. The synthesized nanoparticles exhibited surface plasmon resonance maxima at 515 nm (gold) and 397 nm (silver) corresponding to sizes of 10 nm and 8 nm, respectively. The zeta potential values were −24.1 mV (gold) and −22.3 mV (silver). The silver nanoparticles showed potential for application in surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy. Gold nanoparticles were found to be non-toxic, whereas silver nanoparticles exhibited dose-dependent biological activities and found to be cytotoxic against brine shrimps and HeLa cell lines and the tumours caused by A. tumefaciens.

This research explores reduced graphene oxide-Fe3O4 nanocomposites synthesis, characterization, and it's ability to degrade methylene blue dye using sodium lamp as the visible white light source. The modified co-precipitation method was employed for the synthesis of the photocatalyst. The photocatalyst was further characterized by various characterization techniques. Moreover, photocatalytic activity was performed by varying performance conditions, and analyzed the results. It was found that photocatalyst has highly active performance at the working conditions of pH 12 with 50 mg catalyst for 10 ppm methylene blue dye solutions and produced 98.3% degradation of the dye within 80 min. It was also observed that minor positive performance was observed on varying temperature and catalyst concentration. The photocatalytic activity was found highly dependent on the pH of the solution and increased with an increase in pH. Additional studies were also performed by adding some amount of hydrogen peroxide in the solution without changing its pH. It was also noted that as the amount of hydrogen peroxide was increased in the solution, there was an increment in the degradation of the dye. A maximum of 98.8% degradation was recorded with the 9 ml addition of hydrogen peroxide-containing 25 mg catalyst, pH 8, and at 40 °C reaction temperature within 70 min of irradiation.

A pristine electron transport layer (ETL) usually delivers relatively low device performance due to high defect density and/or poor contact. Interface modification has been demonstrated to be one o...

Background/Objective: Repeated freezing and thawing results in the structural, compositional, and functional modifications in food materials. The present study was designed to optimize the effect of Freeze-thaw treatment (FTT) on free radical scavenging and linoleic acid reduction potentials of Nelumbo nucifera rhizome starch (NNRS). Methodology: A 4-factorial response-surface central composite design (CCD) based on three levels of each of the four input factors including freezing temperature (FT: -40, -20, and 0°C), freezing time (Ft: 24, 48, and 72 h), thawing time (Tt: 2, 4, and 6 h), and number of freeze-thaw cycles (FTC: 2, 4, and 6) was constructed. The NNRS was treated at different combinations of input variables as selected by CCD. The Freeze-thaw-treated N. nucifera rhizome starch (FTT-NNRS) was analyzed for antioxidant potential. Principle Findings: A statistically significant main effect (p=0.0017-0.0029) of FTT was observed on free radical scavenging and linoleic acid reducing potential (LARP) of NNRS. The 2, 2-diphenylpicrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging potential was found to be a linear positive function of FT and Ft while hydroxyl radical scavenging potential showed a linear linear negative response towards FT and linear positive response towards FTC. The LARP also showed a linear positive response towards FT and Tt and quadratic positive response towards FT. Conclusion: FTT significantly affected the free radical scavenging potential and LARP of NNRS that may be attributed to the time-dependent variation in the structure of starch and exposure of some antioxidant residues after repeated freezing and thawing treatments.

Endothelial dysfunction is related to the reduced bioavailability of nitric oxide (NO) and plays a significant role in developing hypertension. The intake of a diet rich in antioxidants decreases t...

Quantum dots (QDs) or semiconductor nanocrystals are luminous materials with unique optical properties that can be fine-tuned by varying the size of the material. Chalcogenide QDs show strong quantum confinements effects owing to the fact that the exciton Bohr radius is much larger than the particle size, and tunable energy bandgap leads to widespread technological interest in near-infrared optical devices. In this communication, one dimensional Cu2SnS3 and PbSexS1-x QDs is modeled by a particle in a box model which was used to compute energies and density of states. The density of states and the energy level of QDs are determined as a function of the strengths of the potential walls of the inner box. The results exhibit that the density of states decreases exponentially with an increase in the energy level of QDs. The density of states at lower energy levels is more significant than what is observed in higher energy levels.

Chitosan a poly-(D) glucosamine is a polysaccharide made by treating shrimp and other crustacean shells with the alkali sodium hydroxide. It is a hydrophilic polymer that helps to retain the drug inside the solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN’s) and prolongs the release of drug from the carrier system. The purpose of the study was to formulate Chitosan decorated SLN’s for the topical delivery of dexibuprofen by hot pressure homogenization technique. Blank SLN’s, drug loaded SLN’s and Chitosan decorated SLN’s were prepared. Particle size, zeta potential and PDI were determined. FTIR study was conducted to evaluate the compatibility of excipients with the active drug. Surface morphology of SLN’s was determined by field emission scanning electron microscope. Drug content and entrapment efficiency of SLN’s were determined using indirect method. In vitro release and ex vivo permeation study of SLN’s were carried out using Franz diffusion cell. The droplet size fell into the nano range i.e. 132±7 to 424±2 nm which is effective for topical drug delivery system. The PDI of formulations range from 0.21 to 0.42 which depicts the homogeneity of all the SLN’s formulations. Vibrational analysis indicates that there is no interaction between active drug and excipient used in the formulation. The surface morphology revealed the spherical shape of Chitosan decorated SLN’s. The in vitro release of formulations showed 79.91±1.07 to 89.94±1.8 % drug release. The drug permeation study showed high permeation of drug into the skin. The percent drug permeation ranges from 64.15±0.93 to 71.80±0.88% indicating good permeation of drug across the skin. Overall, SLN’s are an effective carrier for topical delivery of dexibuprofen and thus bypasses side effects associated with oral delivery.

Inhibition of tight junction formation between two malaria parasite proteins, apical membrane antigen 1 and rhoptry neck protein 2, crucial for red blood cell invasion, prevents the disease progression. In this work, we have utilized a unique approach to design a chimeric peptide, prepared by fusion of the best features of two peptide inhibitors, that has displayed parasite growth inhibition, in-vitro, with nanomolar IC50, which is hundredfold better than any of its parent peptides. Further, to gain structural insights, we computationally modeled the hybrid peptide on its receptor.

In the present work, halloysite nano-clay (HNTs) based hydrogel was fabricated and their efficiency for the removal of methylene blue dye was studied. The hydrogel films were prepared with varying amount of halloysite nano-clay via facile solution casting method. Effect of halloysite clay on adsorption performance of composite was investigated. The hydrophobic thermoplastic synthetic polymer, polylactic acid (PLA) was blended with hydrophilic polymer polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and HNTs to synthesize hydrogels. Swelling behavior and antimicrobial efficiency was also evaluated. The halloysite incorporating films showed excellent antibacterial activity. Swelling capacity of hydrogel with increased halloysite content was reduced due to increased crosslinking among polymer chains. Halloysite incorporated hydrogel exhibited higher adsorption ability as compared to film comprising of only PVA and PLA and dye removal followed pseudo first order kinetics. Film with 0.03 g HNTs rapidly attained adsorption-desorption equilibria and removed the dye completely within 30 min. Results confirmed that synthesized film could be potentially used for the removal of cationic dye and fabricated hydrogel film have promising potential for wastewater treatment since a higher adsorption capacity was observed for halloysite nano-clay incorporated hydrogel.

The effect of garlic supplementation on zootechnical performance and hepato-renal functions of rabbits exposed to experimental nitrate poisoning was evaluated. Adult male 6-8 week-old albino rabbits (n= 24) were randomly divided into four groups (A - D) and subjected to nitrate intoxication through the oral administration of sodium nitrate solution at 2 ml/kg bodyweight per day for 40 days. Group A was a control that received no treatment except sodium nitrate. Rabbits in groups B and C were treated with 1% methylene blue solution (2 mg/kg bodyweight per day) and aqueous garlic extract (500 mg/kg bodyweight per day) through intraperitoneal and oral routes, respectively. Rabbits in group D were treated with both 1% methylene blue solution (2 mg/kg bodyweight per day, intraperitoneally) and aqueous garlic extract (500 mg/kg bodyweight per day, orally). On completion of the treatment period, the groups were compared in growth performance, biochemical profile and histopathological changes of hepato-renal tissues. Although the total feed consumption of the groups remained comparable, Group C showed relatively better weight gain and feed conversion ratio (FCR). Likewise, garlic extract significantly increased the serum bilirubin concentration and reduced the level of other biochemical attributes in comparison with control animals. The hepatic and renal tissues of Groups C and D remained normal, whereas those of the control group exhibited distinct histopathological alterations. It was concluded that garlic supplementation ameliorated the deleterious effects of nitrate intoxication on production performance and hepato-renal functions of rabbits.

Plant redox homeostasis governs the uptake, toxicity and tolerance mechanism of toxic trace elements and thereby elucidates the remediation potential of a plant. Moreover, plant toxicity/tolerance mechanisms control the trace element compartmentation in edible and non-edible plant organs as well as the associated health hazards. Therefore, it is imperative to unravel the cellular mechanism involved in trace element toxicity and tolerance. The present study investigated the toxicity and tolerance/detoxification mechanisms of four levels of arsenic (As(III): 0, 5, 25 and 125 µM) in Brassica oleracea under hydroponic cultivation. Increasing As levels significantly decreased the pigment contents (up to 68%) of B. oleracea. Plants under As stress showed an increase in H2O2 contents (up to 32%) in roots while a decrease (up to 72%) in leaves because As is mostly retained in plant roots, while less is translocated toward the shoot, as evident from the literature. Arsenic treatments caused lipid peroxidation both in the root and leaf cells. Against As-induced oxidative stress, B. oleracea plants mediated an increase in the activities of peroxidase and catalase. Contradictory, the ascorbate peroxidase and superoxide dismutase activities slightly decreased in the As-stressed plants. In conclusion and as evident from the literature data analysis, As exposure (especially high level, 125 µM) caused pigment toxicity and oxidative burst in B. oleracea. The ability of B. oleracea to tolerate As-induced toxicity greatly varied with applied treatment levels (As-125 being more toxic than lower levels), plant organ type (more toxicity in leaves than roots) and physiological response parameter (pigment contents more sensitive than other response variables). Moreover, the multivariate statistical analysis appeared to be a useful method to estimate plant response under stress and trace significant trends in the data set.

Epidemiology studies link cigarillos and shisha tobacco (delivered through a hookah waterpipe) to increased risk for cardiopulmonary diseases. Here we performed a comparative chemical constituent analysis between 3 cigarettes, 3 cigarillos, and 8 shisha tobacco products. The potency for genotoxicity and oxidative stress of each product’s generated total particulate matter (TPM) was also assessed using immortalized oral, lung, and cardiac cell lines to represent target tissues. Levels of the carcinogenic carbonyl formaldehyde were 32- to 95-fold greater, while acrolein was similar across the shisha aerosols generated by charcoal heating compared to cigarettes and cigarillos. Electric-mediated aerosol generation dramatically increased acrolein to levels exceeding those in cigarettes and cigarillos by up to 43-fold. Equivalent cytotoxic-mediated cell death and dose response for genotoxicity through induction of mutagenicity and DNA strand breaks was seen between cigarettes and cigarillos, while minimal to no effect was observed with shisha tobacco products. In contrast, increased potency of TPM from cigarillos compared to cigarettes for inducing oxidative stress via reactive oxygen radicals and lipid peroxidation across cell lines was evident, while positivity was seen for shisha tobacco products albeit at much lower levels. Together, these studies provide new insight into the potential harmful effects of cigarillos for causing tobacco-associated diseases. The high level of carbonyls in shisha products, that in turn is impacted by the heating mechanism, reside largely in the gas phase which will distribute throughout the respiratory tract and systemic circulation to likely increase genotoxic stress.

Contamination of arsenic (As) presents a health hazard that affects home gardeners neighbouring contaminated environments. The use of chitosan-modified biochar was investigated to immobilise As(V) from aqueous solution and zucchini seedlings (cv. Courgette d’Italie) were grown as a test crop. The results of characterisation revealed that the presence of chitosan on biochar (BR) surface improved its efficiency of As(V) immobilisation from the contaminated environment. A sorption study further showed that compared with the BR, (BR-C) chitosan-modified biochar (0.1 g) depicted the increased immobilisation of As(V) (10 ppm) from solution. Both Langmuir and Freundlich models fitted well, showing monolayer as well as multilayer sorption. BR-C showed a high Langmuir arsenic sorption capacity of 57.83 mg/g, which effectively decreased the level of As(V) toxicity. As demonstrated in results, As-stress reduced plant growth, seedling length, photosynthetic pigments, soluble sugar, increased hydrogen peroxide contents, and electrolyte leakage percentage. Simultaneously, BR and BR-C were effective against As(V) stress-induced changes in the zucchini plant. Collectively, the results of this study indicate that the modification of BR with chitosan can efficiently immobilised arsenic in the root medium and enhance growth of zucchini under controlled conditions by reducing the uptake of As(V).

Evaluation of terrestrial shale gas resource potential is a hot issue in unconventional oil and gas exploration. Organic-rich shales are widely developed in the Jurassic strata of Tarim Basin, but their shale gas potential has not been described well. In the study, the Lower-Middle Jurassic fine-grained sedimentary rocks (Kangsu and Yangye Formations) in northern Kashi Sag, northwestern Tarim Basin, were taken as the study object. The comprehensive studies include petrology, mineralogy, organic geochemistry, and physical properties, which were used to characterize the organic matter and reservoir characteristics. Results show that the Jurassic terrestrial shale in the northern Kashi Sag was mainly deposited in lakes, rivers, and deltas. The thickness of black lacustrine shale developed in the Early-Middle Jurassic in the study area is generally over 100 m. The total organic carbon (TOC) content is rich, averaging 2.77%. The vitrinite reflectance ( R o ) values indicate that the Lower Jurassic shale organic matter is in the early mature–mature stage, while the Middle Jurassic is in the mature stage. Besides, organic matter is primarily II and III in kerogen types. The whole shale contains a large number of clay minerals, especially illite. The average brittle minerals such as quartz and feldspar are 28.67%, and the average brittleness index is 38.63%. Nanoscale pores containing intergranular pores, dissolution pores, and organic pores, coupled with microcracks, are well developed in Jurassic shale. The sample’s average pore volume is 0.017 cm3/g, and the specific surface area is 9.36 m2/g. Mesoporous contribute the most to pore volume, while the number of microporous is the largest. Both of them provide most of the surface area for the shale. Combined with regional geologic settings, we propose that the Jurassic terrestrial shale has good-excellent shale gas exploration potential and development prospects.

Nanosheets consisting of two-dimensional (2-D) nanomaterials made up of Ca2+ (Ca), and Y3+ (Y) cations and carbonate [CO3 2-] anions in the interlayer with a uniform thickness and lengths of around 10 μm have been successfully synthesized in a hydrotalcite layer structure, otherwise known as a layered double hydroxide, using a facile hydrothermal method. The resulting CaY-CO3 2- layered double-hydroxide (LDH) materials demonstrate outstanding affinity and selectivity for toxic transition metal ions such as Cr3+, Ni2+, Cu2+, Zn2+, Pb2+, Cd2+, and Hg2+ as well as metalloid As3+. The adsorption of all of the highly toxic metal ions from the aqueous solution was found to be exceptionally rapid and highly selective, with more than 95% removal achieved within 30 min. For AsO3, a strong adsorption potential of 452 mg/g was observed at pH 7.0, which is better than most values previously reported. The distribution coefficient K d values can exceed ∼106 mL/g for Cr3+, Pb2+, and As3+, which are highly toxic. The fabricated materials have excellent chemical stability: they retain their well-defined lamellar shapes even under mildly acidic conditions.

Inorganic free radical scavengers are used to suppress the radical attack and chemical degradation of perfluorosulfonic acid (PSFA) ionomer membranes. However, the commercially available radical scavengers have the shortcomings of nano dispersibility and formation of ionically crosslinked complexes with PSFA chains resulting in aggregation and reduced chemical stability. In this study, a new strategy to synthesize highly dispersible metal oxide-ionomer (MO-I) nanocomposite particles using various equivalent weight (EW) of ionomers, is addressed for obtaining effective radical scavengers which ensure the re-dispersibility and colloidal stability in the ionomer dispersions. The effect of the EW of the ionomer and selection of metal precursors on the solubility of metal precursors in the ionomer solution, the solubility of ionomer in the solvent, re-dispersibility, and colloidal stability of MO-I nanocomposite particles in the ionomer solution were also studied. Under given conditions, it was proved that MO-I nanocomposite particles prepared by using cerium nitrate precursor showed the best radical scavenging performance in the presence of EW800 ionomer solution.

In this study, the liquid phase plasma (LPP) was irradiated over pure zinc oxide (ZnO), strontium (Sn) doped ZnO, and Sn doped ZnO/CNTs photocatalysts for hydrogen evolution from pure water and from aqueous solution of water-methanol. The possible relationship between hydrogen evolution and optical emissions from LPP for activation of ZnO based photocatalysts was revealed. The role of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as a support material for improved photocatalytic hydrogen evolution was also investigated in this study. The photocatalytic hydrogen evolution from water mixed methanol under LPP irradiation was compared with pure water splitting. The photolysis produced negligible amount of hydrogen due to minimal photodecomposition of water molecules under LPP irradiation. The plasma born reactive species also played crucial role in photolysis. However, the hydrogen evolution rate increased significantly in the presence of ZnO photocatalyst. Further improvement in hydrogen evolution rate was noticed on Sn doping of ZnO and compositing with CNTs. The highest hydrogen evolution rate of 11.46 mmh−1g−1 from water mixed methanol was achieved with Sn doped ZnO/CNTs photocatalyst. This hydrogen evolution rate from water-methanol solution was 9 times higher than from the splitting of pure water. This hydrogen evolution rate is attributed to excessive production of hydroxyl radicals, red shift in optical band gap of Sn doped ZnO/CNTs photocatalyst, slow electron-hole recombination and fast decomposition of methanol as sacrificial reagent.

The present study describes the synthesis, characterization and antiochratoxin efficacy of zinc oxide nanoparticles against hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity in albino rats. Ochratoxin A (OTA) was produced by solid state fermentation on wheat grains using Aspergillus ochraceus and estimated by HPLC. ZnONPs were produced using leaf extract of Camellia sinensis and characterized by UV–visible spectrophotometer, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Different doses were given to albino rats by dividing them into different groups i.e., group A (basal feed), group B (50 ppb OTA), group C (50 ppb OTA and 25 ppb ZnONPs) and group D (25 ppb ZnONPs). Blood was collected for biochemical analysis and tissues of liver and kidney were taken for histopathological examination. UV–visible spectroscopy showed prominent peak of green synthesized nanoparticles having maximum absorption of 350 nm and size range from 30 to 40 nm using SEM. The synthesized ZnO nanostructure was confirmed by XRD image and different functional groups responsible for green synthesis were confirmed by FTIR analysis. OTA significantly decreased the weight gain, feed consumption and feed conversion ratio of rats. Histopathological examination of liver and kidney indicated that OTA has severe effects including degeneration, increase sinusoidal spaces, infiltration of lymphocytes, vascular congestion and necrosis. Biochemical parameters such as ALT, AST and creatinine were significantly raised whereas albumin and total protein were decreased by OTA feeding. These changes were ameliorated by green synthesized ZnONPs. This study concluded that OTA severely affect liver and kidney of rats and green tea mediated ZnONPs plays a hepatoprotective and nephroprotective role to reduce the lethal effects of OTA in albino rats.

We report the successful electrochemical intercalation of F-ions into a densely packed perovskite oxide from a liquid electrolyte at room temperature. Using galvanostatic oxidation and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy coupled with operando X-ray diffraction, we show that roughly 0.5 equivalents of F-ions can be inserted onto the vacant A-site of the perovskite ReO3. Density functional theory calculations indicate that the intercalated phase is thermodynamically unfavorable compared to other less densely packed polymorphs of ReO3F. Pairing X-ray spectroscopy, neutron total scattering measurements, and magic-angle spinning 19F NMR confirms a rapid decomposition of the product on removal from the cell but nevertheless, these results clearly demonstrate that small anions like fluoride can be intercalated into solids as readily as alkali cations at room temperature, which opens new opportunities to electrochemically fluorinate many new materials.

Cancers are complex diseases orchestrated by a plethora of extrinsic and intrinsic factors. Research spanning over several decades has provided better understanding of complex molecular interactions responsible for the multifaceted nature of cancer. Recent advances in the field of next generation sequencing and functional genomics have brought us closer towards unravelling the complexities of tumor microenvironment (tumor heterogeneity) and deregulated signaling cascades responsible for proliferation and survival of tumor cells. Phytochemicals have begun to emerge as potent beneficial substances aimed to target deregulated signaling pathways. Isoflavonoid genistein is an essential phytochemical involved in regulation of key biological processes including those in different types of cancer. Emerging preclinical evidence have shown its anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties. Testing of this substance is in various phases of clinical trials. Comprehensive preclinical and clinical trials data is providing insight on genistein as a modulator of various signaling pathways both at transcription and translation levels. In this review we have explained the mechanistic regulation of several key cellular pathways by genistein. We have also addressed in detail various microRNAs regulated by genistein in different types of cancer. Moreover, application of nano-formulations to increase the efficiency of genistein is also discussed. Understanding the pleiotropic potential of genistein to regulate key cellular pathways and development of efficient drug delivery system will bring us a step towards designing better chemotherapeutics.

Objectives: to find out the effectiveness of stretching exercises and baclofen alone and combined in spastic cerebral palsy children on spasticity, fluid and calorie intake. Material & Methods: A single-blinded, randomized control trial was conducted at Allama Iqbal Hospital, and Idrees Teaching Hospital. The participants between 5-15 years, having spasticity score of 2 or more on Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS). The participants were randomly divided into three treatment groups i.e. group A received baclofen, group B received stretching and group C received both baclofen and sustained stretching. Data were collected by Performa / Questionnaire, which calculated basic demographics, BMI, fluid and calorie intake, and Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS). Results: The result showed significant difference (p

The objective was to develop a reservoir-type nimesulide gel patch for controlled drug delivery and avoid the gastrointestinal adverse effects associated with the oral delivery of nimesulide. Six patch formulations of nimesulide gel comprising of 20–40% for ethanol and 20–40% for propylene glycol as permeation enhancers were constructed. Carbopol 934 was used as a gelling agent. The reservoir compartment of transdermal patch was filled with the gel. The in vitro release and skin permeation were assessed using USP apparatus V. The optimized formulation was obtained on the basis of the in vitro drug release and permeation results. The surface area of optimized formulation (F3) was reduced to 1 cm2, and permeation of drug was determined through Franz diffusion cell using Strat-M transdermal diffusional membrane. The nimesulide reservoir patch was placed in the donor compartment. The receptor compartment was filled with 5 mL of permeation medium [normal saline containing 20% v/v PEG-400 was used as dissolution media (pH 7.4)] stirred by magnetic stirrer. The skin sensitivity reaction of the optimized patch was evaluated by Draize method. The formulation F3 comprising of 40% ethyl alcohol and 20% propylene glycol was considered optimized due to maximum % of drug release (86.3 ± 2.73%) and permeation of (3048.84 ± 17.23 µg/cm2), having flux of 449.92 µg/cm2 h and lag time of 0.197 h with no visible skin sensitivity reaction. The study demonstrates that the reservoir-type transdermal patch of nimesulide gel has the potential of delivering drug across the skin in a controlled release manner.

Emulsion template-guided strategy has been used to produce porous architectures with exquisite structure, tailored morphology, and exclusive features for ubiquitous applications. Notwithstanding, the practical water remediation is often marred by their transport-limited behavior and fragility. To circumvent these conundrums, we prepared hierarchically porous poly(acrylic acid)-alumina nanocomposite beads by solidifying the droplets of emulsions jointly stabilized by the organic surfactants and alumina nanoparticles. By virtue of their positive charge, the alumina nanoparticles got entrapped within the poly(acrylic acid) scaffolds that excluded the risk of secondary contamination typically observed with conventional nanocomposites. Being amenable to surface modification, the carboxyl moieties of the beaded polymer were further exploited to covalently tether branched polyethylenimine throughout the exterior and interior surface of the porous matrix via a grafting-to approach. The macropores expedite an active fluid flow and easier adsorbate transport throughout the functionalized nanocomposites whose overall higher density of positive charge over a certain pH range electrostatically attracts and effectively adsorbs the negatively charged Cr(VI) complexes and anionic congo red ions/molecules from water. This proof-of-concept synthetic approach and postsynthetic modification offer an improved mechanical robustness to these macrosized multifunctional nanocomposite beads for their easier processing, thereby paving the way for the point-of-use water purification technology development.

Two salt-sensitive (Yongliang-15, GS-6058) and two salt-tolerant (JS-7, Xinchun-31) wheat cultivars were used to investigate the extension, extensibility (viscoelastic parameters), and chemical composition of the cell walls in their root elongation regions (apical 10 mm-long root segments), under salinity stress. The elasticity of the root cell wall, indicated by E0, significantly decreased in the salt-sensitive cultivars, whereas the E0 in the salt-tolerant cultivars was maintained at the same level as that in the non-saline condition. Root extension and the differences among cultivars were largely dependent on elastic extension, which accounts for one-half to two-thirds of the total extension. Viscosity, indicated by η0, and the plastic extension of the root cell walls did not change across the treatments and cultivars. The significant decrease in cell wall elasticity in the root elongation region was one of the factors that depressed root growth in salt-sensitive cultivars under the saline condition. The well-maintained elasticity of salt-tolerant cultivars alleviated the depression of root growth by NaCl. Cell wall elasticity was positively correlated with the relative pectin and hemicellulose I contents and negatively correlated with the relative cellulose content. Under saline conditions, the relative hemicellulose II content did not change in the salt-sensitive cultivars; however, it decreased in the salt-tolerant ones. Thus, changes in chemical composition of the cell wall were correspond with the cell wall extensibility and root growth in wheat cultivars with different degrees of salt tolerance.

Two series of biphenyl derivatives have been synthesized, characterized and evaluated for various biological activities. One of the products demonstrates efficient urease inhibition. All compounds synthesized from fast blue B salt and O-alkylated derivatives display excellent β-glucuronidase inhibition activity, and one of those is a scavenger of superoxide anion radical. The products are not active in phosphodiestrase inhibition bioassay. Most of synthetic biphenyl analogues have demonstrated significant in vitro antimalarial activity against plasmodium falciparum. All synthesized compounds exhibit low mortality effect on the tested insects. Molecular structures of the synthesized compounds have been docked into the active sites of urease and β-glucuronidase protein, and all active compounds have demonstrated good interacting pattern. Upon further experimental validation, these compounds could be used as potential inhibitors against urease and β-glucuronidase.

In this study, we report the facile surface modification of reverse osmosis (RO) membranes for improved filtration as well as bacterial resistance properties. Thin films of two silanes, 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (3-APS) and 6-amino-hexylaminotriethoxysilane (6-AHAS), were dip-coated on commercial RO membranes, and their nitrogen atoms subsequently quaternized. Analyses of the modified membranes via scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirmed the “peak and valley” morphology of the original membrane, silane deposition, and N quaternization, respectively. The original membrane showed a water contact angle of ∼90−100° that was significantly decreased after silane coating: 63° for 3-APS and ∼52° for 6-AHAS. Filtration experiments with a high-salinity feed revealed significant improvements in the permeate flux (∼25−40%) and salt rejection (∼10−15%) after the surface modification. Bacterial adhesion studies with two different species, Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, showed significantly reduced cell attachment on the modified membranes. In addition, the coated and quaternized membranes significantly restricted the biological activity and colony formation of both strains with a bacteriostasis rate of ∼75%. The enhanced filtration and antifouling capabilities of the modified membranes were attributed to the presence of polar functionalities (R4N+). The authors thank the Deanship of Scientific Research at KFUPM for providing funding for this work via Project DISC1502. The authors are grateful to Dr. Billel Salhi from the IRC - Membranes & Water Security for the ellipsometry measurements and Hassan Al-Saeed from the Department of Physics for the XPS analysis.

Arsenic (As) contamination in soil–plant system is an important environmental, agricultural and health issue globally. The microbe- and sulfate-mediated As cycling in soil–plant system may depend on soil sulfate levels, and it can be used as a potential strategy to reduce plant As uptake and improve plant growth. Here, we investigated the role of soil microbes (SMs) to examine As phytoaccumulation using maize as a test plant, under varying sulfate levels (S-0, S-5, S-25 mmol kg−1) and As stress. The addition of sulfate and SMs promoted maize plant growth and reduced As concentration in shoots compared to sulfate-treated plants without SMs. Results revealed that the SMs-S-5 treatment proved to be the most promising in reducing As uptake by 27% and 48% in root and shoot of the maize plants, respectively. The SMs-S treatments, primarily with S-5, enhanced plant growth, shoot dry biomass, Chl a, b and total Chl (a + b) contents, and gas exchange attributes of maize plants. Similarly, the antioxidant defense in maize plants was increased significantly in SMs-S-treated plants, notably with SMs-S-5 treatment. Overall, the SMs-S-5-treated plants possessed improved plant growth, dry biomass, physiology and antioxidant defense system and decrease in plant shoot As concentration. The outcomes of this study suggest that sulfate supplementation in soil along with SMs could assist in reducing As accumulation by maize plants, thus providing a sustainable and eco-friendly bioremediation strategy in limiting As exposure.

The present study described the synthesis and assessment of different properties of ferrite-polymer composites. These composites were fabricated by the appropriate mixture of ferrite nanoparticles and polypyrrole. A versatile chemical technique known as co-precipitation was applied in the preparation of ferrite materials. The in-situ polymerization scheme was chosen to synthesize the polymeric polypyrrole base. A series of samples with zero to hundred percent ferrite contents were prepared. These include pure ferrite sample, pure polypyrrole sample, FP-1(25% ferrite, 100% polypyrrole), FP-2 (50% ferrite, 100% polypyrrole), FP-3 (75% ferrite, 100% polypyrrole) and FP-4 (100% ferrite, 100% polypyrrole). These samples were analyzed to evaluate the surface morphology, structural properties as well as magnetic properties. The shape of hysteresis loop showed the ferromagnetic nature of the synthesized composites. On the basis of the results of current study, the samples with 25% and 50% ferrite ratio may be suitable for the hyperthermia.

Purpose: To synthesize and characterize some new gabapentin Schiff base derivatives, and to assess their antibacterial, antioxidant and antiepileptic activities.Methods: Four Schiff base derivatives of gabapentin, termed G1, G2, G3 and G4, were synthesized by condensation with benzoin, vanillin, acetophenone, and benzophenone, respectively. Their chemical identities were established by FTIR, 1 H NMR and 13C NMR techniques. The new compounds were screened for antibacterial activity using agar well method, antioxidant activity by DPPH assay, and anticonvulsant activity against pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) induced seizures in mice.Results: All the compounds showed antibacterial activity against the test strains to variable degrees, while the parent drug did not exhibit antibacterial activity. The zones of inhibition of compound G2 against Micrococcus luteus (36.2 ± 1.0 mm) and Serratia marcescens (28.2 ± 1.0 mm), and of compound G4 against Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (36.8 ± 1.0 mm) were larger compared to thestandard drug, doxycycline, exhibiting zones of inhibition 28.2 ± 1.3, 28.2 ± 0.9 and 20.0 ± 0.9 mm, respectively. In addition, compounds G1 and G2 possessed significantly greater (p < 0.05) radical scavenging activity (82.3 ± 1.8 and 92.3 ± 2.2 %, respectively) than the precursor drug, gabapentin (63.2± 2.6 %). The seizure scores for compounds G1 (0.7 ± 0.06) and G2 (0.9 ± 0.07) were comparable(p ˃ 0.05) with gabapentin (0.8 ± 0.06), while compounds G3 and G4 were less active (p < 0.05) than gabapentin.Conclusion: Compounds G1 and G2 exhibit good antibacterial and antioxidant activities while retaining the anticonvulsant activity of the parent drug, gabapentin, thus making them suitable candidates for further development for the treatment of neurodegenerative pathologies associated with bacterial infections. Keywords: Gabapentin, Antibacterial, Seizures, Antioxidant, Anticonvulsant

This study investigated the effect of heavy metals on Labeo rohita inhabiting the Yamuna River, India. Levels of heavy metals measured in the water were as follows: Fe>Mn>Zn>Cu>Ni>Cr>Cd. Gill and liver tissue of exposed L. rohita showed a high metal pollution index, compared to reference fish collected from the Agra Canal. In the exposed fish, higher levels of creatinine and enzyme activity (alkaline phosphatase, aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine aminotransferase) were observed, while the A:G index declined. Additionally, higher TLC, lymphocytes, respiratory burst, and nitric oxide synthase activity indicated a heightened immune response. Levels of superoxide dismutase and lipid peroxidation were elevated, while catalase, glutathione S transferase, and glutathione was reduced. DNA of the exposed fish appeared deteriorated, with a greater mean tail length in comparison to the reference. Our results imply that Yamuna River water generates oxidative stress and DNA damage in L. rohita. As this river is a critical source of water and food to the native community, this could pose a threat to public health similar to that in the indicator organism.

Solar-driven steam generation is anticipated as one of the most promising and inventive technologies to address the primitive issues of water shortage. Although extensive attempts have been made to...

A novel Pd-Fe/α-Al2O3 catalyst was synthesized by incipient-wetness impregnation method with bayberry tannin as chelating promoter and commercial hollow column Raschig ring α-Al2O3 as support for the synthesis of diethyl oxalate from CO and ethyl nitrite. A variety of characterization techniques including N2 physical adsorption, optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive system (SEM-EDS), inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), were employed to explore the relationship between the physicochemical properties and activity of catalysts. It indicated that a large number of phenolic hydroxyl groups in bayberry tannin can efficiently anchor the active component Pd, reduce the particle size and make the active Pd as a multi-ring distribution on the commercial α-Al2O3 support, which were beneficial to improve the catalytic activity for the production of diethyl oxalate from CO and ethyl nitrite. 0.3 wt% Pd-Fe/α-Al2O3 showed excellent catalytic activity and selectivity in a continuous flow, fixed-bed reactor with the loading amount of 10 mL catalysts. Under the mild reaction conditions, the space-time yield of diethyl oxalate was 978 g L−1 h−1 and CO conversion was 44% with the selectivity to diethyl oxalate of 95.5%.

Facile combustion route synthesized Al and Ce co-doped ZnO nanoparticles photocatalysts were characterized using XRD, SEM, BET, EDS, UV-visible DRS, PL, photocurrent and EIS techniques. XRD and SEM analyses identify that crystallite and particle size is reduced from 13.26 to 11.88 nm with introduction of Al and Ce into ZnO which assists inhibiting the recombination of photo generated charge carriers. UV-visible DRS spectra indicate that optical assimilation of ZnO is significantly increased to visible region (∼406 nm) and band gap reduces from 3.18 to 3.06 eV with introduction of Al and Ce co-dopants. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analysis under visible light illumination confirms the enhancement in visible light activity of Al and Ce co-doped ZnO nanoparticles as photocatalysts. The enhanced activity of Al and Ce co-doped ZnO photocatalyst can be ascribed to enhanced light assimilation, high surface area and efficient charge transfer process. Our results reveal that by incorporating precise amount of Al (∼2%) and Ce (∼2%) into ZnO, a highly efficient catalyst can be synthesized that have degraded almost 95% methyl orange (MO) dye in just 45 min. Further, the influence of various operational parameters such as solution pH, catalyst dose, dye concentration, airflow rate and light intensity on photodecomposition of MO was evaluated. Furthermore, a possible mechanism for Al and Ce modified ZnO was proposed and designed photocatalysts demonstrates good stability in aqueous medium.

In this study, the essential oil composition and antibacterial activity of the resin of Canarium strictum Roxb. was investigated. The oil was extracted by microwave-assisted extraction and analyzed...

The discharge of various textile effluents into water is provoking numerous ecological issues that have become severe threat to human beings and aquatic lives. The removal of the effluents by photodegradation using appropriate nanoparticles (NPs) is the most promising remediation process. In this study, a facile hydrothermal approach is utilized to fabricate pure ZnO and strontium doped ZnO nanoparticles (Sr-ZnO). The fabricated nanoparticles represented hexagonal morphology and structure which was controlled with the strontium doping. The optical properties of fabricated NPs were also controlled and approached to visible light (2.52 eV) instead of the UV light. The fabricated NPs were employed for photodegradation of Rhodamine B (RHB) dye from polluted wastewater and further effect of factors like light irradiation time, pH, photocatalyst dose, dye concentration etc. was also explored to optimize the parameters. Sr-ZnO photocatalyst represent excellent RHB dye degradation as well as cyclic stability with pseudo first order kinetics. The current study proves the suitability of Sr-ZnO photocatalyst under visible light irradiation for treatment of the organic and dye polluted wastewaters.

Polyindole (PIn) nanocomposites (PNCs) at different wt % of tungsten carbide (WC) were prepared and characterized through various spectral, thermal and electrical methods. Formation of PNCs was asc...

Herein, we report a polysaccharide-based hydrogel isolated from psyllium husk (a well-known dietary fiber) and evaluated for its swelling properties in deionized water (DW) at different physiological pH values, i.e., 1.2, 6.8 and 7.4. Swelling of psyllium hydrogel (PSH) in DW under the influence of temperature and at different concentrations of NaCl and KCl solutions was also examined. A pH-dependent swelling pattern of PSH was observed following the order DW > pH 7.4 > pH 6.8 > pH 1.2. Stimuli-responsive swelling and deswelling (on–off switching) behavior of PSH was observed in DW and ethanol, DW and normal saline, at pH 7.4 and pH 1.2 environments, respectively. Similar swelling behavior and on–off switching attribute of PSH-containing tablets indicated the unaltered nature of PSH even after compression. Scanning electron micrographs of swollen and then freeze-dried PSH via transverse and longitudinal cross-sections revealed hollow channels with an average pore size of 6 ± 2 μm. Furthermore, PSH concentration-dependent sustained release of theophylline from tablet formulation was witnessed for >15 h following the non-Fickian diffusion mechanism. Subacute toxicity studies revealed the non-toxic nature of PSH. Therefore, dietary fiber-based material, i.e., PSH could be a valuable pharmaceutical excipient for intelligent and targeted drug delivery.

Isocyanates are the key intermediates for several organic transformations towards the synthesis of diverse pharmaceutical targets. Herein, we report the development of an oxidant-free protocol for electrochemical in situ generation of isocyanates. This strategy highlights expedient access to benzimidazolones and quinazolinones and eliminates the need for exogenous oxidants. Furthermore, detailed mechanistic studies provide strong support towards our hypothesis of in situ isocyanate generation.

Objective: To compare the effect of Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose versus Sodium Hyaluronate on corneal endothelial cell count in patients undergoing cataract surgery by phacoemulsification. Design: It was a randomized clinical trial. Study Settings: This study was conducted at the Eye Unit III, Mayo Hospital / KEMU, Lahore over 12 months period from June 2014 to May 2015. Hypothesis: There is a significant difference in protective effect on corneal endothelial cell loss with dispersive (Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose) viscoelastic agent as compared to cohesive (sodium hyaluronate) viscoelastic agent used during phacoemulsification with intraocular lens for the treatment of cataract. Material and Methods: Total 80 patients from both the genders aged between 40-70 years with cataract undergoing phacoemulsification surgery were involved in this study. Two equal treatment groups were made by random allocation. Patients in Group-A (n=40) received Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose as viscoelastic agent while patients in Group-B (n=40) received treatment with Sodium Hyaluronate. Surgery was carried out by phacoemulsification technique and follow-up was done at first week, 1st month and 3rd month post-operatively. Data was collected in terms of endothelial cell count by noncontact specular microscope. Results: Patients age was in the range of 40 to 70 years with a mean of 57.26 ± 8.00 years. There were 31 (38.75%) females and 49 (61.25%) male patients with a female to male ratio of 1.6:1. Both the groups had no statistically significant difference in the mean corneal cell count before surgery (2839.67±368.71 cells/mm2 vs. 2801.36 ± 332.52 cells/mm2; p-value= 06.27). Post-operative mean corneal cell count at 1 week, 1 month and 3 months was significantly higher in patients in Group-A compared to Group-B. Similarly, significant difference was noted across various subgroups of both the groups on the basis of patient’s age and gender. Conclusion: This study concluded that there is less corneal endothelial cell loss with dispersive Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose viscoelastic agent as compared to cohesive sodium hyaluronate viscoelastic agent used during phacoemulsification surgery with intraocular lens implant for the treatment of cataract. Keywords: Cataract, phacoemulsification, viscoelastic agents, corneal, endothelial cell.

Temperature-dependent current transfer properties of copper (Cu)and iron (Fe)-sheathed magnesium diboride (MgB 2 ) superconducting wires are studied by the estimation of current transfer length (CTL) and the electric field for various crosssectional area combinations of the superconducting core, barrier, and outer metallic sheath. The result indicates that the CTL values increase with increasing operational temperatures. The least CTL values are obtained for Fe-sheathed wires (MgB 2 )/V/Fe) for all the studied cross-sectional area combinations in the wide temperature range (10-25 K) as compared to Cu-sheathed wires (MgB 2 /V/Cu). The change in CTL values with varying operational temperature is small for both types of studied superconducting wires. The estimation of heat flux density generated on the metallic sheath suggests that the electrical dissipation is lower for Fe-sheathed superconducting wires. Hence, the lower CTL values suggest that the Fe-sheathed MgB 2 wire with vanadium barrier is operational with the lowest electrical dissipation.

Optimum usage of fertilizers is an important factor that defines the fate of crop yield by confirming the accessibility of nutrients in soil. Imbalance use of fertilizer not only reduces the crop productivity but also adversely affects the soil properties. A one-year experiment was carried out to explore the impact of different levels of farm yard manure and urea on soil properties, growth and yield of wheat crop. Treatments were application of nitrogen at i) 125 kg ha-1 from urea, ii) 80 kg ha-1 of nitrogen from urea + 10 tons of farm yard manure ha-1 and iii) 20 tons of farm yard manure ha-1. Wheat cultivar Sehar-2006 was used in the experiment. All the treatments’ combination affected crop growth, economic yield and soil properties. However, maximum positive impact of combined use of farm yard manure and urea was observed. Results indicated that productive tillers per unit area (16%), plant height, number of spikelets per spike (12.5%) and economical yield (11%) were greatly enhanced by combined usage of urea and farm yard manure as compared to sole application of urea. Combined application of urea and farm yard manure also positively affected the soil bulk density, particle density, percent porosity and soil saturated hydraulic conductivity as compared to either sole use of urea or farm yard manure. Combined usage of farm yard manure and urea are suggested better to produce higher economical yield along with improved soil properties.