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In this study the radiation-induced degradation of crystal violet (CV) dye under various experimental conditions has been investigated. D0.5, D0.9 and D0.99 values suggests that lower doses are required for 50%, 90% and 99% removal of CV dye when the sample solution contains excessive amount of �OH radicals. The removal efficiency of CV dye in terms of G-values was also calculated under each reaction conditions. The results showed that �OH radicals are playing effective role in the degradation of CV dye as compared to e aq‒ and .H radicals. The gamma irradiation process effectively degraded CV dye at all pH values. The organic byproducts were examined and accordingly degradation pathway was proposed.

Background: Stillbirth rates in Afghanistan have declined little in the past decade with no data available on key risk factors. Health care utilisation and maternal com- plications are important factors influencing pregnancy outcomes but rarely captured for stillbirth in national surveys from low‐ and middle‐income countries. The 2010 Afghanistan Mortality Survey (AMS) is one of few surveys with this information. Methods: We used data from the 2010 AMS that included a full pregnancy history and verbal autopsy. Our sample included the most recent live birth or stillbirth of 13 834 women aged 12‐49 years in the three years preceding the survey. Multivariable Poisson regression was used to identify sociodemographic, maternal, and health care utilisation risk factors for stillbirth. Results: The risk of stillbirth was increased among women in the Central Highlands (aRR: 3.01, 95% CI 1.35, 6.70) and of Nuristani ethnicity (aRR: 9.15, 95% CI 2.95, 28.74). Women who did not receive antenatal care had three times increased risk of stillbirth (aRR: 3.03, 95% CI 1.73, 5.30), while high‐quality antenatal care was impor- tant for reducing the risk of intrapartum stillbirth. Bleeding, infection, headache, and reduced fetal movements were antenatal complications strongly associated with stillbirth. Reduced fetal movements in the delivery period increased stillbirth risk by almost seven (aRR: 6.82, 95% CI 4.20, 11.10). Facility births had a higher risk of still- births overall (aRR: 1.55, 95% CI 1.12, 2.16), but not for intrapartum stillbirths. Conclusions: Targeted interventions are needed to improve access and utilisation of services for high‐risk groups. Early detection of complications through improved quality of antenatal and obstetric care is imperative. We demonstrate the potential of household surveys to provide country‐specific evidence on stillbirth risk factors for LMICs where data are lacking.

This study investigates the phenol degradation by pulsed high-voltage discharge (PHVD). The effect of solution pH, temperature, treatment time and initial phenol concentration on phenol degradation were examined. The results showed that the phenol removal efficiency was increased with the rise of pH, temperature and treatment time. The phenol removal efficiency was 48%, 46%, 42% and 34%, respectively at 10, 40, 90 and 160 ppm phenol solutions. The phenol degradation rate was increased markedly when H2O2 was added into the solution. Almost complete phenol degradation (100%) was achieved when 20-40 mM of H2O2 was added into phenol solutions of 40, 90 and 180 ppm.

In this chapter, free radical kinetics with the help of competition kinetics and some experimental results calculated by competition kinetics to find out the rate constant of reactive species (●OH, eaq−, ●H) with target compound, which is used by radiation chemists is briefly discussed. The competition kinetics method is well validated by taking ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin and bezafibrate as example compounds. The bimolecular rate constants of hydroxyl radical, hydrate electron and hydrogen atom has been calculated for example solute species (ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin and bezafibrate).

Quality concerns exist with stillbirth data from low- and middle-income countries including under-reporting and misclassification which affect the reliability of burden estimates. This is particularly problematic for household survey data. Disclosure and reporting of stillbirths are affected by the socio-cultural context in which they occur and societal perceptions around pregnancy loss. In this qualitative study, we aimed to understand how community and healthcare providers' perceptions and practices around stillbirth influence stillbirth data quality in Afghanistan. We collected data through 55 in-depth interviews with women and men that recently experienced a stillbirth, female elders, community health workers, healthcare providers, and government officials in Kabul province, Afghanistan between October-November 2017. The results showed that at the community-level, there was variation in local terminology and interpretation of stillbirth which did not align with the biomedical categories of stillbirth and miscarriage and could lead to misclassification. Specific birth attendant practices such as avoiding showing mothers their stillborn baby had implications for women’s ability to recall skin appearance and determine stillbirth timing; however, parents who did see their baby, had a detailed recollection of these characteristics. Birth attendants also unintentionally misclassified birth outcomes. We found several practices that could potentially reduce under-reporting and misclassification of stillbirth; these included the cultural significance of ascertaining signs of life after birth (which meant families distinguished between stillbirths and early neonatal deaths); the perceived value and social recognition of a stillborn; and openness of families to disclose and discuss stillbirths. At the facility-level, we identified that healthcare provider’s practices driven by institutional culture and demands, family pressure, and socio-cultural influences, could contribute to under-reporting or misclassification of stillbirths. Data collection methodologies need to take into consideration the socio-cultural context and investigate thoroughly how perceptions and practices might facilitate or impede stillbirth reporting in order to make progress on data quality improvements for stillbirth.

Copolymer microgel composed of N-isopropyl acrylamide and methacrylic acid, poly(NIPAM-MAA), was synthesized by free radical emulsion polymerization using N,N-(1,2-dihydroxyethylene) bisacrylamide as cross-linking agent. The hybrid microgels poly(NIPAM-MAA)-Au and poly(NIPAM-MAA)-Ag, were synthesized by in-situ reduction of metal ions using sodium borohydride (NaBH4) as reducing agent. The temperature and pH sensitivity of pure and hybrid microgels were studied by dynamic light scattering (DLS) and UV-Visible spectroscopy. The existence of gold and silver nanoparticles inside the microgel network was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Poly(NIPAM-MAA)-Au and poly(NIPAM-MAA)-Ag hybrid microgels were tested for the comparative catalytic activity towards the reduction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol. The apparent rate constant (k app) for poly(NIPAM-MAA)-Au was found superior than poly(NIPAM-MAA)-Ag.

This study reports the degradation of ciprofloxacin (CIP) by means of ionizing radiations. Kinetic studies with aqueous concentrations of 4.6, 10, 15, 17.9 mg/L reveals that degradation of CIP follows pseudo-first order kinetics and the decay constant increased with decrease in initial concentration of CIP. The removal efficiency, represented by G-value, decreased with increasing absorbed dose and increased with higher [CIP]0 concentration at a given absorbed dose. The effects of bubbling CIP solution with N2, N2O or air on CIP degradation were also studied. The influence of various radical scavengers like tert-butanol, iso-propanol, HCO3- , CO3(2-) , NO3- and NO2- as radical scavengers in N2- saturated solutions of CIP indicated that 'OH were more closely associated with the radiolytic decomposition of CIP than other radicals, such as e-aq or ·H. The pH value of aqueous media played a crucial role in the degradation of CIP. It was observed that degradation efficiency was higher under acidic condition compared to degradation in natural or alkaline media. F-, CH3COO- and HCOO- were formed as a result of CIP degradation that were analyzed by ion-chromatography.

The study was conducted to evaluate the quality of cryopreserved buffalo and zebu semen thawed and held at low temperature. Progressive motility of frozen semen thawed in a 37 °C water bath for 45 s (control) was compared with that of semen held in ice water (3-5 °C) for 180 min. Semen collected from 3 buffalo and 2 zebu bulls was used for this purpose over 3 weeks (replicates). Fertility was compared after performing 28 inseminations with buffalo semen and 100 inseminations with zebu semen either after control thawing or thawing straws in ice water for 30-60 min. Progressive motility of buffalo and zebu semen thawed and held in ice water for 30 and 90 min, respectively, was not different from that of semen thawed at 37 °C. The conception rate of buffaloes and zebu cows (69.2% and 60.0%) inseminated after control thawing was higher than that of animals inseminated with semen kept in ice water for 30-60 min (53.3% and 47.7%). However, the difference between conception rates after insemination with the 2 thawing methods was not significant in either case. It is concluded that there was a trend for decreased fertility for both buffalo and zebu semen when inseminations were performed after thawing and holding semen for 30-60 min in ice water.

Conditions for in vitro maturation (IVM) of primary oocytes without conventionally used fetal calf serum and hormones were optimized in order to reduce the cost of laboratory produced buffalo embryos. Comparisons were made between oocyte recovery methods (aspiration vs. slicing) and IVM in medium 199 (static culture method vs. flux culture method) supplemented with 4-5 × 106 granulosa cells mL-1 that contained either estrus buffalo serum (EBS) or fetal calf serum (FCS). Recovery methods were compared according to yield, i.e. cumulus oocyte complexes per ovary (COCs/ovary), the expansion rate (% of COCs that expanded), and nuclear maturation rate (% of germinal vesicle breakdown [GVBD]), following IVM for 22-24 h. In vitro maturation methods (static culture with EBS or FCS and Flux culture with EBS or FCS) were compared on the basis of the expansion rate and in vitro fertilization rate (cleavage rate). COC recovery with the slicing method (2.2 COCs/ovary) was better (P < 0.05) than with aspiration (0.9 COCs/ovary). However, the IVM rate was better (P < 0.05) based on expansion (86% vs. 63%) and GVBD (85% vs. 62%) with aspiration than with the slicing method. The cleavage rate (37%) was significantly better with the static culture containing EBS than with the static culture with FCS or the flux culture with either EBS or FCS. It was concluded that aspiration of oocytes and subsequent IVM with static culture containing EBS would be a potential method to reduce the cost of laboratory produced buffalo embryos.