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Some fungi are observed as effective pigments. Its importance in the production of natural pigments has grown significantly. The pigment-producing fungi were developed and evaluated for application in dyeing cotton fabric. In the research, five fungal strains were identified as Aspergillus terreus S10, Talaromyces atroroseus WW5A3, Penicillium oxalicum WW3A4 (DG), WW5C2 and WW31DG. These strains were incubated for 21 days under static and non-static conditions using MSM and PDB media. Under liquid state fermentation conditions, the production of the pigments by the fungus was improved by altering temperatures (25-35°C) and pH (4.5-6.5). T. atroroseus WW5A3 showed pinkish color, A. terrreus S10 displayed yellow color, P. oxalicum WW3A4 (DG) presented yellowgreenish, WW5C2 exhibited light yellow color and WW31DG demonstrated greenish color. The results showed the maximum percentage absorbance of T. atroroteus WW5A3 showed 90.36 % at 600 nm, A. terrreus S10 showed 88 % at 500 nm, P. oxalicum WW35A4 showed 46.04 % at 550 nm, WW5C2 showed 59.60 % at 550 nm, and WW31DG showed 81.9 % at 550 nm. The natural fungal pigments were tested against bacterial pathogens to check the antibacterial activity. The results indicated that S. aureus and E. coli exhibited antibacterial activity in terms of maximum zone of inhibition. In conclusion, out of five pigments producing fungi, Aspergillus terreus S10 and Talaromyces atroroseus produced maximum pigment and highest percentage absorbance under liquid state fermentation conditions. Potential applications in the textile and leather industries have been discovered as a result of this research.

Background: Primary hypothyroidism is associated with the synthesis, metabolism and lipid abnormalities of thyroid hormones. Individuals with hypothyroidism have been shown to have high low density cholesterol and low high density cholesterol. In individuals with normal thyroid the association is usually observed between total cholesterol and thyroid stimulating hormone. Due to lipid abnormalities one group of experts is of the opinion that individuals with TSH ≤10 mIU/L having features of hypothyroidism should be started with thyroxine medication. Whereas, the other group does not support this idea making the topic controversial. In Pakistan the association between thyroid function and lipid abnormalities have so far not been studied which leaves a room for research at this topic. Aim: To explore the association between mild hypothyroidism and lipid abnormalities in Pakistani population. Methodology: This cross sectional study is carried out at Alfalah Welfare Medical Society, Lahore as part of their medical checkup, all the subjects gave written informed consent. The study was done from January 2021 to July 2021. Results: Thyroid function test of 2312 (85.4%) of the subjects was found to be normal. Subjects with mild hypothyroidism among Group-I were 324 (11.9%) whereas mild hypothyroidism in group-II were 36(1.3%). Triglyceride (3.99±0.80 compared to 3.79±0.70 mmol/L, p˂0.0001), low density lipoprotein (2.59±0.60 compared to 2.29±0.39mmol/L, p˂0.0001) and high density lipoprotein was (1.10±0.14 compared to 1.14±0.15 mmol/L). Conclusion: In patients with mild hypothyroidism due to deranged lipid profile atherogenesis was observed. In continuation to it low high density lipoproteins were also observed in children and a raised triglyceride and low density lipoprotein in the adult population. On the other hand, in patients with mild hypothyroidism having low TSH levels no such abnormalities were observed. Keywords: Dyslipidemia, Subclinical Hypothyrodism, Thyroid

Conjugated polymer/graphite nanocomposites have been known as high performance materials owing to improve the physicochemical properties relative to conventional once. Multilayered polymer nanocomp...

At present, the energy shortage and environmental pollution are the burning global issues. For centuries, fossil fuels have been used to meet worldwide energy demand. However, thousands of tons of greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere when fossil fuels are burned, contributing to global warming. Therefore, green energy must replace fossil fuels, and hydrogen is a prime choice. Photocatalytic water splitting (PWS) under solar irradiation could address energy and environmental problems. In the past decade, solar photocatalysts have been used to manufacture sustainable fuels. Scientists are working to synthesize a reliable, affordable, and light-efficient photocatalyst. Developing efficient photocatalysts for water redox reactions in suspension is a key to solar energy conversion. Semiconductor nanoparticles can be used as photocatalysts to accelerate redox reactions to generate chemical fuel or electricity. Carbon materials are substantial photocatalysts for total WS under solar irradiation due to their high activity, high stability, low cost, easy production, and structural diversity. Carbon-based materials such as graphene, graphene oxide, graphitic carbon nitride, fullerenes, carbon nanotubes, and carbon quantum dots can be used as semiconductors, photosensitizers, cocatalysts, and support materials. This review comprehensively explains how carbon-based composite materials function as photocatalytic semiconductors for hydrogen production, the water-splitting mechanism, and the chemistry of redox reactions. Also, how heteroatom doping, defects and surface functionalities, etc., can influence the efficiency of carbon photocatalysts in H2 production. The challenges faced in the PWS process and future prospects are briefly discussed.

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

Nanocomposites of conjugated polymers polypyrrole (PPy) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) as matrices and 1,4-phenylenediamine (PDA) as a linker with amine functional graphite (FG-NH2) as filler have been efficiently fabricated using in situ oxidative polymerization, and the effect of various mass ratios on physicochemical characteristics of prepared nanocomposite was investigated. The layer-by-layer oxidative polymerization of various matrices on host filler surface is confirmed by Fourier transform infrared, energy dispersive X-ray, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy examinations. Field emission scanning electron microscopy revealed fibrillary morphology of obtained nanocomposites. Thermal stability, glass transition temperature, and melting and crystallization temperature of the nanocomposites were increased with the incorporation of modified graphite. Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analysis explored the improved adsorption capacity (128 cm3g−1) of the nanocomposite with higher feeding ratio of pyrrole. The influence of FG-NH2and pyrrole on electrical conductivity performance of composites was also investigated. Functionalized graphite in the resultant PPy/PVC/PDA@FG-NH2nanocomposites played an important role in forming conducting network in PPy matrix indicating synergistic effect between PPy and FG-NH2.

Nanofiltration (NF) membranes were introduced during the ’80s with characteristics in between those of reverse osmosis and ultrafiltration membranes. This article aims at critically reviewi...

The increasing demand for critical metals and mounting pressure on the environmental impact of solid waste disposal have widely attracted the recycling of spent lithium ion batteries (LIBs). Although the hydrometallurgical recycling of LiCoO2 cathode materials from spent LIBs has been commonly investigated, the studies on LiNixCoyMnzO2 type cathode materials are infrequent. Hence, the present work is focused on sulfuric acid leaching of LiNixCoyMnzO2 cathode material for resource recovery of all the critical and rare metals from spent LIBs. The process parameters viz., pulp density, acid concentration, the dosage of reducing agent (i.e., H2O2), time, and temperature have been optimized for leaching of cathode powder (of weight composition: 7.6% lithium, 20.48% cobalt, 19.47% manganese, and 19.35% nickel). The maximum 92% lithium and nickel, 68% cobalt, and 34.8% manganese could be leached while leaching a 5% pulp density in 3.0 M H2SO4 without H2O2 at 90 °C. Leaching efficiencies of metals were found to be increased within 30 min and reaching to >98% by adding 4 vol% H2O2 even at a lower temperature, 50 °C. Thereafter selective precipitations of manganese and nickel were carried out from leach liquor using KMnO4 and C4H8N2O2 as suitable precipitants, respectively. Subsequently, a 2-stage solvent extraction using 0.64 M Cyanex 272 (50% saponified) at equilibrium pH 5.0 and O:A of 1:1 was employed for recovery of a highly pure solution of CoSO4. Finally, lithium could be precipitated at Li+:Na2CO3 of 1.2:1.0 and a process flow-sheet has been proposed for the recycling of spent LIBs.

Background: Patient and public involvement (PPI) is an active partnership between the public and researchers in the research process. In dementia research, PPI ensures that the perspectives of the person with “lived experience” of dementia are considered. To date, in many lower- and middle-income countries (LMIC), where dementia research is still developing, PPI is not well-known nor regularly undertaken. Thus, here, we describe PPI activities undertaken in seven research sites across South Asia as exemplars of introducing PPI into dementia research for the first time.Objective: Through a range of PPI exemplar activities, our objectives were to: (1) inform the feasibility of a dementia-related study; and (2) develop capacity and capability for PPI for dementia research in South Asia.Methods: Our approach had two parts. Part 1 involved co-developing new PPI groups at seven clinical research sites in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh to undertake different PPI activities. Mapping onto different “rings” of the Wellcome Trust's “Public Engagement Onion” model. The PPI activities included planning for public engagement events, consultation on the study protocol and conduct, the adaptation of a study screening checklist, development and delivery of dementia training for professionals, and a dementia training programme for public contributors. Part 2 involved an online survey with local researchers to gain insight on their experience of applying PPI in dementia research.Results: Overall, capacity and capability to include PPI in dementia research was significantly enhanced across the sites. Researchers reported that engaging in PPI activities had enhanced their understanding of dementia research and increased the meaningfulness of the work. Moreover, each site reported their own PPI activity-related outcomes, including: (1) changes in attitudes and behavior to dementia and research involvement; (2) best methods to inform participants about the dementia study; (3) increased opportunities to share knowledge and study outcomes; and (4) adaptations to the study protocol through co-production.Conclusions: Introducing PPI for dementia research in LMIC settings, using a range of activity types is important for meaningful and impactful dementia research. To our knowledge, this is the first example of PPI for dementia research in South Asia.

In this attempt, novel conjugated polymer/graphite nanocomposites with exposed surface area were fabricated by in situ polymerization using polyaniline, poly(methyl methacrylate) and poly(propylene glycol)-block-poly(ethylene glycol) block- poly(propylene glycol) as matrices and functionalized graphite as a filler. Structural and morphological analysis revealed the modification of graphite as well as oxidative polymerization of numerous matrices over the surface of modified graphite ensuing multilayered nanocomposites. The increased values of Tg (59 and 103°C) obtained from thermal analysis reflect the improved thermal stability of prepared nanocomposites and exhibit better adsorption capacity (35.5cm3/g). Maximum electrical conductivity (7.4 S/cm) was also observed for multilayered nanocomposite.

Polyurethane/polythiophene (PU/PTh) blends and nanocomposites were prepared by solution mixing and in situ polymerization, respectively and were investigated for mechanical, thermal, electrical and shape memory properties. Formation of blends and composites was supported by FTIR analysis. Surface morphology of prepared samples was clarified by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Homogeneous morphology of the composites was observed compared to blends due to well dispersion of NH2 functionalized MWCNTs attributed to introduction of urea linkages between the functionalized nanotubes and the NCO-terminated PU. Smooth morphology of the composites resulted for the significant improvement of the mechanical properties. Thermal stability of the blends and composites was found increased with PTh content. According to differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), an increase in glass transition, melting and crystallization temperature was observed for composites with PTh addition. Maximum shape recoverability (92 %) was exhibited by the PU/PTh composite with 1 wt. % PTh loading. Copyright © 2016 VBRI Press.

Structural variation and its influence on morphology, mechanical, thermal, and electrical conductivity properties of polyethylene oxide/poly(propylene glycol)-block-poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(propylene glycol)/2,4-toluene diisocyanate/polypyrrole (PEO/P(P-E-P)G/TDI/PPy) blends and nanocomposites with varying PPy content were reported. The chemical and fundamental linkages were confirmed by FTIR. SEM micrographs demonstrated homogeneous PEO/P(P-E-P)G/TDI/PPy blend formation and globular morphology for nanocomposites. The mechanical and DSC parameters were found to increase systematically with increasing PPy content in blend films. While for nanocomposites, better results were observed for 0.1% PPy content. Maximum electrical conductivity and good shape recovery of 94% was obtained for the nanocomposite with 1% PPy content.

The carbothermic reduction roasting followed by ammoniacal leaching of a Ni-laterite ore from Bajaur (Pakistan) has been studied first time for its potential exploitation via the Caron process. The use of fuel oil as reductant can be costly in Pakistan, therefore, plenty available coal was employed in this study. The roasting parameters like coal mixing proportion (5–15 wt%), temperature (600–900 °C), additive dosage (3–12 wt%), and time (15–180 min) were varied to optimize the selective reduction of Ni and Co. The extent of goethite phase transformation of roasted products characterized through the X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis could depict sharp peaks for the formation of Ni-Fe alloy phase in the presence of an additive, Na2SO4. The optimal reduction condition was observed to be laterite ore mix with 10 wt% coal and 9 wt% Na2SO4, and roasted at 800 °C for 120 min. Leaching of the roast-reduced product performed in NH4OH–(NH4)2CO3 solutions (150 g/L total NH3) was influenced by carbonate ion concentration and yielded >90% Ni and 67% Co. The apparent activation energy of Ni, 21.2 kJ/mole and Co, 7.6 kJ/mole indicated to follow intermediate-controlled and diffusion-controlled mechanism, respectively. Furthermore, the leach liquor was pre-oxidized and contacted to 10 vol% of LIX 84-I; yielding a selective extraction of >97% Ni over Co at the organic-to-aqueous ratio of 1. Results presented in this paper suggest that the extraction of Ni and Co from Bajaur lateritic ore is technically feasible through the Caron process, and can be useful to others as well.

Migraine being one of the common and disabling causes of headaches, has been described by World Health Organization as close to quadriplegia and dementia.Among the headache complaint visitors in the emergency department, the most common are those suffering from migraine. (1) Alinear correlationhas been found between rising serum pro BNP levels and Cardiovascular pathologies especially those involving left ventricular dysfunction which may depict a probable association between migraine and CVD. To compare the levels of serum pro Brain natriuretic peptide (pro BNP) between migraineurs and hypertensivemigraineurs. It was a cross sectional comparative study in which serumpro BNP levels were measured in migraine patients and hypertensive patients with migraine. A blood sample of 3 cc was drawn from the median cubital vein after securing aseptic measures. The blood sample was allowed to clot for 30 minutes and serum was separated. The serum was then centrifuged andpro BNP levels were estimated by ELISA using Human pro BNP kit. Patients’ history and recorded blood pressure was documented on a questionnaire. The results were analyzed using SPSS 21. One way ANOVA and Independent sample T test were applied to compare the proBNP levels. A P-value of < 0.05 was taken as significant. Serum pro BNP levels were raised in migraine patients and also in hypertensive patients with migraine (p-value 0.00). Serum pro BNP levels were found to be raised in both migraineurs and hypertensive migraineurs but the increase was not equal.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have long been recognized as the stiffest and strongest man-made material known to date. Owing to high electrical conductivity, CNTs have also gained interest in the area of electrical appliances and communication related applications. Moreover, carbon nanofibers (CNFs) depict fine electrical and mechanical profile. Due to their miniscule size, excellent mechanical, electrical, and thermal properties, CNTs can only be beneficial if they are homogeneously dispersed and embedded into light-weight engineering polymer matrices. Adding small amounts of CNTs strongly improve the electrical, thermal, and mechanical properties of the composites. In order to enhance their chemical affinity to polymer matrices, chemically modifying the graphitic sidewalls and tips is necessary. This article reviews the processing technology and improvement of various properties of carbon nanotube-reinforced thermoplastic polyurethane (PU) composites. Initially, the structure, morphology, mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties of nanotubes are described. Then various strategies for fabricating PU/CNTs composites and their properties are discussed. To conclude, recent developments in the field of mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties of thermoplastic PU reinforced with nanotubes and nanofibers are reviewed. A brief account regarding the toxicity and environmental safety aspects of carbon nanomaterials is also included in this article.

In addition to catalytic action, snake venom phospholipase A2 induces several pharmacological effects including neurotoxicity, cardiotoxicity as well as anti-coagulant and anti-platelet aggregation effects. Therefore, strategy to identify dual inhibitor for this enzyme will be of much importance in medical research. In this paper, structure-based pharmacophore mapping, molecular docking, protein–ligand interaction fingerprints, binding energy calculations, and binding affinity predictions were employed in a virtual screening strategy to identify new hits for dual inhibition of anti-coagulation and inflammation of phospholipase A2. A structure-based pharmacophore map was modeled which comprised of important interactions as observed in co-crystal of phospholipase A2 and its dual inhibitor indomethacin. The generated model was used to retrieve molecules from ChemBridge, a free database of commercially available compounds. A total of 381 molecules mapped on the developed pharmacophore model from ChemBridge database. The hits retrieved were further screened by molecular docking, protein–ligand interaction fingerprints, binding energy calculations, and binding affinity predictions using Genetic Optimization for Ligand Docking and moe. Based on these results, 32 chemo-types molecules were predicted as potential lead scaffolds for developing novel, potent and structurally diverse dual inhibitor of phospholipase A2.

Cytotoxic lymphocytes (CTLs), the key players of cell mediated immunity, induce apoptosis by engaging death receptors or through exocytosis of cytolytic granules containing granzyme (proteases) and pore-forming protein (perforin). The crystal structure of granzyme B from human (B(h)) and rat (B(r)), as well as that of pro-granzyme K (K(h)) has been reported recently. In the present communication, we describe the homology modeling of granzyme family (in particular Gzm A(h), M(h), B(m), and C(m) from human and mouse) based on the crystal structural coordinates of trypsin, granzyme K (K(h)), and granzyme B (B(h)). These models have been used for establishing phylogenetic relationship as well as identifying characteristic features for designing specific inhibitors. The paper also highlights key residues at the S1, S2, and S2(') binding subsites in all granzyme, which may be involved in the structure-function relationship of this enzyme family. The predicted 3D homology models show a conserved two similar domain structure, i.e., an N-terminal domain and a C-terminal domain comprising predominantly of beta-sheet structure with a little alpha-helical content. Micro-heterogeneities have been observed in the vicinity of the active site in all granzymes as compared to granzyme B(h). For example, in granzyme M(h), valine is present at the S1 subsite instead of arginine. Similarly differences at S2 (Leu-->Phe), S3 (Ser-->Gly), and S4 (Arg-->Asn) subsites are quite apparent and appear to hold the potential for selective designing of inhibitors for possible therapeutic applications. Furthermore, analysis of the electrostatic surface potential on the shape of granzyme-inhibitor binding groove reveals clear differences at the reactive site. Additionally the different posttranslational modification sites such as phosphorylation (e.g., in granzyme M Thr101, Ser109), myristoylation (Gly22, 117, and 131), and glycosylation (Ser160) have been identified, as very little is known about the functional significance of these modifications in the granzyme family. Thus, glycosylation at Ser160 in granzyme M may influence the net charge of the enzyme, resulting in altered substrate binding as compared to granzyme B. Also this modification may influence the rate of complexation and binding affinity with proteoglycans. These studies are expected to contribute towards the basic understanding of functional associations of the granzymes with other molecules and their possible role in apoptosis.

Caspases, the intracellular cysteine proteinases, play a central role in the process of programmed cell death. Caspases induce apoptosis through a highly integrated and regulated biological, biochemical, and genetic mechanism. Although proper execution of apoptosis is fundamental for cell growth artificial caspase inhibition can be considered in certain degenerative diseases. This realization has attracted attention towards caspases as likely targets for pharmaceutical intervention. Here we analyze the structure of caspase-6 and also predict the possible glycosylation, phosphorylation, and myristoylation sites as very little is known about the functional role of these post translational modifications in the caspase family. These studies are expected to improve our understanding of associations of caspases with other molecules and the possible role played in apoptosis. The predicted tertiary structure of caspase-6 as well as the enzyme complexed with its inhibitor (tetra-peptide aldehyde Ac-IETD-CHO) shows similar binding feature as seen in other caspases. Cys/His catalytic dyad for caspase-6 and -8 show possible involvement of a third component, i.e., Pro29 and Arg258 in caspase-6 and caspase-8, respectively. Changes in the length and nature of loop between α5 and β9, involved in defining the S4 subsite, result in modification of P4 (Ile) site. These interactions provide detail of inhibitor binding on structural level and also help in designing mutants for structure–function studies of these enzymes.

A molecular dynamics simulation study of mononuclear iron 15S-lipoxygenase (15S-LOX) from rabbit reticulocytes was performed to investigate its structure and dynamics; newly developed AMBER force field parameters were employed for the first coordination sphere of the catalytic iron (II). The results obtained from this study demonstrate that the structural features of the catalytic iron coordination site are in good agreement with available data obtained from experiments. The motional flexibility of the N-terminal β-barrel domain is greater than the C-terminal catalytic domain; flexibility was assessed in terms of B-factors and secondary structure calculations. The significant features obtained for the relative motional flexibility of these two domains of 15S-LOX in solution as well as the isolated C-terminal domain were analyzed in terms of radius of gyration and maximum diameter, which correlated well with the structural flexibility of 15-lipoxygenase-1 in solution as probed by small-angle X-ray scattering. The motional flexibility indicates interdomain motion between the N-terminal β-barrel and the C-terminal catalytic domain; this was further verified by the evaluation of central bending in the solvated LOX molecule, which identified an unstructured stretch of amino acids as the interdomain linker. The average bending angle confirmed significant central bending between these two domains, which was linked to the high degree of motional freedom of the N-terminal β-barrel domain in aqueous solutions. This can be considered to have biological relevance for membrane binding as well as for regulating the catalytic domain.