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The plants extracts are widely used in traditional medicines and hence considered a potential source for drug discovery. In this study, we assessed the phytochemical composition of Asplenium dalhousiae and Asplenium polypodioides in acetone extracts and checked its antiproliferative potential in MDA-MB-231 cells. We found that both plants are rich in phenolic and flavonoid compounds and are efficient in antioxidant activities. The total phenolic compounds in A. dalhousiae were 44.15 ± 1.38 µg/mg whereas in A. polypodioides were 27.73 ± 1.35 µg/mg. Total flavonoids in A. dalhousiae were 105.39 ± 2.92 µg/mg whereas in A. polypodioides were 101.56 ± 1.75 µg/mg. The ferric reducing power assay indicates 66.38 ± 2.6% reduction by A. dalhousiae whereas 78.43 ± 0.47% reduction by A. polypodioides. Similarly, the total antioxidant capacity of A. dalhousiae was found to be 59.95 ± 1.13 whereas for A. polypodioides the recorded value was 33.03 ± 1.67%. Using GCMS analysis, we identified 25 compounds in A. dalhousiae whereas 26 in A. polypodioides. Four of these compounds are common in both plants. The morphological study and MTT assay revealed that both plants have antiproliferative potential as both plants exerted significant effects on the shape of the MDA-MB-231 cells and inhibited cellular proliferation in time and dose dependent manner. We conclude that both Asplenium plants have potential anticancer compounds.

The author argues that Indonesian national law has to date adequately accommodated human rights considerations, parricularly in the revised 1945Constitution and Human Rights Laws No. 39of1999 and 26 of 2000, inter alia.He also argues, however, that there has been no significant progress in implementing human rights pnnciples within the development sector. The paper descriptively elaborates on a human rights based approach to development. It outlines a history of the evolution of development and human rights paradigms in Indonesia and offers justification for using human rights as a reference point in development, consistent with the Vienna Declaration. The article then provides a perspective on how a rights-based approach can be utilised in ongoing development planning in Indonesia.

Zeolite frameworks provide an excellent host for metal ions like silver, gold, and copper. The modified zeolites were characterized using various spectroscopic techniques, including low-temperature solid-state luminescence, Raman and FT-EXAFS, SEM–EDS, X-Ray fluorescence, along with theoretical calculations. Analyses indicate the formation of metal ion oligomers for the studied silver- and gold-incorporated zeolite catalysts. The oligomer-incorporated zeolites were found to provide strong photocatalytic behavior towards pesticides and chlorinated organic pollutants. Various catalytic parameters like the metal composition, pore diameter, structure, surface area as well as proposed kinetic mechanisms for the photocatalytic reactions are presented in this mini review.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are of great interest to researchers in chemistry and material science due to their various chemical and physical properties, which include high surface area, augmen...

Phosphonium iodobismuthates(III) (MePh3P)3[Bi3I12] (1) and (Ph4P)3[Bi3I12] (2) were prepared, and X-ray crystal structures were determined for both complexes. Photophysical behavior of both complexes was determined via diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and photoluminescence measurements. Photoluminescence results for complex 2 revealed room temperature emission, which has been rarely reported by bismuth compounds. Low-temperature luminescence scans further indicated a dramatic change in emission properties between the MePh3P+ and Ph4P+ complexes. Photodegradation studies using both ultraviolet and visible light were carried out to determine the light-absorbing capabilities of both complexes. Visible light-promoted degradation studies in the presence of catalytic amounts of 1 and 2 showed significant degradation of aqueous methylene blue and carbaryl solutions over a period of 1 h. The reported photoirradiation studies indicated the phosphonium iodobismuthate salts promote visible light harvesting and facilitate catalytic dye photosensitization. This sensitization allows for the degradation of organic pollutants in the presence of visible light and suggests coupling with fluorescence dyes is viable in photovoltaic applications.

Nitric oxide-containing drugs present a critical remedy for cardiovascular diseases. Nitroglycerin (NG, O-NO) and S-nitrosoglutathione (SNG, S-NO) are the most common nitric oxide drugs for cardiovascular diseases. Insights regarding the binding affinity of NO drugs with lysozyme and human serum albumin (HSA) proteins and their dissociation mechanism will provide inquisitive information regarding the potential of the proteins as drug carriers. For the first time, the binding interactions and affinities are investigated using molecular docking, conventional molecular dynamics, steered molecular dynamics, and umbrella sampling to explore the ability of both proteins to act as nitric oxide drug carriers. The molecular dynamics simulation results showed higher stability of lysozyme-drug complexes compared to HSA. For lysozyme, cardiovascular drugs were bound in the protein cavity mainly by the electrostatic and hydrogen bond interactions with residues ASP53, GLN58, ILE59, ARG62, TRP64, ASP102, and TRP109. For HSA, key binding residues were ARG410, TYR411, LYS414, ARG485, GLU450, ARG486, and SER489. The free energy profiles produced from umbrella sampling also suggest that lysozyme-drug complexes had better binding affinity than HSA-drug. Binding characteristics of nitric oxide-containing drugs NG and SNG to lysozyme and HSA proteins were studied using fluorescence and UV-vis absorption spectroscopy. The relative change in the fluorescence intensity as a function of drug concentrations was analyzed using Stern-Volmer calculations. This was also confirmed by the change in the UV-vis spectra. Fluorescence quenching results of both proteins with the drugs, based on the binding constant values, demonstrated significantly weak binding affinity to NG and strong binding affinity to SNG. Both computational and experimental studies provided important data for understanding protein-drug interactions and will aid in developing potential drug carrier systems in cardiovascular diseases.

Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) for men with prostate cancer (PCa) results in accelerated bone loss and increased risk of bone fracture. The aim of the present study was to evaluate serum bone markers—sclerostin, Dickkopf-1 (DKK-1) and osteoprotegerin (OPG), in a cohort of 88 PCa patients without known bone metastases, managed with and without ADT, and to analyse their relationship with bone mineral density (BMD) and sex steroids. The cross-sectional analysis between acute-, chronic- and former-ADT groups and PCa controls showed that sclerostin and OPG levels significantly differed between them (p = 0.029 and p = 0.032). Groups contributing to these significant changes were recorded. There were no significant differences in serum DKK-1 levels across the four groups (p = 0.683). In the longitudinal analysis, significant % decreases within groups were seen for DKK-1 [chronic-ADT (− 10.06%, p = 0.0057), former-ADT (− 12.77%, p = 0.0239), and in PCa controls group (− 16.73, p = 0.0022); and OPG levels in chronic ADT (− 8.28%, p = 0.003) and PCa controls group (− 12.82%, p = 0.017)]. However, % changes in sclerostin, DKK-1, and OPG did not differ significantly over 6-months across the evaluated groups. Sclerostin levels showed significant positive correlations with BMD at baseline in the ADT group, while in PCa controls this correlation existed at both baseline and 6-month time points. Sclerostin correlated negatively with testosterone in former ADT users and in PCa controls. Possible prognostic features denoted by parallel increases in sclerostin and BMD are discussed.

Pollution of the marine environment by plastic marine debris has become one of the most pervasive threats impacting marine environments. In this study, for the first time, we evaluate the polymer types of the plastic marine debris ingested by 49 green and 14 loggerhead sea turtle strandings in the Gulf of Oman. Plastic marine debris was ingested by 73.5% of green and 42.9% of loggerhead sea turtles in this study. Overall, evidence suggested that green sea turtles from the Gulf of Oman coast of the United Arab Emirates ingested high levels of plastic marine debris, predominantly Polypropylene (PP)Polyethylene (PE), followed by Nylon, PP-PE mixture, Polystyrene (PS), Poly vinyl chloride (PVC) and Ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), respectively. Loggerhead sea turtles also ingested high levels of plastic marine debris, which also predominantly consisted of PPPE, followed by PP-PE mixture, Nylon and PS. While recent studies were directed into polymer characterization of micro-plastics in aquatic life, our study focuses on macro-plastics which impose significantly greater risks.

Chlorine is a highly hazardous substance endangering the environment and human. In the past few years, several accidental incidents of chlorine gas leakage were reported around the world. Away from...

Pesticides and organic waste constitute a group of environmental pollutants that are widely distributed in our environment due to various human activities. Adsorptive removal and photocatal...

The hypothesis that gibberellic acid is involved in the regulation of spinach flowering was tested. The two-fold objectives of the present study were, first, to isolate and identify gibberellic aci...

Core-shell nanostructures are important for applications in sensors, electronics, and fuel cells. We report the synthesis of AuNPs-aryl shell@SnO2 core-shell nanostructure (Au@SnO2) in one-step by green and direct reaction of the redox couples of SnCl2 2H2O with aryldiazonium gold(III) salt [HOOC-4-C6H4-N≡N]AuCl4 in aqueous solution. The spontaneous reaction occurred simultaneously at room temperature to form a markedly stable structure of Au@SnO2, in which the gold core surface is functionalized with carboxyl groups of -C6H4COOH. The reaction is facilitated by the low reduction potential of diazonium gold salt (aryl/aryl and Au3+/Au°) and the facile oxidation of tin (Sn2+/Sn4+). From the overall analysis, the presence of the organic shell boosted tailoring the gold core with immobilized, full coverage, and uniform shell of SnO2 Lewis acid. XPS results provided strong supporting evidence for gold in the metallic state and tin in the oxidized state as SnO2 compound. From TEM measurements, the average size of AuNPs increased from 10.4 ± 4.2 nm to 50.4 ± 17.9 nm when treated at higher temperatures (i.e., room temperature, 300 °C, and 800 °C). The average size of SnO2 also increased from 3.0 ± 0.6 nm to 48.9 ± 15.8 nm as the heat-treatment temperature increased, besides, the coverage by SnO2 decreased due to an increment of particle sizes of both AuNPs and SnO2. At 800 °C, it was difficult to see the core-shell structure. The redox route not only revisits the making of Purple of Cassius but can also be universal and extended to substantial Au@MxOy core-shell structures for catalysis and gas sensors.

This study reports seasonal variations of meteorological parameters, atmospheric dust and dust-borne heavy metals concentrations measured, over a period of two years, next to two major airports (Dubai International Airport and Abu Dhabi International Airport) in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. On-line monitoring stations were installed at each location next to dust samplers used to frequently collect PM2.5 and PM10 on Teflon filters for metal analysis. Clear seasonal variation in meteorological parameters were identified. The particulate matter concentrations depicted from the two locations were continuously monitored. The PM2.5 concentration ranged from 50 to 100 μg/m3 on normal days but reached 350–400 μg/m3 per day during mild storms. The PM10 levels ranged between 100 and 250 μg/m3 during normal days and spiked to 750 μg/m3 during mild storms. Energy Dispersive X-Ray Analysis (EDS) revealed the presence of significant amounts of alkali and alkaline earth metals, which pose potential harm to aircraft engines. ICP analysis showed the presence of heavy and toxic metals in concentrations that may pose harm to human health. Bulk sand samples from Abu Dhabi sites showed chemical similarities to the atmospheric dust samples. The concentrations of heavy metals, PM2.5, and PM10 are at levels that require further monitoring due to their impact on human health. The two years meteorological monitoring, with the seasonal variations, provided additional regional data in the Arabian Gulf. Furthermore, the study concluded that Sand and Dust storms (SDS) occur more frequently at the northern Arabian Gulf compared to its southern region. The chemical correlation between atmospheric dust and regional desert sand suggests the localized origin of the smaller dust particles that may form by breaking apart of the ground sand grains. As a result of the ongoing urbanization in the region, it is essential to collect additional data from various locations for a longer period of time.

Biocompatible and luminescent nanostructures synthesized by capping gold-carbon nanoparticles (HOOC-4-C6H4-AuNPs) with amino acids tyrosine, tryptophan, and cysteine were used for the quantitative estimation of ranitidine (RNH), a peptic ulcer and gastroesophageal reflux drug. We applied a fluorescence quenching mechanism to investigate the viability of the energy transfer based on gold-carbon nanosensors. Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET) calculations showed a donor–acceptor distance of 1.69 nm (Tyr@AuNPs), 2.27 nm (Trp@AuNPs), and 2.32 nm (Cys@AuNPs). The constant time-resolved fluorescence lifetime measurements supported the static quenching nature. This method was successfully utilized in the detection and quantification of RNH, with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.174, 0.56, and 0.332 μM for Tyr@AuNP, Trp@AuNP, and Cys@AuNP bioconjugates, respectively. This approach was also successful in the quantification of RNH in spiked serum samples.

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDD) are persistent toxic compounds that are ubiquitous in the environment. The photodegradation of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) in the presence of silver titanium oxide (AgTi) and silver titanium doped into the Y-zeolite (AgTiY) was tested using high (254 nm) and mid (302 nm) energy UV irradiation sources. AgTi and AgTiY, both showed success in the photodegradation of 2,3,7,8-TCDD dissolved in methanol/tetrahydrofuran solution. Both catalysts were found to effectively decompose TCDD at 302 nm (lower energy) reaching in between 98&ndash, 99% degradation after five hours, but AgTiY showed better performance than AgTi at 60 min reaching 91% removal. Byproducts of degradation were evaluated using Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC&ndash, MS), resulting in 2,3,7-trichlorodibenzo-p-dioxin, a lower chlorinated congener and less toxic, as the main degradation product. Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) was used to evaluate the relative toxicity of the degradation byproducts were a decrease in optical density indicated that some products of degradation could be potentially more toxic than the parent TCDD. On the other hand, a decrease in toxicity was observed for the samples with the highest 2,3,7,8-TCDD degradation, confirming that AgTiY irradiated at 302 nm is an excellent choice for degrading TCDD. This is the first study to report on the efficiency of silver titanium doped zeolites for the removal of toxic organic contaminants such as dioxins and furans from aquatic ecosystems.

Organophosphate insecticides are persistent organic pollutants that have a variety of adverse impacts in several environmental compartments. The photo-degradation of organophosphate profenofos was researched in the presence and absence of silver-platinum-doped zeolite in (Ag-Pt-Zeolite) upon irradiation with ultraviolet light at wavelengths of 302 and 254 nm. Photo-degradation of profenofos at 302 nm and in the presence of Ag-Pt-Zeolite was 73 % complete in 60 min. GC/MS analysis indicated the formation of two major photo-degradation products upon irradiation with 302 nm in the presence of the catalyst. Moreover, four products were identified for the irradiation with 254 nm in the presence of the catalyst and for the uncatalyzed irradiated profenofos samples. The toxicity of the degradation products was assessed by exposure experiments using Drosophila melanogaster. These experiments showed that degradation resulted in overall less toxic products within the first 30 min of degradation, followed by an overall increase in toxicity after 30 min of UV exposure. The present work provides a treatment technique for the adequate removal of profenofos from water sources in order to mitigate its detrimental effects on the environment.