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The nanoparticle spinel ferrites Mg0.5Zn0.5CexLaxFe2-2xO4 (x = 0.0, 0.0125, 0.025, 0.0375, 0.05) were synthesized by mean of co-precipitation method. These magnetic nanoparticles were sintered at 750 °C for 8 h. XRD patterns confirmed the formation of the cubic spinel structure of prepared nanoparticles. The lattice constant of nanoparticle ferrites increased, while crystallite size decreased with doping content (x). Pure ferrite sample has an optical bandgap of 2.61 eV, and it increases from 1.73 to 2.17 eV as concentration (x) is changed from 0.0125 to 0.05. The electrical dc resistivity is of the order of 1010 Ω cm for doping content (x) from 0 to 0.0375 and has a maximum value of 5.48617 × 1012 Ω cm for content x = 0.05. The Curie temperature (Tc) decreased 433–373 K as concentration (x) was increased. The dielectric constant, dielectric loss, and impedance are reduced with the increase of frequency. The dielectric constant, as well as the dielectric loss diminished while impedance increased as doping of cerium and lanthanum, was increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cost-effective and controllable synthesis of M0.25Ni0.15Cu0.25Co0.35Fe2O4 (M2+ = Mg2+, Mn2+, and Cd2+) ferrites via the sol–gel auto-combustion technique. The impact of divalent cations on the structural, dielectric, and optoelectrical properties of ferrites was examined by XRD, FTIR, Raman, LCR, UV–Vis, and two probe I-V measurement techniques. The crystallite size was 52.66 nm, and the minimum specific surface area was observed 5.1507 m2/g for Mg2+ doped NCCF ferrite. The FTIR and Raman analysis also confirmed the substitution of divalent cations (M2+ = Mg2+, Mn2+, and Cd2+) at their respective lattice sites. The maximum energy bandgap was 1.67 eV Mg2+-doped NCCF ferrite as compared to other divalent ion-doped ferrites. The dielectric loss decreased while the ac conductivity increased with increasing frequency, and the minimum values were observed for Mg2+-doped NCCF ferrite. The activation energy was observed maximum for Mg2+-doped NCCF ferrite (0.2234 eV). Due to incredible properties including small specific surface area, large energy band gap, high resistivity, and loss dielectric loss of Mg2+-doped NCCF ferrite have potential applications in different fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spinel ferrites are attaining huge importance in the modern era, due to their incredible properties, which means they are widely used in various fields. Therefore, in this paper a cost-effective and environmentally friendly preparation of Mg0.25Ni0.25Cu0.5−xCoxFe1.97La0.03O4 (x = 0.0, 0.125, 0.25, 0.375, and 0.5) ferrites via the sol–gel auto-combustion method were carried out. How the structural and functional properties varied with the Cu to Co ratio was studied. It was found that the crystallite size (D) was reduced from 47.2 to 27.6 nm as the Co2+ increased from x = 0.0 to 0.5. While the two major absorption bands including the higher frequency band (υ1) and lower frequency band (υ2) lie in the range of 573.80–538.65 cm−1 and 470.37–405.65 cm−1 belong to the spinel matrix. Five active Raman modes were found in the range of wave number 200–800 cm−1 corresponds to the sublattices of the spinel structure. The optical bandgap increased from 0.85 eV to 1.33 eV for x = 0.0 to x = 0.25 and then observed optical band gap was 1.15 eV and 1.46 eV for x = 0.375 to x = 0.5. The resistivity (ρ) was minimum for Co2+ concentration x = 0.25 at low temperature, while at high temperature the resistivity (ρ) was maximum for Co2+ doping x = 0.25. The temperature coefficient of resistance percentage (TCR %) was −2.66%/K at 513 K for x = 0.25, as shown in the graphical abstract. At lower frequencies, the impedance was observed maximum for Co2+ doping x = 0.125 and minimum for x = 0.375. These findings indicate that the as-prepared ferrites are a potential candidate for optoelectrical and bolometric devices. Highlights: Mg0.25Ni0.25Cu0.5−xCoxFe1.97La0.03O4 synthesis via the sol-gel auto-combustion method. The crystallite size was decreased with Co2+ doping. At high temperatures, the resistivity (ρ) was maximum for Co2+ doping x = 0.25. At lower frequency, the impedance was maximum for Co2+ doping x = 0.125. The temperature coefficient of resistance percentage (TCR%) was −2.66%/K at 513 K for x = 0.25. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cadmium ferrites belong to normal spinel ferrites, and they exhibit interesting electrical, magnetic, and optical properties. The pure and cerium-doped cadmium ferrites CdFe2−xCexO4 (x = 0.0, 0.125, 0.250, 0.375, 0.5) were synthesized by a chemical co-precipitating technique using sodium hydroxide as a co-precipitating agent. The structures and phase purity of fabricated nanomaterials were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The crystallite size for all the prepared nanomaterials was in the range of 28–46 nm. The lattice constant and unit cell volume were found to decrease with the increasing concentration of Cerium, which was confirmed by the peak shift in the XRD pattern. The X-ray density for all nano ferrites increased with the enhancement of cerium composition. The resistivity of the nanomaterials has random behavior with the enhancement of cerium composition for a temperature, but the value of resistivity at x = 0.125 has the lowest value and at x = 0.375 has the highest value for almost all temperatures. For specific concentrations, a decreasing trend of resistivity of fabricated materials was found with an increment of temperature. The activation energies were also calculated, and it increased for x = 0.125 and then decreased for all the nanomaterials. For the confirmation of the M–O bonds, FTIR analysis of all the nano ferrites was also performed. The analysis shows a higher frequency absorption band in the range of 531.24–534.84 cm−1. This absorption band confirms that metal oxides are formed in all the synthesized nanoparticles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sepsis is a leading cause of neonatal deaths across the world. Gram-negative rods such as Klebsiella and E. coli are major cause of sepsis in neonates. With a mortality rate of 1-4 deaths per thousand live births, sepsis is the second most important cause of neonatal deaths in the developing countries. The present study was designed to determine the occurrence of Gram-negative bacteria in neonatal sepsis and to find antibiotic susceptibility of isolated microbes. Blood samples of 100 neonates (1-89 days old) were sub cultured on MacConkey's and Blood agar for isolation of Gram-negative bacteria. A total of four bacterial species were isolated including Klebsiella (35.71%), E. coli (28.57%), Acinetobacter (21.42%) and Proteus (14.28%). Gram-negative bacteria were isolated more commonly from EOS (early onset sepsis) as compared to LOS (late onset sepsis). Klebsiella isolates from neonates showed sensitivity to imipenem (70%) followed by ceftazidime (40%) and cefotaxime (40%) and high resistance was shown by sulfamethoxazole (80%) and amikacin (70%). E. coli associated with neonatal sepsis were sensitive to imipenem (63%) while highly resistant to cefotaxime (75%) and ciprofloxacin (62%). For Acinetobacter high sensitivity was found for ceftazidime (50%) and resistance was shown to ciprofloxacin and sulfamethoxazole (100%). Proteus showed high sensitivity to amikacin (75%) and high resistance to imipenem and ciprofloxacin (75%). In conclusion, Gram-negative associated neonatal sepsis was found in the studied subjects and drug resistance was observed to clinically used antibiotics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Boletín Latinoamericano y del Caribe de Plantas Medicinales y Aromáticas is the property of Universidad de Santiago de Chile 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.)

aima Muzammil,2 Nafeesa Yasmeen,4 Muhammad Aamir Aslam,3 Mohsin Khurshid,2 Muhammad Hidayat Rasool,2 Zulqarnain Baloch11Biomedical Research Center, Northwest Minzu University, Lanzhou 730030, People's Republic of China; 2Department of Microbiology, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan; 3Institute of Microbiology, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan; 4College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, People's Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Bilal Aslam; Zulqarnain Baloch Email drbilalaslam@gcuf.edu.pk; znbalooch@yahoo.com Introduction: Intense livestock farming practices enforcing the farmers to use antibiotics as food supplements on a routine basis. Aberrant use of antibiotics is associated with the emergence of antibiotics resistance and resistant superbugs. Keeping in view the current scenario, the present study was designed for the first time from Pakistan with a specific aim to estimate the prevalence of the carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae in veterinary settings and the waste in Pakistan. Methods: A total of 138 samples from various veterinary sources were collected by employing a nonprobability sampling technique. Isolation and phenotypic identification of carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae were performed according to the CLSI standard. Molecular detection of various antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) was done through PCR by using specific primers against each ARG. According to the pasture scheme, the multilocus sequence typing (MLST) was performed to characterize the K. pneumoniae sequence types (STs). Results: According to the results of the study, overall 9.4% (13/138) isolates were confirmed carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae. Among various carbapenem ARGs particularly, the blaNDM-1 was found in 92.3% (12/13) isolates followed by blaOXA-48 84.6% (11/13). MLST results revealed that overall 3 STs were found in the study which includes ST29, ST11, and ST258. Taking together, this is the first study to our best knowledge which demonstrated the prevalence of carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae and its various STs prevalent in veterinary settings and the waste of Pakistan. Conclusion: Based on the above-mentioned facts, we suggested that veterinary settings and waste are the potential source and reservoir of carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae, which may be disseminated to the environment and ultimately can affect the public and companion livestock health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mastitis is regarded as most economically important disease of dairy animals in Pakistan. The cure rate of mastitis with use of antibiotics/antibacterials is often quite poor. In addition, use of these agents leads to undesirable residues in milk and poses several problems to milk processing industry. Therefore, measures other than the use of antibiotics/antibacterials are being investigated to improve mastitis cure rate and to circumvent the problem. Keeping these considerations in view, the current study was planned to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of a non-antibiotic, non-proprietary antibacterial preparation for the treatment of clinical bubaline mastitis. For this purpose, buffaloes (n=40) suffering with clinical mastitis were selected and randomly divided into two equal groups viz. group I and group II. The animals of group I (n=20) were treated with combination of trisodium citrate (TSC; 40 g), vitamin C (10 g), zinc sulphate (3 g) and copper sulphate (1 g) for 7 days. Group II (n=20) was treated with routine mastitis therapy i.e. tylosin at dose rate of 10 mg/kg, I/M along with amoxicillin & clavulanic acid combination at total dosage of 600 mg I/mm infusion daily for 5 days. The efficacy of the treatment was evaluated based on grading of improvement, surf field mastitis test (SFMT) scores and microbiological examination. Regarding grading of improvement, 50% animals of group I recovered clinically while corresponding value for group II was 45%. The SFMT based cure rates for clinical mastitis in groups I and II were 70.21% and 72.09%, respectively. Administration of allocated treatments to the buffaloes affected with clinical mastitis led to a quarter based bacteriological cure rate of 66.67% in group I and 65.12% in group II. It was concluded that administration of non-antibiotic, non-proprietary formulation containing trisodium citrate, vitamin C, zinc sulphate and copper sulphate resulted in almost equivalent therapeutic results in buffaloes affected with clinical mastitis compared to antibiotic therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presence of multiple drug resistant pathogens in hospital waste is a serious public health concern, because it may ultimately be disseminated to the human. Current study was designed with the objective to estimate the occurrence of ESBL-producing K. pneumoniae in hospital settings and waste. For this purpose, cross sectional study for a period of one year was designed and non-probability sampling techniques was used to collect total n= 112 samples from various sample sources of hospital waste including ward waste, operation theatre waste, wastewater and hospital sludge. Isolation of the K. pneumoniae was done by using selective agar, biochemical identification of the isolates was done through API 20E kit (bioMérieux, France). Molecular identification of the isolates was done by amplifying 16SrDNA with PCR. According to CLSI guidelines disc diffusion assay was performed for antibiotic susceptibility profiling. PCR of MDR isolates was done for the molecular detection of various ESBL genes. Results of the study showed 17 (15%) percentage prevalence of MDR K. pneumoniae from all 112 collected samples. Among various sample sources wastewater showed the highest percentage (23%) prevalence of MDR K. pneumoniae. In 17 confirmed isolates blaCTX-M and blaCTX-M1 were found in 13 (76%) and 12 (71%) respectively which showed the highest prevalence as compared to all other investigated genes. While blaTEM, blaSHV, blaNDM-1 and blaOXA-48 were found with percentage prevalence 9 (53%), 1 (6%), 9 (53%) and 6 (35%) respectively. Whereas blaKPC, blaIMP, blaVIM and blaGIM were not detected in any of the isolate. Taking together, strict rules and regulations should be adopted at public as well as hospital level to restrict the dissemination of antibiotic resistance from hospital environment to humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Hepatitis is an endemic disease worldwide leading to chronic and debilitating cancers. The viral agents and hepatotoxic substances lead to damage of hepatocytes and release of damage associated molecules in circulation. The lack of timely and rapid diagnosis of hepatitis results in chronic disease. Objective: The present review aimed to describe regulation, release and functions of microRNAs (miR) during human liver pathology and insights into their promising use as noninvasive biomarkers of hepatitis. Methods: Comprehensive data were collected from PubMed, ScienceDirect and the Web of Science databases utilizing the keywords "biomarkers", "microRNAs" and "hepatic diseases". Results: The miRs are readily released in the body fluids and blood during HBV/HCV associated hepatitis as well as metabolic, alcoholic, drug induced and autoimmune hepatitis. The liver-specific microRNAs including miR-122, miR-130, miR-183, miR-196, miR-209 and miR-96 are potential indicators of liver injury (mainly via apoptosis, necrosis and necroptosis) or hepatitis with their varied expression during acute/fulminant, chronic, liver fibrosis/cirrhosis and hepato-cellular carcinoma. Conclusions: The liver-specific miRs can be used as rapid and noninvasive biomarkers of hepatitis to discern different stages of hepatitis. Blocking or stimulating pathways associated with miR regulation in liver could unveil novel therapeutic strategies in the management of liver diseases. Liver specific microRNAs interact with cellular proteins and signaling molecules to regulate the expression of various genes controlling biological processes. The circulatory level of liver specific microRNAs is indicator of severity of HBV and HCV infections as well as prognostic and therapeutic candidates. The expression of liver specific microRNAs is strongly associated with infectious, drug-induced, hepatotoxic, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and nonalcoholic fatty liver diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) causes immunocompromising diseases in both domestic and wild cat species (Felis catus) around the world. Many characteristics of cats can affect the uptake of this virus including health status, age, gender, environment, lifestyle etc. The diagnosis of FIV can be confirmed by detecting antibodies in serum/plasma samples of infected cats. Despite its importance, the status of FIV infection is still poorly known in Pakistan. Therefore, the present study was devised to investigate the seroprevalence of FIV in Faisalabad, Pakistan. Blood samples of cats (n=90) were collected from outdoor facility of Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad and sera samples were analyzed for the presence of antibodies against FIV by ELISA Kit (Agrolabo S.p.A, Italy). The ELISA based results obtained by measuring the optical density of the substrate utilization showed the overall prevalence of FIV in cats as 28.9% in Faisalabad with a prevalence of 33.9% in male cats and 20.6% in female cats. The overall seropositivity for FIV was higher in adult cats (30.9%) than in young cats (22.7%). Risk factor association by Odd's ratio revealed that the disease is positively associated with adult age and male gender in cats. In conclusion, the factors of age (adult) and gender (male) were found to be the positively correlated (P=0.0164, OR=2.37, CI=0.74-7.55, RR=1.28, CI=0.94-1.73) with the presence of anti-FIV antibodies in the studied cats indicating the status of FIV infection in cats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interleukin (IL)-33 is crucially involved in liver pathology and drives hepatoprotective functions. However, the regulation of IL-33 by cytokines of the IL-6 family, including oncostatin M (OSM) and IL-6, is not well studied. The aim of the present study was to determine whether OSM mediates regulation of IL-33 expression in liver cells. Intramuscular administration in mice of an adenovirus encoding OSM (AdOSM) leads to increase in expression of OSM in muscles, liver, and serum of AdOSM-infected mice compared with control mice. The increase of circulating OSM markedly regulated mRNA of genes associated with blood vessel biology, chemotaxis, cellular death, induction of cell adhesion molecules, and the alarmin cytokine IL-33 in liver. Steady-state IL-33 mRNA was upregulated by OSM at an early phase (8 h) following AdOSM infection. At the protein level, the expression of IL-33 was significantly induced in liver endothelial cells [liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSEC) and vascular endothelial cells] with a peak at 8 days post-AdOSM infection in mice. In addition, we found OSM-stimulated human microvascular endothelial HMEC-1 cells and human LSEC/TRP3 cells showed a significant increase in expression of IL-33 mRNA in a dose-dependent manner in cell culture. The OSM-mediated overexpression of IL-33 was associated with the activation/enrichment of CD4+ST2+ cells in liver of AdOSM-infected mice compared with adenovirus encoding green fluorescent protein-treated control mice. In summary, these data suggest that the cytokine OSM regulates the IL-33 expression in liver endothelial cells in vivo and in HMEC-1/TRP3 cells in vitro and may specifically expand the target CD4+ST2+ cells in liver. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A total of 1500 serum samples were collected from cattle, buffaloes, and humans. The Rose Bengal plate test (RBPT) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) detected Brucella antibodies in 56 (10.18%) and 44 (8%) of the cattle, respectively. In samples collected from buffaloes 9.38% and 6.92% were positive, whereas 14% and 11% of the samples from humans were found to be positive by RBPT and ELISA, respectively. Among village workers a higher prevalence of brucellosis was recorded in females than in males. Abattoir-associated personnel also had a higher incidence of brucellosis. Results of the present study revealed that RBPT and ELISA can be used efficiently for mass screening of Brucella antibodies in both humans and animals, and that people that worked with animals had a higher incidence of brucellosis, indicating that they might have been infected by contact with infected animals and might act as carriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research work analyzes the impact of graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) on the structural, electrical, dielectric, optical, and magnetic properties of the Ni 0·4 Cd 0·6 Fe 1.97 Sm 0.03 O 4 /x-GNPs (SNCF/GNPs) composites (x = 0 %, 2.5 %, and 5 %) prepared via the sol-gel auto-combustion route. The results revealed that SNCF particles were distributed on GNPs which improved the multifaceted properties of SNCF spinel ferrites. XRD analysis confirmed the FCC spinel structure with a minimum crystallite size (D) of 18.99 nm for sample with 5 wt %GNPs. The DC electrical resistivity decreased from 9.06 × 1011 Ω-cm at 313K to 1.41 × 108 Ω-cm at 673K, revealing the semi-conducting nature of composites. The improved electroconductivity and reduced bandgap energy are observed for samples with minimum resistivity 1.02 × 105 Ω-cm at 673K and 1.70 eV energy, respectively, containing 5 wt %GNPs. Samples show higher permittivity values at low frequency and decreased at high frequency. The maximum ac conductivity is observed for composite with 5 wt %GNPs which is attributed to the hopping mechanism. Finally, the magnetization (Ms) increased from 52.24 to 79.71 emu/g with increasing GNPs contents. Hence, the synthesized composites with 5 wt %GNPs are more favorable than the pure sample for application in waste-water treatment, high-frequency devices, and energy storage devices. • Samarium doped nickel-cadmium spinel ferrites (SNCF)/Graphene nanoplatelets (GNP) composites were successfully synthesized. • XRD analysis revealed the existence of FCC spinel structure in the SNCF/GNPs composites. • The direct band-gap energy of the SNCF/GNPs composites was found in the range of 1.70–1.78 eV. • Improved electrical, dielectric and magnetic properties of prepared composites. • Potential for various applications like wastewater treatment, high frequency devices and energy storage devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Y-type hexaferrite ceramic materials of nominal composition Ba 2 Co 2 Cr x Y x Fe 12-2x O 22 (x = 0.00, 0.03, 0.06, 0.09, and 0.12) were synthesized by sol-gel auto combustion route. Y-type hexaferrites are technologically important ceramic materials for fabricating modern electronic devices and microwave absorbers due to their unique electrical and dielectric properties and reflection loss behavior. XRD classifies the single-phase formations with space group R 3 ‾ m. The crystallite size of the synthesized samples was calculated in (34–41) nm range. The specific absorption band in FTIR spectra approves the (Fe–O) stretching vibrations at wavenumbers 446 and 478 cm−1. The substitution of iron by Cr3+ and Y3+ increases DC resistivity from 1.03 × 1011 to 1.17 × 1012 Ω cm by limiting the electrons jumping between ferrous and ferric ions. The activation energy and drift mobility were also calculated among the substituting content of Cr3+-Y3+. The dielectric response in 1 MHz–6 GHz frequency was determined and the effect of substitution has been observed. The Maxwell-Wagner (MW) bilayer model is used to study dispersion in dielectric parameters with reference to applied frequency. The maximum values of dielectric losses were obtained at 6 GHz in the range of 0.37–0.60. The coercivity values confirms the soft magnetic nature of synthesized samples. The microwave absorption (MW) properties of synthesized materials were improved upon Cr3+-Y3+ substitution. Minimum reflection loss R Lmin = −66 dB (99.99% absorption of MW) at 1.46 GHz frequency and 1.96 mm thickness was obtained for x = 0.09 composition. All investigated samples are efficient materials for stealth technology, radar cross-reduction, EM interference shielding, and high-frequency applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rare earth cerium (Ce3+) doped Cu 0. 5 Cd 0. 25 Co 0.25 Ce x Fe 2-x O 4 (x = 0, 0.0125, 0.025, 0.0375, 0.05) spinel ferrites nanoparticles were synthesized via co-precipitation technique. XRD, FT-IR, UV-VIS, VSM, LCR and current-voltage measurement techniques were utilized to investigate the structural parameters, metal stretching vibrations, indirect energy band gap, magnetic parameters and electrical behavior of synthesized ferrite powders respectively. The XRD patterns confirmed the remarkable reduction in crystallites size, cell volume and lattice constant while both densities (ρ x , ρ b u l k ) tends to increase with rise in Ce3+contents(x). The indirect energy band gaps (E g) and the DC electrical resistivities were found in decreasing order from 3.48 to 2.50 eV and 9.902 × 107 to 0.142 × 107(ohm-cm) respectively at room temperature (303 K) with Ce3+ doping concentration. LCR meter inveterate that the dielectric constant had declining, and ac conductivity had growing trend at fix value of cerium concentration with rise of frequency from 8 Hz to 8 MHz. The soft magnetic properties can be significantly improved by the small amount of Ce3+ ion doping (x = 0.0375) with an increase of the saturation magnetization (Ms), and retentivity (Mr). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liver diseases are among the major health problems in Pakistan. The present study investigated the mechanism of hepatoprotection by cinnamon, cinnamaldehyde and kaempferol in Acetaminophen (APAP)-induced liver injury. Qualitative phytochemical analysis was performed for standardization of cinnamon ethanolic extract. For in-vivo evaluation, Balb/c mice were administered with cinnamon extract (200 mg/kg i.g.), cinnamaldehyde (10 mg/kg i.g.) and kaempferol (10 mg/kg i.g.) for 14 days followed by administration of APAP (200 mg/kg i.p.). At the end of trial, mice were dissected, and blood, liver and spleen samples were collected for biochemical, histopathological and apoptotic genes expression analysis. Statistical analysis was performed for significance of results. The results showed that the hepatic damage due to APAP administration for 8 hours in mice was apparent with increased severity. Cinnamon extract, cinnamaldehyde and kaempferol pretreatment suggested ameliorative effects on organ injury induced by APAP by decreasing the elevated serum levels of total proteins and bilirubin. In addition, APAP exerted severe alterations on liver histology without affecting spleen histology alongwith upregulation of Bad, Bax and Caspase-3 and downregulation of Bcl-2. However, cinnamon, cinnamaldehyde and kaempferol pretreatment ameliorated APAPinduced liver alterations and apoptosis, possibly through their antioxidant activity. In addition, cinnamaldehyde and kaempferol possessed comparable protective potential at 20-times less dose as compared to cinnamon extract alone, suggesting therapeutic potential at lower dose in APAP-induced liver injury and apoptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mosquitoes are highly active vectors capable of transmitting various pathogenic and infectious diseases to humans and animals. The present study was designed to identify the major species of mosquitoes and mosquito-borne flaviviruses (Saint Louis Encephalitis, West Nile and Dengue Viruses) prevalent in three districts of Punjab representing the three agro-geoclimatic zones viz; Multan, Chakwal and Jhang. The collected mosquitoes were stereoscopically identified to confirm the species and sex of the mosquitoes. Stereoscopic identification confirmed that female mosquitoes were 4334 out of 10675 (40.6%), 2242 out of 7296 (30%) and 2040 out of 6450 (31.6%) from districts Chakwal, Jhang and Multan, respectively. It was concluded that Culex species were present in abundance (73.2%) as compared to Aedes species (26.7%) in the selected study districts. The results of multiplex RT-PCR depicted that Dengue, West Nile, Japanese encephalitis and Saint Louis encephalitis viruses were prevalent in the mosquitoes of all three selected districts. However, the prevalence of mosquito-borne viruses insignificantly varied (P>0.05) among the three districts. This study has provided a better understanding of the prevailing mosquito species and mosquito-borne viruses in the study districts that can help to devise appropriate control measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Klebsiella pneumoniae is an important pathogen that causes pneumonia and bloodstream infections, especially in neonates and intensive care patients. The carbapenems remain an important therapeutic option for clinicians, particularly against cephalosporin-resistant Gram-negative pathogens. This increased use of carbapenems at clinics has resulted in the evolution and spread of carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae. In this study, we isolated six bla K. pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC)-producing strains belonging to sequence type 258 (ST258) from clinical, environmental, and veterinary sources. Antibiotic susceptibility was performed on these isolates and the genes responsible for extended-spectrum beta-lactamases and metallo-beta-lactamase production were screened. The molecular typing was done using multilocus sequence typing. Isolated strains were resistant to various antibiotic classes, including carbapenems, and carried the carbapenem-resistant gene, blaKPC. All strains were susceptible to tigecycline and colistin. This is the first report detecting K. pneumoniae ST258 strains in Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transition metal vanadate nanostructures are getting significant importance as an efficient electrode material for modern energy storage applications. In this work, a simple hydrothermal method is employed for the synthesis of magnesium vanadate (MgV 2 O 5) and Ag-doped magnesium vanadate (Ag doped MgV 3 O 8) nanomaterials. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis reveals the formation of an orthorhombic structure for magnesium vanadate, whereas the Ag-doped magnesium vanadate results in a monoclinic structure. Interestingly, the optical bandgap is observed to increase from 2.85 eV to 3.92 eV with the increase in Ag-doping as revealed from Tauc's plot of the UV-visible absorption spectrum. The electrochemical performance of magnesium vanadate electrodes is thoroughly investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV), Galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The Ag-doped magnesium vanadate shows higher specific capacitance (C s = 706 Fg−1) in comparison to undoped (325 Fg−1) at a current density J = 5 Ag−1. The theoretical investigations through Dunn's model demonstrate a major contribution arises from surface-controlled processes, which increase as high as 91% at scan rate of 60 mVsec−1. Our findings indicate that Ag-doping significantly improves the overall electrochemical response of magnesium vanadate as an efficient electrode material for supercapacitor applications. [Display omitted] • Phase and lattice parameters of zinc vanadate are changed due to difference in ionic radii of dopant element (Ag). • Variable oxidation of states of vanadium are observed which cause improvement in electrochemical response. • Ag (2%) doped magnesium vanadate shows higher specific capacitance (Cs = 706 Fg−1) than undoped (325 Fg−1). • Silver-modified electrode exhibits energy density and power density of 65.5 Whkg−1 and 12,100 Wkg−1 respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of Cr3+ substitution on the electrical and dielectric properties of Y-type hexaferrites with composition Ba 2 Mg 2 Cr x Fe 12-x O 22 (x = 0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0) was synthesized by the sol-gel auto combustion technique. The lattice parameters 'a' and 'c' slightly increase with the substitution content of Cr3+, and some other physical parameters, including porosity, microstrain, dislocation density, specific surface area, and stacking fault coefficient, were determined from XRD data. FTIR spectra confirm the formation of iron oxide base material by the appearance of three signature bands at precisely 429, 474, and 499 cm-1 due to Fe–O vibrations at octahedral and tetrahedral sites. Substituting Cr3+ at the octahedral site enhanced the room temperature DC electrical resistivity from 6.89 × 109 to 2.27 × 1010 Ω-cm. Temperature-dependent DC electrical resistivity exhibits semiconducting behavior. There is a direct relation between resistivity and activation energy. The dielectric behavior of Cr3+ substituted samples in the frequency range of 1 MHz–6 GHz was understood based on the conduction mechanism through the hopping of electrons between Fe3+ and Fe2+ ions and the Maxwell-Wagner Model. In impedance spectroscopy studied using Cole-Cole plots, most dielectric response arises from the contribution of the grain boundary effect. With the substitution of Cr3+, dielectric losses decreased. A very high Q-value around 1 GHz was observed, suggesting that these hexaferrites are efficient materials for many high-frequency applications, such as multi-layer chip inductors (MLCI), dielectric resonators, and power applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technology important ferrites ceramic Sr 2 Ni 2 Ga x Fe 12-x O 22 (x = 0.00, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, and 0.8) samples were produced using sol-gel auto combustion route. Structural, electrical, dielectric, and magnetic parameters were identified by substituting Ga3+ at the Fe3+ site. It was recognized that an increase of Ga3+ content in (Sr 2 Ni 2 Ga x Fe 12-x O 22) ceramic samples first decreased, then increased lattice parameters, and the density of samples was observed. This is because of the ionic radii and atomic weight of Ga3+ and Fe3+ cations. FTIR spectra show two characteristic absorption bands at 444-513 cm−1 caused by metal-oxygen vibrations. Due to the contribution of smaller grains of samples, the higher values of resistivity were observed, which vary from 3.78 × 1010 (Ω cm) to 1.13 × 1011 (Ω cm) by the substitution of Ga3+ ions at the octahedral site. The activation energy was measured between 0.20 and 0.61 eV. The dielectric response of Ga3+ substituted ferrite ceramic samples were studied in the 1 MHz-6 GHz frequency region. The Maxwell-Wagner bilayer model studied the effect of polarization with applied frequency on dielectric parameters. With the substitution of Ga3+, minimal losses in the range 0.34–0.44, about 6 GHz, and a high Q-value of about 10,000 were observed for each sample. In impedance spectroscopy analysis Cole-Cole plots confirm that the dielectric response is because of the influence of grain boundaries. The substitution of Ga3+ enhances saturation magnetization (68.20–71.78 emu/g) while coercivity decreases (655.86–507.86 Oe). In the present finding, the low dielectric loss, moderate permittivity, high value of the Quality factor, and very high value of resistivity of about 1.13 × 1011 that reduces the eddy current losses suggested that these materials are appropriate candidates for many high-frequency applications such as multilayer chip inductor, dielectric resonators, power applications, and microwave devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of (Zr–Co) substituted Y-type polycrystalline hexaferrite with composition SrBaNi 2 (ZrCo) x Fe 12-2x O 22 (x = 0.0, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, 1.0) were fabricated by sol-gel auto combustion method. Pure Y-type single phase formation was achieved at a relatively lower temperature of 1150 °C for 5:30 h. The fabricated nano ferrites were examined by X-ray powder diffraction to confirm the pure single-phase formation of Y-type hexaferrites. An increase in lattice parameters (a& c) was observed by adding Zr4+-Co2+ metal cations. Crystallite size (D) measured in the 48-19 nm range. FTIR spectra clarified iron-oxygen vibrational bands at 417-487 cm−1, which approved the Y-type hexaferrites formation. DC electrical resistivity has an opposite trend at high and low temperatures with increasing Zr4+-Co2+ content (x). DC electrical resistivity values depend on grain size; they have an inverse relation. Activation energy, drift mobility, and Curie temperature were also determined. Conduction is due to the hopping of electrons below the Curie temperature, and polarons are responsible for hopping above the Curie temperature. Activation energy varies from 0.39 to 0.10 eV with the substitution of Zr4+-Co2+ ions. A wide frequency range of dielectric characteristics (1 MHz–6GHz) was observed, and these parameters revealed a considerable fluctuation with the substitution of Zr4+–Co2+ ions. Dielectric constant, dielectric loss and ac conductivity of nano ferrites materials increased with frequency and Zr4+-Co2+ content (x). Complex impedance spectroscopy formalism using the Cole-Cole plots indicated that most dielectric responses arise from grain boundary contributions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lanthanum (La3+) substituted Mg-Cd-Bi ferrite nanoparticles were synthesized by sol-gel auto combustion route consuming high quality nitrates. The impact of lanthanum concentration on microstructural and electrical properties in the ferrite series Mg 0.5 Cd 0.5 Fe 1.95 Bi 0.5-x La x O 4 (x = 0.0, 0.01, 0.02, 0.03, 0.04, 0.05) was investigated. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and Current-voltage (I-V) analyzerfor compositional, structural, morphological and electrical analysis. Upon varying the lanthanum content, it is observed that all the samples retained perovskite BiFeO 3 phase with distorted rhombohederal structure. Furthermore, it is revealed that the sintering process can significantly control the structural defects and crystal imperfections which affect the electric and magnetic nature of ferrites. The conduction process in La3+-dopedferrite series is originated by the hopping of electrons between ions of same elementswhich reduced the electrical resistivity and depicts the semiconductor nature of synthesized samples.Thus, it is believed that the optimal doping of lanthanum content in La3+-substituted Mg-Cd-Bi ferrites followed by post-annealing can remarkably tune the electrical properties of synthesized ferrite nano particles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of holmium (Ho) ions on lithium-rich spinel ferrites is studied through magnetic, morphological, and electrical transport properties. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis indicated the existence of all metal ions in the required valence state. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis exhibited nano-crystalline (∼50 nm) structures of these ferrites. The electrical resistivity measurements showed the higher resistivity values of the synthesized samples. The resistivity increased from 2.4 × 108 to 2.1 × 1010 Ω-cm with Ho inclusion, indicated an inverse relation with the size of grains. The Curie temperature (T c ) observed to decrease from 848 to 806 K with the incorporation of Ho 3+ ions. The activation energy (Δ E a ) noted to vary between 0.21 and 0.23 eV. The drift mobility (μ d) study revealed a decrease from 1.86x10 −12 to 6.14x10 −14 cm 2 V −1 s −1 by increasing Ho amount up to x = 0.06. A reduction in thermoelectric power (S) from - 143 to -95 μ.V/K by increase in Ho concentration confirmed the Fe replacement by Ho on octahedral B-sites. The ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) investigations indicated a drop in FMR line-broadening (ΔH) from 2491 to 2000 Oe by the increase of Ho concentration, making it beneficial to reduce microwave losses. A non-linear variation in the resonance field (H res) with the substitution of Ho was observed between 7359 to 7785 Oe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]