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Titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles have gained significant attention due to their wide-ranging applications. This research explores an approach to functionalize Niobium Nitrogen Titanium Dioxide nanoparticles (Nb-N-TiO2 NPs) with Mentha arvensis ethanolic leaf extracts. This functionalization allows doped NPs to interact with the bioactive compounds in extracts, synergizing their antioxidant activity. While previous studies have investigated the antioxidant properties of TiO2 NPs synthesized using ethanolic extracts of Mentha arvensis, limited research has focused on evaluating the antioxidant potential of doped nanoparticles functionalized with plant extracts. The characterization analyses are employed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) spectroscopy to evaluate these functionalized doped nanoparticles thoroughly. Subsequently, the antioxidant capabilities through the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays have been assessed. Within functionalized Nb-N-TiO2, the FTIR has a distinctive peak at 2350, 2010, 1312, 1212, and 1010 cm−1 with decreased transmittance associated with vibrations linked to the Nb-N bond. SEM revealed a triangular aggregation pattern, 500 nm to 2 µm of functionalized Nb-N-TiO2 NPs. Functionalized doped Nb-N-TiO2 NPs at 500 µg mL−1 exhibited particularly robust antioxidant activity, achieving an impressive 79% efficacy at DPPH assessment; meanwhile, ferric reduction efficiency of functionalized doped Nb-N-TiO2 showed maximum 72.16%. In conclusion, doped Nb-N-TiO2 NPs exhibit significantly enhanced antioxidant properties when functionalized with Mentha arvensis ethanolic extract compared to pure Nb-N-TiO2 manifested that doped Nb-N-TiO2 have broad promising endeavors for various biomedicine applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) have garnered considerable attention due to their diverse applications. Introducing niobium (Nb) and nitrogen (N) doping, followed by functionalization with Mucuna pruriens beans methanolic extracts, offers a novel avenue to harness their antioxidant potential. This functionalization enables Nb-N doped TiO2 NPs to engage with the bioactive compounds inherent to M. pruriens beans methanolic extracts, thereby fostering a synergistic enhancement of antioxidant activity. This study focuses on the functionalization of doped Nb-N-TiO2 NPs and evaluates the antioxidative capabilities of those functionalized NPs to pure doped Nb-N-TiO2 NPs. These functionalized NPs (FNb-N-TiO2) underwent characterization through ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV–Vis), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis. Subsequently, their antioxidant capabilities were evaluated using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power Assay (FRAP) assays. Functionalized Nb-N-TiO2 NPs FTIR peaks exhibited at 2430 and 2010 cm−1; unrelated peak vibrations are associated with the (Nb-N) doping, and the increased transmittance signifies successful functionalization and potential bonding between M. pruriens extract phytochemicals. A distinctive triangular aggregation pattern in SEM ranging in size from 5 µm to 500 nm was seen in FNb-N-TiO2. At a concentration of 500 μL−1, FNb-N-TiO2 exhibited exceptionally high antioxidant activity, reaching an impressive 70% compared with pure Nb-N-TiO2 NPs at 51%. The results demonstrated that FNb-N-TiO2 NPs exhibit significant antioxidant properties compared to their non-functionalized, pure Nb-N-TiO2 NPs. In conclusion, this study substantiates the considerable antioxidant potential of doped Nb-N-TiO2 NPs mediated by M. pruriens methanolic extract, thereby emphasizing their potential for diverse applications in both biomedical and environmental sciences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industrialization, urbanization, and natural processes have potentially accelerated the pace and level of heavy metals in the aquatic environment. Recently, modern strategies for heavy metal treatment in wastewater have received the specific attention of the scientific community. The present study aimed to assess the amorphous biomass of Desmodesmus sp. as a low-cost adsorbent to remove the cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) from aqueous solutions. It involved the optimization of pH, contact time, initial concentration of metal ions, and the dosage of biosorbent. Data collation revealed that an optimum contact time for both metals was 60 min, with an adsorption capacity of 63% for Cd and 66% for Pb. Different models were applied to the equilibrium data. The pseudo 2nd order described the best adsorption of Cd and Pb. The equilibrium data were computed with various isotherms. Langmuir isotherms better suit the adsorption of the above-mentioned metals. Hence, the maximum adsorption capacity of Desmodesmus sp. for Cd and Pb was 64.1 and 62.5 mg/g, respectively. The mechanism of biosorption was validated through a comparative FT-IR and Scanning Electron Microscopy of raw and metal-loaded algal biomass based on cell morphological changes. In order to study the reusability of adsorbent, adsorption-desorption of Cd and Pb ions was repeated three times using HCl. These results did not noticeably change in adsorption capacity during the three cycles. Using HCl (0.1 M), desorption of both metals was achieved up to 90% in three cycles. This work presented a long-term bioremediation approach for heavy metal pollutants in wastewater. This research could be seen as an interdisciplinary approach to large-scale heavy metal remediation. In addition, growing microalgae in wastewater produces animal feed and biodiesel. When compared to other conventional methods for environmental remediation and the manufacture of valuable products, the use of microalgae is a more efficient and cost-effective method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The utilization of paper on a commercial scale is increasing day by day throughout the world that produces million of tons of paper waste yearly and burdened for landfills. The present study focuses on the exploitation of waste papers (office paper, newspaper and tissue paper) as a cheapest alternative source of energy to extract fermentable sugar by applying chemical and enzymatic pretreatments. The quantification of released sugar was analyzed by spectrophotometer and high performance liquid chromatography refractive index (HPLC-RI) detector. Cellulose (12 FPU/g) and β-glucosidase (12 FPU/g) was found to be effective for the extraction of fermentable sugar from paper waste. The contents of cellulose (C6H10O5)n, hemicellulose (C5H10O5)n and lignin (C9H10O2,C10H12O3,C11H14O4) found in office paper were 40%, 32.5%, 22.5%, in newspaper 46.5%, 30.5% 22.5%, and in tissue paper 62%, 22%, 15.5%, respectively. The percentages of sugar contents assessed in this study were 62% in tissue paper and 46.5% in newspaper and 40% in office papers. Among the three substrates, tissue paper (23.4 mg/mL) released a significant amount of glucose (C6H6O12), whereas newspaper (20.8 mg/mL) and office paper (19.6 mg/mL) released less amount of sugar. This research of acid pre-treatment and enzymatic hydrolysis was an efficient method to improve glucose conversion from lignocellulosic waste. Furthermore, this approach can be proved the first step towards the sustainable production of bioethanol from wastepaper-extracted sugar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In mathematical chemistry, molecular structure of any chemical substance can be expressed by a numeric number or polynomial or sequence of number which represent the whole graph is called topological index. An important branch of graph theory is the chemical graph theory. As a consequence of their worldwide uses, chemical networks have inspired researchers since their development. Determination of the expressions for topological indices of different derived graphs is a new and interesting problem in graph theory. In this article, some graphs which are derived from Honeycomb structure are studied, and found their exact results for Sum degree-based polynomials are obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of sensing networks and Internet of things, wireless sensor networks have been applied to different fields of our society. With the perceived sensing demands for soil, mining lanes, etc., wireless underground sensor networks (WUSNs) have developed rapidly recently. Compared to typical terrestrial wireless sensor networks, WUSNs have unique applications and features due to their wireless transmission characteristics and layout environments, especially WUSNs in soil. In this paper, we discuss the wireless propagation characteristics and engineering implementation methods of WUSNs in tunnels/tubes/pipelines/lanes and WUSNs in soil. The prospects for the future development of WUSN are discussed as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess the knowledge and compliance of hand hygiene standards and guidelines among healthcare workers in a hospital. Study Design: Cross-sectional Study. Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted in Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology/National Institute of Heart Diseases, form Oct to Dec 2018. Material and Methods: Total 102 health care workers were recruited through non-probability sampling technique. A validated research tool (WHO) was introduced and which consist of 18 structured questionnaires to assess knowledge and observation checklist to assess compliance on hand hygiene. Likert scale was used to answer the questionnaire. The collected data was entered and analyzed on SPSS (version 23). Results: Our results show that out of 102 participants, 43 (42.2%) were familiar with the hand hygiene guidelines, whereas for 77 (75.5%) of the participants, the guidelines were readily accessible. The developer of the guideline is well qualified and knowledgeable about hand hygiene (42.2%). 61.8% of health care workers were agreed that the aim of these guidelines is to provide specific recommendations for improving clinical practices and reducing the transmission of pathogenic microorganisms to patients. Total of 47 (46.1%) health care workers were agreed that the questionnaire was related to infection control policies and based on scientific research. 56.9% of the health care workers were not willing to change their hand hygiene regime, 69.6% were following traditional method and some of them contradict with these guidelines (66.7%). Conclusion: Emphasis on hand hygiene training programs in medical staff is an important issue that should be considered more seriously by the health policy makers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medicinal plants are known for their diverse use in the traditional medicine of the Himalayan region of Pakistan. The present study is designed to investigate the anticancer and antimicrobial activities of Prunus cornuta and Quercus semicarpifolia. The anticancer activity was performed using cancerous human cell lines (HepG2, Caco-2, A549, MDA-MB-231, and NCI-H1437 carcinoma cells), while the antimicrobial activity was conducted with the agar-well diffusion method. Furthermore, toxicity studies were performed on alveolar and renal primary epithelial cells. Initially, different extracts were prepared by maceration techniques using n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, butanol, and methanol. The preliminary phytochemical screening showed the presence of secondary metabolites such as alkaloids, tannins, saponins, flavonoids, glycosides, and quinones. The chloroform extract of P. cornuta (PCC) exhibited significant inhibitory activity against Acinetobacter baumannii (16 mm) and Salmonella enterica (14.5 mm). The A. baumannii and S. enterica strains appeared highly susceptible to n-hexane extract of P. cornuta (PCN) with an antibacterial effect of 15 mm and 15.5 mm, respectively. The results also showed that the methanolic extracts of Quercus semecarpifolia (QSM) exhibited considerable antibacterial inhibitory activity in A. baumannii (18 mm), Escherichia coli (15 mm). The QSN and QSE extracts also showed good inhibition in A. baumannii with a 16 mm zone of inhibition. The Rhizopus oryzae strain has shown remarkable mycelial inhibition by PCM and QSN with 16 mm and 21 mm inhibition, respectively. Furthermore, the extracts of P. cornuta and Q. semicarpifolia exhibited prominent growth inhibition of breast (MDA-MB-231) and lung (A549) carcinoma cells with 19–30% and 22–39% cell viabilities, respectively. The gut cell line survival was also significantly inhibited by Q. semicarpifolia (24–34%). The findings of this study provide valuable information for the future development of new antibacterial and anticancer medicinal agents from P. cornuta and Q. semicarpifolia extracts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess the role of hysterosalpingoscintigraphy (HSSG) in the evaluation of fallopian tube patency and function and compare the results with hysterosalpingography (HSG) and laparoscopy (LS)., Design: Cross-sectional study., Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted at Multan Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Radiotherapy (MINAR), Multan from August 2004 to February 2005., Patients and Methods: HSSG was performed after instillation of 4mCi (148 MBq) 99mTechnetium-macroaggregated albumin (99mTc-MAA) in posterior vaginal fornix in 65 patients. Serial static images were acquired in supine position at 1 hour, 2 hours, 3 hours and, if needed, at 24 hours. The results were compared to the findings on LS and HSG., Results: Out of 65 patients, 37 (56.9%) patients had bilateral blocked tubes, 17 (26.1%) patients had bilateral patent tubes, 6 (9.2%) patients had blocked left tube and 5 (7.1%) patients had blocked right tube. The calculated sensitivity, specificity, positive predicted value (PPV), negative predicted value (NPV) and accuracy for HSSG were 90%, 83%, 90% and 90% respectively. The agreement between HSSG and LS was found in 32 out of 35 patients and agreement between HSG and HSSG was found in 24 out of 30 patients., Conclusion: This simple procedure can delineate tubal physiology; in selected cases it can replace HSG and in others augment the information gathered by HSG. HSSG should be part of the infertility workup algorithm.